Button-Down Dress To Cute Crop Top Tutorial
One of my favorite ways to keep my wardrobe as sustainable as possible is to upcycle old clothing into something completely fresh and new. I bought this Madewell shirt dress secondhand and, although I loved the overall style, it was just a bit too short for me to feel comfortable wearing it (especially as a mom of 2 littles that needs to bend over A LOT haha!). Instead of donating it and run the risk of it ending up in a landfill, I decided to change up the style to make it into a cut crop top instead.
And you can do it, too! All you'll need it a button-up dress (either from your own closet or from the thrift store) and a few basic materials:
Tools & Materials:
- A dress to flip
- Tailor's chalk or water-erasable pen
- Rotary Cutter or Scissors
- Thread Snips
- Ruler
- Pins
- Sewing Machine
- Iron
- Cutting Mat (if using rotary cutter)
- Serger (optional)
STEP 1: Try on your dress, inside out, and use your tailor's chalk or other erasable marking tool to mark where you'd like your top to sit. Be sure to add another 1/2in to form the hem.
STEP 2: Lay your dress on a table on top of a cutting mat (if using a rotary cutter). If your dress is a button-front style, be sure to keep all of your buttons closed. Line a clear ruler with the markings you made on the dress and measure down 1/2" for the hem. Use your rotary cutter to trim the excess from the dress. You can opt to use scissors, but the rotary cutter is the easiest way to ensure that you cut evenly across the dress.
Step 3: Using a serger or zig-zag stitch on a standard sewing machine, finish the bottom edge of your top.
Step 4 (optional): Use your thread snips to remove any buttons that may be sitting too close to the hem of your new top.
Step 5: Fold up the finished hem of the top 1/4" twice. Press, and pin in place.
Step 6: Sew the hem close to the opened edge.
There you have it! Not only is this. project super simple and quick to do, but it's a great way to keep your wardrobe eco-friendly. Let me know if you give this thrift flip a try!
If you're new to upcycling your own clothing, be sure to watch the video above as I have 2 other beginner-friendly projects for you to try.
For more sewing tutorials, be sure to check out my post on how to sew your own DIY Shirred Dress.
Happy making!
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