Learn How to Upcycle Old Pieces Into Beach Tie-Dye Fashion Favorites!

Tools and Materials:

• Shirt
• Sewing Machine
• Fabric scissors
• Bleach
• Spray bottle
• Gloves
• Tank top

I started my upcycle with this old red golf T-shirt. I usually don’t wear red so I knew I would be making some changes to the color of my new piece. 

I started by cutting the shirt as close to the buttons as possible. 

I then tried the shirt on like a skirt and pinned it to make sure the waistline would fit. I headed over to my sewing machine and took the skirt in. 

Next, I sewed the top, raw edge down to make a waistband for the skirt.

In this step, I hand sewed two straight lines down the sides of my skirt. 

I gathered the fabric to create this gorgeous, ruched effect. I love how the gatherings add so much drama to this skirt! I pinned them in place and sewed them to keep them nice and secure. 

I was so excited to dye the skirt to get an amazing color I would wear! I scrunched it into the sink and slowly poured bleach over it, rinsing it with water after each pour. 

I then used a spray bottle to spray bleach onto the skirt, in different areas, creating an amazing tie-dye effect. Once the skirt had dried, I rinsed it out until the water ran clear and waited for it to dry again. 

I love how this skirt turned out! It’s now one of my favorite pieces to wear! 

The next piece I transformed into a closet essential is this white tank top.

I started by seam ripping the neckline to remove the bias tape. I love bias tape and I knew I would use it for my new neckline.

I then cut out the shape I wanted for my new and improved top. The top was a bit wide so I took in the sides to get a more fitted look. 

In this step, I pinned the bias tape onto the new neckline and sewed it on. I love the clean finish bias tape adds to a neckline! I tried the top on again and realized there was still a lot of extra fabric so I took it in making sure it fit just right. 

To make the straps for my amazing new tank top, I took two pieces of the fabric and placed them right sides together and then sewed around three sides. I turned the fabric right side out using a wire to help me poke out the fabric. 

I pressed the straps down with my iron. Working with a material that doesn’t hold so well can be difficult but using an iron definitely does the trick! 

I then sewed the four sleeve pieces onto my tank top and I was ready for the big reveal! 

I just love how easy it was to make this tank top! It goes perfectly with my new skirt! What clothes are you ready to upcycle? Let me know in the comments below!