7 Easy Steps to Make a DIY Long-Sleeve Crop Top

Tools and materials:

• Long-sleeve shirt
• Pins
• Thread
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Sewing machine

1. Make the neckline

Put your long-sleeve t-shirt on and use a pencil to mark the position of the new neckline. If you’re concerned that you might not get the mark right on your first try, you can put the shirt on inside-out.

2. Cut the neckline

Cut one half of the neckline, from the top to the middle-bottom. Then fold that half over and cut the second half of the neckline. That way you can be sure that the whole neckline is perfectly symmetrical.

Try on the shirt again to make sure you’re happy with the neckline.

3. Pin and sew the neckline

Pin the raw edge of the neckline in and sew it close to the edge all the way around using a straight stitch.

4. Mark the bottom of the DIY crop top

Put your shirt back on. Use a pencil to mark where you want the V-shaped hem to start at the sides and end in the middle.

5. Cut the bottom

Take off the top and cut the lines for the V-shaped hem. Cut both layers of fabric together, and just like you did for the neckline, cut out one half of the V-shape first, then fold it over to cut out the second half of the V-shape.

6. Fold the hem inwards and sew

Fold in the raw edges of the hem and pin in place.

Now, sew a lettuce hem on the boho crop top. To make a lettuce hem, use a zig-zag stitch with a wide width and narrow length. Try it out first on some scrap fabric and adjust until you get the ruffled edge you want. Sew the zigzag at the very edge of the fabric, on the fold.

7. Make a sweetheart neckline detail

Pinch a small bunch of fabric together in the middle of the neckline at the front to make a small ruffle detail. Pin the ruffle detail to hold it in place and then sew a small straight stitch over it a couple of times to secure it.

DIY long-sleeve crop top tutorial

That’s it! Congratulations on flipping your thrift store shirt into a DIY long-sleeve crop top. That little ruffle in the neckline adds a great detail, and the lettuce hem is really pretty. This will make a great summer-to-fall transition piece because of the long sleeves.

Let me know what you think of this transformation in the comments.