DIY Fringed T-Shirt

Caley Vitella
by Caley Vitella
4 Materials
30 Minutes
Easy

Altering tee shirts like this is my favorite way to instantly enhance my wardrobe. All it takes is a pair of scissors and half an hour to make this festival inspired fringed tee. Check out this easy step-by-step tutorial to find out how!

The one thing I miss the most about the span of time I like to refer to as "The Before Times" (you know, pre-2020) is outdoor summer activities like concerts or music festivals. A couple years ago, I altered a Janis Joplin tee-shirt that didn't quite fit me right into a breezy, 60's inspired top to go see Weezer & Pixies with my husband. To this day, it's one of my most worn pieces because of how easy breezy it feels while still looking stylized and cute.

Then I was going through my tee-shirt drawer earlier this week and came across this CBGB's tee I bought years ago. It used to be one of my most worn pieces (you can even see it's faded a bit on the stomach from being stretched so much during my pregnancy) but I haven't been reaching for it very often now because of it's frumpy fit. That's when I decided to retry my favorite simple DIY that I'm going to share with you today!

Supplies Needed:


  • T-Shirt. (This styling works best with a loose fitting tee. Mine is a men's size S for reference, but any oversized fit will do.)
  • Scissors
  • Tailor's Chalk / Any Marking Tool
  • Ruler *optional*
Step 1:


Remove the sleeves from the shirt

Step 2:


Cut the hemline to remove (this reduces bulk at the bottom for flowy tassels).

Step 3:


Wearing your shirt inside out, use your tailor's chalk to mark where you'd like you tassels to start. I chose to start mine just above the waistband of my jeans, and used that as my guide.

Step 4:


Remove shirt and lay on a flat surface. Using the ruler as a guide, cut tassels. The thinner your cuts, the more tassels you'll end up with. I cut mine about 1/4" wide for reference, but it's really up to you.

Step 5:


Knot each individual strip of fabric. The tassels will start pretty flat, but after one washing they'll curl up on themselves for a more streamlined, hippie look.

TA-DA!


And now you're all done!

Altering tee shirts like this is my favorite way to instantly enhance my wardrobe. All it takes is a pair of scissors and just over half an hour! Any project you can do while watching TV is a win in my book!

I also love that this is such a simple way to instantly elevate a classic "jeans and a tee" outfit.

There you have it! The perfect top to wear to an outdoor concert, music festival, craft fair, farmer's market, or any other summer what-have-you. Enjoy!

Happy making!


-XO-

Caley of happymakesme.com and @happymakes_me

Suggested materials:
  • T-shirt
  • Scissors
  • Chalk / marking tool
See all materials

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3 of 12 comments
  • Bgray Bgray on Jul 01, 2021

    So glad to see this...I just bought a souvenir tee from a recent trip to the beach. It is bright green with a tie-dye print on front. My first thought was to fringe the bottom...never done it before but figured it wouldn't be too hard. Now I just have to follow your directions...didn't think to tie knots. Super Cute! Thanks for sharing.

    • Caley Vitella Caley Vitella on Jul 06, 2021

      Thanks so much! I think the tie-dye will look so cool with the fringe, can't wait to see the finished project!

  • Nancyb Nancyb on May 26, 2022

    I was just wondering what to do with some too large shirts, then your idea pops up! Genius!!

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