How to Make a Cute DIY One Shoulder Crop Top Out of an Old T-shirt
Crop tops are a great go-to warm-weather top and they’re super easy to make out of just a t-shirt. If you’re looking to upcycle old or thrifted t-shirts into something stylish that’ll have a long shelf life in your closet then this DIY one-shoulder crop top tutorial is for you. Let’s get started.
Tools and materials:
- T-shirt
- Sports bra/bralette
- Scissors or rotary cutter
- Elastic
- Sewing machine
- Needle and thread
- Sewing pins
- Iron
- Safety pin or bodkin
1. Align your t-shirt and sports bra guide
Lay your t-shirt down flat and overlay a sports bra on top of it. The sports bra is going to act as a guide for the size and general shape of the top.
If your t-shirt has any logos, make sure you’re positioning it underneath the sports bra exactly where you’ll want it on the top.
2. Cut out the fabric
If this is your first time, I recommend using fabric chalk to outline the top before cutting. I’ve done this before, so I’m just going to cut it out without it.
Make sure to leave a seam allowance on the sides of the bralette and leave enough room on the bottom to fold it over for the elastic in a later step. You won’t need any seam allowance on the top.
For the back, just follow the shape as the front part, but cut straight across instead of cutting the straps.
3. Pin the top together
Pin the front and the back together and make sure you do this inside out.
4. Sew the top together
Then, sew where you pinned with a straight stitch.
5. Sew the bottom hem
Fold the bottom of the top up so we can create a hem.
Then sew with a zigzag stitch. Make sure to leave enough room to fit the elastic.
6. Create the strap
With the remaining fabric, cut two strips that are 2¼ inches wide. These will be our straps. I used a rotary cutter but you can use scissors.
To attach, cut both strips at an angle.
Then align the angles and sew together with a straight stitch.
7. Iron the strap
Use an iron to press open and flatten the seam that you just made.
Tip: apply spray starch to the strap to stiffen the fabric.
8. Fold over to create bias tape
Fold the fabric over itself to create a double-folded bias tape then iron to make it as even as you can all the way down.
It should look like this once you’re done.
9. Attach bias tape to the top
Sandwich the top that you made between the bias tape and pin it all the way around.
Make sure to stop before it meets the other end and leave a gap where the shoulder is.
Sew all the way around.
When you get to the end of the top, keep sewing all the way down. The leftover strip will create the strap.
10. Trim and sew the strap
Trim the strap to a length that fits. Feel free to use the bralette as a guide if needed.
Place the strap underneath the back and sew together with a straight stitch.
11. Thread the elastic
For the elastic, cut a very small hole in the hem of the shirt. You can use a safety pin or a bodkin to thread the elastic through the hem.
Sew the ends of the elastic together.
Use a needle and some thread to sew up the hole.
DIY one-shoulder crop top tutorial
All done! Here’s the final look of the DIY one-shoulder crop top. It’s super cute, and a must-have basic for your closet! If you liked this tutorial, let me know how you plan to style it!
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