Modify Your T Shirt

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If you've got a stash of ugly or oversized T-shirts in your closet, then some fashion recycling may be in order. Even the freebie shirts that you get from events--the kinds that are 3 sizes too big and hideous––can be salvaged with a little creativity. This article will give you some ideas for ways to modify a T-shirt. You'll find step-by-step instructions for making even your baggiest T-shirt conform to your body. Then, if you're feeling really ambitious, you can find ways to transform your T-shirt into an entirely different outfit.

Steps

Repurpose Your Baggy T-Shirt for a Good Fit

  1. Mark the length you'd like the shirt to be with pins, chalk or even a pen. Keep in mind that if the shirt is especially long, you can use it as a dress. If it makes an especially short dress, you can wear leggings or skinny jeans underneath for a casual, Bohemian style.
  2. Mark the length you'd like the sleeves to be if they're too long as they are. If you are altering a lot of shirts, try to locate a tape measure and measure what to cut of each one.
  3. Pinch and pin the seams at the sides to tighten the shirt. You'll want to use 3 to 5 pins running from the armpit to the bottom. If you're going for a tight fit, you might want to use safety pins so you don't get poked as you're taking off the shirt. Try to pinch equal amounts of fabric on each side.
  4. Pinch and pin the outsides of the sleeves if they're too baggy.
  5. Remove the shirt and sew along the marks you made.
    • For length adjustments, fold the fabric towards the side that will be against your skin to make a hem. For seams, just sew the fabric together, making sure it doesn't bunch up. You can do this by hand or machine.
    • If you're not sure whether your markings will result in a good fit, use a long stitch that will hold the fabric together but will be easy to remove if the shirt doesn't fit well. Don't do any cutting yet.
  6. Turn the shirt right-side out and try it on. Mark where it's too tight, loose, long or short.
    • If it fits well, go over the seams again with a stronger stitch. This would be a good point to use a sewing machine if you have one, though it's not necessary.
    • If it doesn’t fit properly, repeat the above steps, tearing out any previous stitches before sewing new ones until the shirt fits the way that you want.
  7. Cut away any excess fabric. Your T-shirt should now be fitted, sleek and lump-free.

Transform a T-Shirt into a Completely Different Top

  1. Make a Crop Top. Cut and hem your T-shirt until it rests at your midriff. Then, cut slits in the shoulders for an even cooler effect. If you want to, you can cut the side seams and hold the shirt together with safety pins or ties.
  2. Make a Halter from an Old Shirt (No Sewing). With this halter design, you cut out your T-shirt, flip it and thread a string through the hem for a gathered bodice and tie. You can also skip the bodice and tie and cut strips of fabric across the shoulders that can be turned into ties.
  3. Make a T Shirt a Tank Top. This article will teach you to make a tank top from an old T-shirt. You'll need some basic sewing gear and a sewing machine.
  4. Recycle an Old T Shirt Into a Sexy Bikini. If you have a high-quality T-shirt that you want to transform, you can cut and sew the T-shirt to make a bikini. Just keep in mind to make any ties very secure--otherwise, you could end up in an awkward situation at the beach!
  5. Turn an Oversized T Shirt Into a Hot Mini Dress. In this design, the body of your T-shirt becomes the mini dress while the collar and sleeves transform into the neck strap and bodice, respectively.

Modify a T-Shirt with Color

  1. Screenprint a One Color T Shirt. Use some fabric dye or paint, screen printing fabric and a screen printing frame to change a plain T-shirt from blah to thought-provoking.
  2. Stencil a T Shirt. Create a stencil from a printout and a piece of contact paper. Then, after cutting out the stencil, paint the design onto the front of your T-shirt.
  3. Tie Dye a Shirt. You can tie-dye any natural fiber shirt including cotton, hemp, linen or rayon. If you choose a 50/50 blend, your colors will come out very pale.
  4. Make a Bleach T Shirt. Use liquid bleach, bleach gel or a bleach pen to draw or spray designs onto an old T-shirt.

Fold and Tie T-Shirt Top

  1. Fold the sleeves of your T-Shirt up to where they're comfortable.
  2. Gather the bottom corner of the shirt and twist it into a small ball, then tie a hair tie around it.
  3. Pair with some high waisted pants/shorts, a skirt, or whatever else you like to wear.

Tips

  • If you're on a budget, you can hit thrift stores, garage sales and online auctions to get some vintage shirts for a few dollars. From there, you can experiment with all kinds of T-shirt surgery.
  • If you have a black shirt that you wish you could add a tie-dye effect to, use multiple mixtures of different parts water and bleach. You tie it in your pattern, and dye like any other shirt.

Warnings

  • When you're starting out, don't use shirts that are precious to you. Practice on shirts you don't really care about until you get the hang of modifying T-shirts.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

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