Transform Your T-Shirts Without a Sewing Machine With This Tutorial
I love a good upcycle. Seriously, who doesn’t? It can get really frustrating, though, when every tutorial I see requires a sewing machine. I don’t know about you, but I am not about that sewing life. So I set out to find some upcycling techniques that are super easy and don’t involve any sewing whatsoever. Keep reading and get ready to transform your t-shirts.
Tools and materials:
- T-shirts
- Scissors
- Tulle
- Grommet kit
- Printer design
- Elastic
- Superglue
- Marker
Make a tulle strap
Grab a tank top and cut off one of the straps. Then take one of the cut ends and place some super glue on it. Fold it, pressing down, to create a tunnel. Grab a strip of tulle and feed it through the tunnel, tying it in a bow at the top. Voila, an elevated tank top perfect for a day out!
Make a ruched tank top
This is so easy! Turn a tank top inside out and place a piece of elastic on either side of each side seam. So that’s four pieces, two per side. Then all you’ve got to do is add some super glue and press down the elastic strips! The side will be ruched as high as your elastic is long, so choose your length accordingly.
Tie-off tank top
Grab a t-shirt and a marker, and draw a curve along each sleeve. Then draw two diagonal lines going from the center bottom of the shirt to the sides and forming a triangle. Draw a vertical line in the center of the triangle and cut along all the lines you drew. Then cut off the back of the shirt to your desired length and knot the front.
Grommet shirt
Mark dots all over your shirt to signify where you want the grommets to go. Then cut holes in place of the markings and follow the instructions on your grommet kit to insert the grommets into the holes. That’s all there is to it!
Crop top with an iron-on transfer
Print out a design you like and place it on some plastic wrap. Then take another piece of plastic wrap and lay on top of the design. Cut it out so that it’s just the design and a small border. Then place the design where you want it on the shirt, cover it with a baking sheet, and iron it down. Lastly, peel off the excess plastic and cut the bottom of the shirt down to your desired length.
There you go, y’all! These are all such simple ways to upcycle your existing clothing and to breathe some new life into old garments. I love the way these each came out, and they were all so quick and easy to do. Be sure to watch the video to see me making them in action. I definitely enjoyed this project. Which of these outfits do you like best? Let me know in the comments!
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Can the tee with the paper transfer be washed? Thanks.
wonderful ideas! 🥰