How to Make a Cross Neck Top From a Thrift Store Sweater

Tools and materials:

• Ribbed sweater
• Pins
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• Overlock machine (optional)

Mark where to cut

To start, I put on the sweater inside out and pinned the sides, so it was snug against my body. I also marked where I wanted the top edge of the sweater to be. 

This essentially created a square shape marked with pins in the front of the sweater.

Cut around the pins

I used the pins as a guide for where to cut the sweater. I cut both the front and back of the sweater simultaneously, leaving me with two large squares for the body section of my top.

Cut off the sleeves

To make the criss-cross section of the top, I cut off both sleeves of the sweater at the shoulder seams.

Then I cut off the cuffs and the curved ends at the shoulder to create two straight-edged tubes.

I opened the seams along the length of the sleeves.

Then, with the open sleeves laying one on top of the other, I trimmed the sides, so I had two rectangular pieces.

Pin and sew the rectangles together

I pinned the rectangular pieces along one short edge, and sewed them together, creating one long strip.

Fold in half and sew

Next, I folded the strip in half lengthwise, right sides facing each other, and sewed all the way down the long side of the strip, leaving both ends open. Once it was sewn together, creating a tube, I turned the tube right side out. 

Pin the criss-cross neck into the body of the top

To create the criss-cross neck, I crossed the long strip made from the sleeves over itself once, making sure the loop fell in the center. Then I pinned the ends of the strip between the side seams of the two square pieces, making sure the ends of the strip were evenly placed. 

Sew the side seams and hem the top edge

I sewed the side seams together and overlocked the stitches, which also secured the strip for the criss-cross neck of the top. Then I folded the top edge and zigzag stitched that all the way around.

And here is my final result. The fabric is different than the one on Pinterest, but the design is spot on. I am so impressed with myself for creating this top. I didn’t even need a pattern! This top is so cute and so simple to make, I hope you use this tutorial and try it for yourselves. Let me know what you think of this thrift flip, and if you’ll be using it to make your own criss-cross neck top.