Categories: Refashionsewing

Twenty-Five Minute T-shirt Refashion

If you’ve got 25 minutes and a too-big tee, you’re going to love this Anthropologie inspired t-shirt refashion.

Several years ago my sister came to visit with an amazing t-shirt on. She had found it at Anthropologie and couldn’t believe how lovely it was. I loved it enough to ask her if I could inspect it. So today we’re going to recreate one portion of that shirt. Since it was several years ago, I can’t show you the original though, which is sad. But you’ll like this one anyway. Here’s what we started with. It’s XXL

Instructions

Turn your tee inside out, and put it on. Mark or pin the sides so be the right size for you.
Sew along the marked lines from the sleeve down to the bottom of the shirt in one continuous seam on both sides. Trim the excess.
Turn the excess right side out, and fold it along the seam. Trim so they’re about 1″ wide when folded.
Ruffle the folded strips by using a basting stitch along the raw edges, and then gather the strip.
Pin the ruffles along the shoulder of your t-shirt in a zig-zag pattern, then sew them on.
You may need to tack a few ruffles in place at the beginning and end and if there are any other areas you feel need more structure.

And in just 25 minutes, you’ve got a shirt that’s a little bit fancy, a little bit relaxed, and a little bit amazing.

T is for Tee Shirt || Mabey She Made It
U is for is for Upcycled Basket || Tried and True
V is for Vinyl Decorated Sweatpants || Play.Party.Pin
W is for Watercolor Calendar || My Craftily Ever After
X is for is for X-acto Knife-cut Jar Pump || See Vanessa Craft
Y is for Yarn Wrapped Eggs || Cupcakes and Crowbars
Z is for Zinnia Wreath || Up to Date Interiors

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Lisa

Lisa Mabey blogs at Mabey She Made It about DIY, Crafts, Home Decor, and Sewing.

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View Comments

Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures says:

March 28, 2015 at 6:36 AM

How pretty! I LOVE it! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
- Lisa says:
  
  April 1, 2015 at 3:11 PM
  
  Aww, thank you Marci.
Kristie says:

March 28, 2015 at 6:08 PM

That is such a cute and simple idea. Thanks for sharing.
- Lisa says:
  
  April 1, 2015 at 3:10 PM
  
  Thank you Kristie! Glad you enjoyed it.
Steph @ Crafting in the Rain says:

March 30, 2015 at 8:31 AM

I love how much this changed the look--thanks for the instructions!
- Lisa says:
  
  April 1, 2015 at 3:09 PM
  
  Thanks Steph, you're the best!
Denise/DIY Crush says:

March 30, 2015 at 9:02 AM

This is a fantastic idea and ruffles always add a beautiful touch to any piece of clothing!! Thanks for the fun tutorial!
- Lisa says:
  
  April 1, 2015 at 3:08 PM
  
  Thank you so much, Denise!
Evie says:

March 30, 2015 at 10:13 AM

Love the refashion but I have a question. If you started with a XXL how do you make the shoulder seams hit at the correct place on the shoulders? I would think the seams would droop off the shoulders? Thanks.
- Lisa says:
  
  April 1, 2015 at 3:08 PM
  
  Hi Evie, thanks for your comment and question! This particular shirt is supposed to be really tight and close fitting so I didn't have that issue when taking it in. However, if your shirt did have that problem, you'd need to take the sleeves off, adjust the shoulder width, then reattach the sleeves.
susan says:

April 14, 2015 at 6:28 AM

Super cute, love the idea of reinventing a plain tshirt!
- Lisa says:
  
  April 20, 2015 at 9:45 PM
  
  Thank you, Susan! It's such a great way to make a t-shirt-and-jeans wardrobe a LITTLE more exciting. :)