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

Shanna yeh
by Shanna yeh
6 Materials
$5
1 Hour
Easy

In this tutorial, I'll show you how to make a DIY long-sleeve crop top. As I was scrolling through Pinterest, I came across a loose, white, long-sleeve crop top with a lettuce hem, made by the brand Steele. I loved the square neckline and V-shaped hem and wanted to make one for myself.

Tools and materials:

  • Long-sleeve shirt
  • Pins
  • Thread
  • Scissors
  • Pencil
  • Sewing machine
Harley top by the brand Steele


Marking the new neckline of the crop top

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.

Cutting the new neckline

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.

Pinning the neckline ready to sew

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.

Marking the bottom of the crop top

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.

Cutting the "V" shape into the crop top

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.

Pinning the hem, ready for sewing

6. Fold the hem inwards and sew

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

Using a zig-zag stitch to make a lettuce hem

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.

Making the sweetheart neckline

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

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.

Suggested materials:
  • Long-sleeve shirt
  • Pins
  • Thread
See all materials

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