How to Cut a T-Shirt into a Tank Top?

Every girl likes to update her closet from time to time, but the budget to buy new cloth is not always available. Those who want to look stylish and diverse, without sacrificing the purse, have long turned their eyes in the direction of handmade.

The eternal problem of girls: the closet is full, but there is still nothing to wear. Many happen to be that the closets are accumulated and piled up with unnecessarily numerous T-shirts: some were bought with some company logo, another with extravagant prints that you do not like anymore, and some inscriptions are funny. And in the end, it turns out: bought, once worn, and all this good stuff is lying around in drawers. All outdated and stretched things are sent to the dump or doomed to wear within the house or cottage. Do not hurry to say goodbye to your favorite T-shirt, if it has lost its wearable look. You can give it a second life, and have an updated closet at the same time.

If you know this situation, read how to make a tank top from a worn out T-shirt. Mastering the basics of needlework gives you the opportunity to constantly get wordrobe updates without spending too much money on them. In fact, it is very easy. Even a teenager can cope with the task. In addition to classic options, you can make a lot of creative and original pieces. The main thing is not to be afraid of experiment, because you do not risk anything: in case of failure, you will only spoil the unnecessary thing, and if everything works out - you will get a new one. Next, we will talk about how to make an original tank top from an old T-shirt.

You don't have to be a skilled seamstress to give a second life to boring things. All you need is a small collection of tools and materials for needlework, as well as creative ideas for remodeling. In order to feel like a designer of a line of exclusive T-shirts we will need tools that are in every home. These are:

The template you will use to make the cuts or cutouts (or a clear idea of what you are going to do).
an old t-shirt that we're gonna be working our magic on;
sharp scissors with pointed ends or a box cutter;
soap chalk, chalk, or a pen;
lace;
beads;
stencil;
fabric paint;
acrylic paint;
needle and thread;
iron;
pins.

All these materials are needed to create different models. So think about what is missing for you: romantic lightness, hardcore, cool inscriptions?

You might wonder which t-shirts cannot be cut at this point. T-shirts made of silk, lace, and satin are very difficult to cut, much less make any patterns on them. Such fabrics will simply be in puffs and nothing beautiful will come out of it. Therefore, before you transform your favorite but old thing, make sure that this transformation will not harm it.

Coco Chanel lifehack: the ingenious French woman was known to favor needles and thread over scissors. The couturier dashingly cut away superfluous details, lace, ruffles, flounces, and false collars to present her minimalist masterpieces to the public. Let's repeat the experience of the legendary Coco.

How to turn a T-shirt into a tank top? It would seem that the answer is obvious: cut off the excess. In fact, not everything is so simple and unambiguous. First, you need to know how to cut. Otherwise, you run the risk of accidentally losing something necessary. And sewing, as you know, is not cutting: it requires a little more skill and patience. Secondly, this is far from the only way. There are a lot of ways how to make a spectacular tank top or top from an old T-shirt.

There are times when the sleeves are damaged, but the thing itself looks fine in principle. What could be easier than just cutting off the sleeves? Of course, they can be smoothed, sewed up with a neat seam, and made candy. But the spirit of adventurism and casual fashion dictate their own rules. The unkempt and bulkier the outfit, the cooler. Trends make our job easier. Now individually create what you like.

How to turn an old T-shirt into a new tank top, here are our step-by-step instructions:

First of all, you need to take as a sample a T-shirt, with such straps and neckline as you like, as a template.

Lay the T-shirt on top of the T-shirt and flatten it on a flat surface. The surface can be a table or the floor. Whatever you feel comfortable with.

Trace the intended cuts with soap, crayons, or even a pen. Mark the width of the straps and the depth of the neck. If the collar suits you and it does not look stretched, leave it as it is.

Pay attention to the depth of the neckline in the armpits. If you are not sure - how the finished product will look, start with minimal cuts, with the possibility of adjustment. Otherwise, you will have to move the ruined T-shirt to the trash.

🪡Alcoholic T-shirt
The most popular model of T-shirt with a shallow round neckline and wide straps people call a funny word "alcoholic". Despite such an unflattering name, alcoholic T-shirts are loved by many fashionistas, primarily because of the fact that they effectively emphasize the figure. We have compiled for you a detailed instruction on how to make such a T-shirt from an ordinary T-shirt.

Well, iron the T-shirt and the T-shirt. Turn the T-shirt inside out, spread it out on a flat, hard surface, and put the alcoholic T-shirt on it. Align the shoulder lines on both products.

Fix the T-shirt on the T-shirt with a few pins, then outline its contours. At the same time, make sure that the T-shirt does not shift in the process of work. Remove the T-shirt - we won't need it anymore.

Now cut off the T-shirt's excess fabric in the area of sleeve armholes and neck. If desired, you can also shorten the T-shirt by a few centimeters. If you plan to process the edges, do not forget to leave an allowance.

Processing of the edges is not mandatory, but with it, the product looks neater. The cut edges should be folded over by about 1 cm and well tucked in. Then sew the edges by hand or sewing machine. The latter option is preferable.

🪡Straps
You need to cut out the shape of the T-shirt excluding the straps. Where you planned them - bend the fabric by two centimeters and sew so that you get loops. Now thread the string or chain through the front and back loops diagonally. Repeat the same on the other side. Use a ribbon or any other accessory as straps.

To dye the thing fashionable ombré, dilute the fabric for dye according to the instructions and lower the product in a container with dye halfway.

🪡Shirts with fringe
For this product, you will need two T-shirts of the same tone. If you want to make a contrast, just choose matching colors. The front part of the T-shirt, which will later become a fringe, needs to be cut along the edges. Now cut it vertically to create the fringe. All that remains is to sew the two necklines together. The resulting fringe can be decorated with beads or woven into plaits.

🪡With side decorations
It is easy to make, and it will look very sexy. In this way, the size is increased by 10-20 centimeters. Having cut off the sleeves, unzip the T-shirt at the seams on both sides. Two strips of lace with a reserve of about two centimeters sew between the edges vertically. Instead of lace, you can use a dense transparent fabric.

🪡Design with cutouts or decorative elements on the back
In clothing stores, you have probably paid attention to the models of T-shirts with the back, woven from a lot of ropes. If you like this kind of decor, then you can easily repeat it at home, because weaving a few braids from scraps of fabric is not difficult at all.

Here is a brief instruction on how to do it:
Turn the shirt inside out and draw a straight line on the back from the neck to the middle of the back. The line should go exactly in the center. Then from this line, we indent a centimeter on the right and left and draw two arcs that go to the side seams.

Make two cuts along the contours of the arcs. Cut the central part into three longitudinal strips. Side - into three transverse, then each of them into three more. Excess fabric can be removed to make the back more open.

Begin to weave plaits. You should get one vertical plait in the center and three horizontal plaits on each side. If desired, you can make the same braids in the front - they will serve as straps.

Sew the plaits together with threads in the color of the fabric. Sew the center braid to the straps or the neck.