Learn How to Customize Thrifted Clothes in Under 15 Minutes
On my latest trip to the thrift shop, I managed to get a mound of clothing for under $20. Guess how! It was half off day! Pro tip: find out what day of the week your thrift shop has sales and make it a point to go then. Whenever I go to the thrift shop, I am always on the lookout for clothes that I can add quick fixes to make them work for me. This latest thrifting excursion was no exception! I picked up an adorable gingham shirt, an oversized denim dress, and a gorgeous pair of black Levi’s that were a few sizes too large for me. I’ll show you how I easily customized them to fit me and my style in a matter of minutes! Check out my step-by-step tutorial below to learn how you can do it yourself!
Tools and Materials:
- Thrifted clothing
- Seam ripper
- Sewing machine
- Fabric scissors
- Pins
I loved the fabric of this gingham shirt, but to make it work with my style I needed to make a few changes.
I started by removing one of the pockets with a seam ripper. This makes it look a touch younger.
Then I took it in a bit as it was quite baggy on me. I sewed from right under the sleeve down to the bottom of the shirt at an angle and then removed the excess fabric.
From dowdy to darling in just a few steps!
I also found this denim dress which was quite big on me.
Thrift Tip:
If you find something that is super oversized on you and you like the fabric, grab it! You can make multiple pieces out of it.
I decided to make a fun top from the top of this dress. It was perfect for this project because it already had the v-neck I was looking for, so I wouldn’t have to do too much to the top of the dress.
I started by turning it inside out with the right sides facing each other. I sewed down the front just past the buttons. I also removed the bottom of the dress.
Next, I had to figure out how much to take the armholes in. I wanted this top to fit my bust a little better, but not too tightly, so I marked where I wanted to sew.
Then I sewed from that mark almost to the outside edge of the top. I also cut off the buttons that I had sewn together previously.
It was so easy to just take in three seams, leaving me with a fun, flowy denim top. I left the bottom hem raw because I want it to eventually fray. I may shorten it a bit as well.
I also grabbed this pair of very oversized Levi Strauss jeans for only $2! Taking jeans in isn’t actually that difficult. I’m basically going to just take in two seams down the front and two seams down the back. This will add extra seams to the jeans, but that’s the vibe I’m going for. I’ll also have to unseam the pockets and logo at the back and then reattach them once I’ve taken the jeans in.
I removed the tag and the pockets from the back of the jeans.
I also made sure to remove the belt loops from the front, as I’d have to reattach them in different places once I took the pants in.
Then I put the jeans on inside-out and pinned where I needed to take them in on the front and back.
I sewed along the new seams that I had made.
I cut along the very top of the new seams so that the fabric inside would lie flat, allowing me to stitch them down flat.
I also removed the excess fabric from inside the jeans.
Then I could reattach the belt loops, tag, and pockets I had removed earlier. By some stroke of luck, I had just enough denim thread saved from removing the tag to allow me to reattach it.
I mean, seriously, how adorable is this outfit?!?! All it took was a few dollars and an hour or so of my time and I had a stylish outfit completely unique to me! The three thrift store fixes can easily be applied to tons of different pieces of clothing. How have you personalized your own thrift finds? Let me know in the comments below!
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I love how you took in the jeans...I have a couple pair that I just love but since losing 40#, they are a couple sizes too big now. Did you make new seams all the way down front and back or just part way? It's hard to tell with the black jeans. Thanks for sharing.
I am inspired by this article. I do a certain amount but now I will know how to do some things better. Thanks !