How to Upcycle Old Leggings and a T-shirt Into a Cute New Top

2 Materials
$5
1 Hour
Easy

Don't throw away your old leggings! Upcycle them with a t-shirt to make a new top. In this tutorial, I'll show you how to make sleeves from your old leggings and sew them to a t-shirt to create a new color block top.

Read on for the full tutorial, or watch the video:

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Step 1: Cut down the sides of the t-shirt

The t-shirt I had was oversized and baggy. To alter it to fit, I laid my favorite long sleeve t-shirt on top of it, folded back, and cut around it with a 1/2" seam allowance

Step 2: Cut out sleeves from the leggings

Lay the long sleeves of your template t-shirt over the leggings, aligning the hems. Cut new sleeves around the sleeves of your template.

Step 3: Attach the sleeves to the t-shirt

Open up the bodice and lay it flat. With right sides together, pin and sew the shoulder cap of the sleeve to the flattened armhole of the bodice.

Step 4: Sew the sides of the bodice and sleeves

With right sides together, fold the bodice and the sleeves lengthwise. Pin and sew along the edge.


In less than one hour, you'll have a super cute t-shirt with leggings sleeves. Using your favorite t-shirt as a pattern will guarantee a great fit.

Suggested materials:
  • Leggings   (Thrift store)
  • T-shirt   (Thrift store)

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3 of 18 comments
  • Froofroo Froofroo on Sep 09, 2024

    Inspiring….not to mention cute and frugal. Looks expensive too.

  • Kit104631937 Kit104631937 on Sep 09, 2024

    Why not just cut the crotch out, put your head through it, put your arms in the legs, and wear it under a sleeveless top? That way you can wear it under any sleeveless top. You can put the waist elastic under your breasts to give them support and a lift up.

    • Dms103989667 Dms103989667 on Sep 09, 2024

      Unless you’re the shape of a rectangle this isn’t going to work. Pulling that waist up is going to be too tight.

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