How to Make Cute Ruffles on a Shirt Collar, Sleeves, and Cuffs
So here’s another brilliant revamp of a boring men’s shirt. This time, I’ll show you how to make ruffles on a shirt and turn this men’s shirt into something fabulous and fitting. Are you ready to learn how to make a ruffle blouse? Let’s get this party started!
Tools and materials:
- Button-down men’s shirt
- Seam ripper
- Measuring tape
- Chalk
- Pins
- Needle
- Thread
- Sewing machine
- Scissors
- Existing shirt as a guide
1. Make the pattern
So, I guess most men’s shirts are oversized and large, which calls for a few amendments to make it fit better on your body. In this case, take a well-fitted shirt that you own, place it on the large men’s shirt, and trace out the shape.
Tip: Take your time on this step. It has to be straight and symmetrical.
2. Cut the new pattern
Now, carefully cut along the lines.
3. Seam rip the collar
Once the bodice is modified and cut out, seam rip the first part of the collar.
Next, pin the side seams of the bodice, and then with a pin, mark the middle of the shoulder seam.
4. Modify the sleeves
The sleeves were also big for me, so I decided to modify them by tracing over them with my fitted shirt as a guide. Then, mark the middle of the shoulder seam on the sleeve, too.
Then, unpin the bodice’s side seams so that you can open the armhole. Next, pin the upper armhole of the sleeve to the bodice, as shown. Do this with the fabric right sides facing and start from the center.
Then, pin the bodice’s sides and sleeves and sew to secure.
5. Make the ruffles
Now it’s time to make the DIY ruffle blouse! Measure the collar, and then using the scrap fabric from the side seam, make a long strip that measures 3cm (1.2 inches) wide.
Now, join the two pieces together to make one long strip, then sew a basting stitch along the raw edge. Gather the fabric, so it’s the same length as the collar.
Next, sandwich the ruffled piece in between the two layers of the collar. Pin, and sew to secure.
Now, make two more ruffle straps by repeating the same process as mentioned above. You can cut fabric from the bottom of the shirt for this part.
Tip: For this step, hem the short ends of the straps, too.
Gather the strips and attach them to the original cuffs.
This is what it should look like after.
6. Add ruffles to the shirt placket
Go ahead and gather another two strips for the button panels.
Now, seam rip the folded side placket where the holes are placed; this should give you an extra ½cm (0.2 inches) gap to insert the ruffled piece.
Now, place the ruffle into the fold of the open placket.
For the adjacent placket, seam rip the buttons and pin your second ruffled strap on the same line where the buttons were sewn.
Stitch both ruffled pieces in place.
Now, manually sew the original buttons back onto the placket, ensuring their location coincides with the buttonholes on the opposite placket. They should be sewn on the new seam.
7. Add a simple waistband
Now, cut off a strip of fabric from the scrap fabric you have, making sure it’s the exact size as the bottom of the shirt. Then, pin the layers together, right sides facing.
Then, stitch to secure.
Finish off the ends with a zigzag stitch.
Then fold the edge upwards so that the edge touches the inner seam line, and sew it down with a straight stitch.
The waistband had a hole for the button, so I cut the existing hole on the other side of the fabric and manually sewed another button on the adjacent placket.
How to make ruffles on a shirt
Finally, the DIY ruffle blouse is complete! I love how a few modifications can really transform a boring shirt into something more feminine and trendy! What do you think of this tutorial?
Now you have the know-how on some great sewing techniques, such as how to make ruffle sleeves, collar, and placket on a blouse. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and be sure to check more of my tutorials for some great sewing tips!
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