3 DIY Cute Summer Tops Came Out of This Old Gingham Shirt!

Tools and materials:

• Button-down shirt
• Scissors
• Snap closure
• Hook and eye closure
• Needle and thread
• Sewing machine

1. Cut the shirt open

To begin, I cut off the sleeves, removed the pocket with a seam ripper, then cut across the shirt at about armpit level. 

Next, I cut out the button panel. Mine only went partway down the shirt, but if your shirt buttons all the way down, just cut off both the button and buttonhole panels. 

2. Sew the raw edges down

After removing the button panel, I folded in the raw edges at the top and front of the shirt and sewed them down. 

3. Hand-stitch the hook and eye closure

I hand-stitched the hook of the hook and eye closure onto the top outer corner of the shirt, and the other side of the snap closure onto the top inner corner.

I tried on the top, marked where the hook landed on the top edge, then sewed the eye in that spot. Finally, I marked where the snap landed, and sewed the corresponding side of the snap in that place. 

Once the closures were in place, my cut summer top was finished!

The best thing about this top is that it can be worn in three different ways: knotted in the front, knotted in the back, or open in the back. Which of these easy DIY summer tops would you wear most?

I really love my upcycled upcycle! I will definitely be wearing all three of these cute summer tops during the hot weather. If you make a knot top of your own using my tutorial, I would love to see your results!