How to Upcycle an Old T-shirt With Trendy Cottagecore Sleeves
Is your closet cluttered with old t-shirts you never wear anymore? Upcycle them into a trendy cottagecore top with puffy, gathered sleeves. In this DIY thrift flip tutorial, I'll show you how to add sleeves made from a thrift store skirt and sew them to your t-shirt.
This upcycled top has a sweet, feminine vibe that's easy to work into your wardrobe. Let's get started.
Step 1: Turn the t-shirt upside down and cut out new armholes
I reused the hem of the shirt as the new neckline by turning it upside down. I cut out new armholes and cut off the old armholes with a horizontal cut from armpit to armpit. I didn't hem the new since t-shirt fabric doesn't unravel.
Step 2: Thread elastic through the new neckline
To prevent the neckline from stretching and sagging, I threaded elastic through the hem.
Step 3: Cut out sleeves from the skirt
I drafted a very wide pattern for the sleeves, placed it on the fold of the skirt, and cut out the sleeves.
Step 4: Hem the bottom of the sleeve and add elastic
I made a 1/2" casing for the hem, threaded elastic through it, tacked the ends of the elastic together, and closed the casing.
Step 5: Gather the shoulders
I made a casing for the shoulder, threaded elastic through it to create gathers, and tacked the ends of the elastic to the ends of the casing.
Step 6: Sew sleeves to the bodice
With right sides together, I pinned and sewed the sleeve to the bodice.
Step 6: Repeat and attach the second sleeve
Rinse and repeat the above steps for the second sleeve.
Enjoy your new upcycled t-shirt with cottagecore sleeves!
Enjoyed the project?
Suggested materials:
- T-shirt (thrift store)
- Skirt (thrift store)
- Elastic (origial skirt and sewing statsh)
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