How to Make Any Shirt Patchwork With Four Easy Shortcuts

I detailed each of these steps in the YouTube video above. It's much easier to explain much of this process in motion, so be sure to reference it with any questions.

If you want to make a patchwork shirt the shortcut way, first you need to choose which top will be your base. The one you want to be the core of the entire project.

I selected this awkwardly fitting tunic/dress because although it wasn't flattering, it was so soft! First thing I did was seam rip the bottom ruffle off, and then finished the bottom hem to prevent any fraying.

The easiest way to execute this project quick and painless is to use shirts that are the same size and similar style. All of my pieces were collared and button down cut.

The four methods I will share can be mixed and matched! You can do all of the shortcuts or just one! There are no rules with patchwork.

First way to shortcut patchwork is to play around with the pockets. I seam ripped the pocket out of one side of my core shirt to discover there was a faint dye mark under the pocket on the fabric.

I decided to seam rip a pocket off of another one of my shirts and sew it on in place of the pocket on the core shirt. I simply pinned it down, ironed it so it was smooth, and sewed a straight stitch along the bottom and sides of the pocket.

The second easy way to do a patchwork top is to replace or change up the sleeves. There are two ways to do this.

The first involves seam ripping a sleeve out of your base shirt, and replacing it with a sleeve from one of your other shirts.

Check out the video above to see the method I used in real time to attach a new sleeve to the core shirt.

I finished that off with a zig zag stitch on the raw seam to prevent any future fraying.

The second way to change the sleeve is to chop the bottom off near the cuff. Then decide which other shirt's sleeve would be a great patchwork replacement.

Then you can take that chopped off part of the core shirt sleeve, line it up with the replacement sleeve and cut along the same line.

To see how I attached both sleeve parts, check out the video above! It makes much more sense in action.

Third is my favorite shortcut, replacing the collar!

I simply seam ripped the upper part of the collar so that I could slip out the original collar of my core piece. I seam ripped the upper collar out of my pajama shirt to slip the collar out of that piece.

I put the replacement collar in the now open seam of my core shirt. I pinned and ironed it in place, then sewed along the edge to secure it to my shirt.

The final shortcut is the easiest. Simply remove and replace the buttons on your shirt with buttons from a different piece.

I wanted to loose the dingy brown buttons, so I replaced them with the distressed white ones from another one of my shirts.

I did a few other switchups on this shirt (I changed my mind ALOT!), and this is what I ended up with! I love it much more than the before piece!

I think it's awesome that my friend's random pajama top now has new life. You know what they say, "One man's trash is another mans treasure!"

Let me know if you use any of these shortcuts on pieces you own. If you don't want to go full-on patchwork just one little changeup can give a new life to an old piece.

If you haven't already joined me on YouTube, check out my channel here! I've got tons of other refashioning projects and love to have you as my newest subscriber!