Quick and Easy Tutorial on How to Shorten a T-shirt
No sewing machine, no problem! If you have a thread and a needle, then you can still shorten your too long t-shirt. Follow along with this quick and easy tutorial to learn how to crop a t-shirt to the correct length.
Tools and materials:
- Too long t-shirt
- Needle and thread
- Straight pins
- Iron
- Ruler
- Tailor’s chalk
- Fabric scissors
1. Fold your too long t-shirt
Lift the bottom hem of the shirt, folding the excess fabric inward to the desired length.
2. Secure the new length
First, pin the folded piece once in the front to secure it in place.
Then, take the shirt off and press the fold with an iron to create a crisp crease, further securing the new length. Remove the pin.
3. Draw a line
Draw a straight line, as shown, along the bottom, about 1-2 cm from the bottom, as a guide for hand sewing.
4. Prepare your needle and begin sewing
Prepare a needle and thread of the same color as your t-shirt. I’m using a different color just so that you can see it in this tutorial.
Poke the needle through at the side seam, from the inside of the t-shirt.
Begin sewing using a backstitch.
This is a strong, reliable stitch, used before sewing machines practically for all clothing. Unfamiliar with this stitch? Check it out at your own pace in the video 0:55 - 1:30.
Here’s a look at the backstitch from the inside of the t-shirt.
Keep on sewing all the way around, until you meet your first stitch. Here, you can see I’m using the correct color thread.
5. Knot
Once you’ve reached the start of your stitches, make a knot on the inside of the t-shirt to secure your work.
Here, you can see that I partially stuck the needle through, from the inside, then I wrapped the thread a few times around the needle before pulling it through.
After you’ve pulled the needle through, poke it back in the same spot again.
Pull it through once more, then cut the excess string, removing the needle.
6. Remove excess fabric
On the inside of the t-shirt, carefully cut out the excess fabric.
How to shorten a t-shirt
And that’s it! Your perfectly cropped t-shirt is done!
Now that you’ve learned how to shorten a t-shirt the easy way, you can fix all of the too long t-shirts in your closet.
If you liked this step-by-step tutorial, check out my post on How to Upcycle Low Waisted Jeans into High Waisted Jeans.
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Yes, I will definitely be doing this to a few T-Shirts.
Thanks for sharing with great tutorials!
Looks easier than I thought it would be. I haven’t picked up a needle and thread for about 50 years. I think I will try but need new thread not what I have in my old sewing box.🙃