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T-shirt Upcycle to Cardigan

I have had this large long sleeved t-shirt for about a year. I paid $2.99 for it at the Salvation Army and appeared to be new. I had thought about embellishing it with a flower or two but could not come up with a original or cute idea so I decided to make a cardigan out of it. So lets get started and upcycle another piece of clothing! First I laid the shirt out and measured from under arm to under arm to find the exact center.
Once I found the center, I cut right up the middle. This step always makes me nervous ever since I was a child and tried to cut a collar on a coat to make it narrower. It was a disaster but I try not to think about it that much and just cut.
Once it was cut, I decided to use the hem from another t-shirt that I had cut up for another project. 
I cut two pieces of the hem of the t- shirt long enough to cover the edge of the cardigan and wrap around the top and bottom edge. I folded over the edge and pinned
Then I pinned it to one side of the cardigan. Making sure to fold over the top and bottom.
I then ran it thru my sewing machine with brown thread and using the hem stitch to guide me with my sewing. I repeated the process on the other side and was surprised by the results!
So different and now it is a cardigan! I love it and wore it over the weekend and plan to wear it to work this week since layers are a good thing!
Enjoy!

Comments

  1. MareNovember 8, 2010 at 6:33 AM

    this is a really nice....I like your new cardigan:))...
    thank you so much for sharing....
    greeting from croatia:))....
    M...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beth AdamsNovember 8, 2010 at 8:35 AM

    Oh how wonderful! I think I have half a closet full of soon to cardigans!
    http://wiccanmakesometoo.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Double the GigglesNovember 8, 2010 at 9:34 AM

    I knew it! I meant to ask you to confirm, but I was too busy eating, chasing toddlers and...eating some more! You crafty lady, you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Pamela MichelleNovember 8, 2010 at 12:11 PM

    Simply Amazing! Love following your blog!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousNovember 8, 2010 at 12:38 PM

    Looks very cute!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anne K.November 8, 2010 at 7:51 PM

    Really, really cute. Love that you started with a scoop neck - makes for a really different cardi and SO cute!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jenny Hall / Seamingly SmittenNovember 8, 2010 at 8:50 PM

    What a great transformation!! Now you have a totally new piece to add to your wardrobe :) Please add this to my linky party
    www.seaminglysmitten.blogspot.com
    Jenny

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anne MaskellNovember 8, 2010 at 9:18 PM

    Very cute! I'll have to make one of these. A girl can never have too many cardi's!
    http://www.amaskellantics.com/

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousNovember 8, 2010 at 11:30 PM

    Oh how I love this. The T-shirts make such a soft cardigan too! It looks great on you! Thanks for the tutorial. I can think of a few shirts that I would like to do this with!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Flannery @ Three SisterzNovember 9, 2010 at 7:59 AM

    looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  11. JanaNovember 9, 2010 at 9:29 AM

    What a great idea!!

    Link it up at my new linky party, http://gigglesglitzandglam.blogspot.com/2010/11/glam-party.html

    ReplyDelete
  12. oops!November 9, 2010 at 9:53 AM

    I love it! So cute and so creativie!

    ReplyDelete
  13. christydNovember 10, 2010 at 8:35 PM

    I love it, so cute! What a great idea!

    ReplyDelete
  14. SusannahNovember 11, 2010 at 8:54 AM

    That's awesome! I have tons of shirts I'm not ready to give up yet! Thanks ;)
    www.uvinyl.com
    www.uvinyl.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. AllieMakes!November 11, 2010 at 11:46 AM

    Excellent job! It looks fabulous!
    You should come link this up to my weekly Thursday Making It With Allie Link Party! I think it would make a Fabulous addition!
    AllieMakes.Blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. KimMalkNovember 11, 2010 at 4:37 PM

    This is a great idea. Sometimes I don't like clingy fabric and this is a good solution.

    ReplyDelete
  17. JamiNovember 11, 2010 at 7:06 PM

    That turned out really cute! I love the way you finished the cut edges.

    ReplyDelete
  18. megan {homemade ginger}November 13, 2010 at 11:18 AM

    super cute!I just posted about recycling an old shirt into an anthropologie inspired tee. Love this!

    ReplyDelete
  19. AnneNovember 13, 2010 at 3:23 PM

    Love it - and it even looks like something a beginner sewer like me could do!

    ReplyDelete
  20. brandy-son Zen master flashNovember 13, 2010 at 4:57 PM

    I absolutely love this. I am all about mixing up the wardrobe like this with things you already have. So cute, great job!

    found you via funky junk interiors

    ReplyDelete
  21. AllisonNovember 15, 2010 at 3:20 PM

    Love love love! Nice tute--I wonder if you would share it at on my blog's new Tell Me Tuesday link party! http://vintagepollyanna.blogspot.com/2010/11/join-me-on-tuesdays-for-new-link-party.html

    ReplyDelete
  22. AllisonNovember 16, 2010 at 2:42 PM

    Thanks for linking! Glad you like the design--I just redid it yesterday to celebrate the new party so thanks for the kudos!

    ReplyDelete
  23. TiffanyNovember 16, 2010 at 4:26 PM

    Wow! How clever! It looks fabulous! Such a fun cardigan and even better that you created it yourself! : )

    ReplyDelete
  24. {Bellamere Cottage}November 18, 2010 at 12:51 PM

    Dandy idea! Thanks for the tutorial!

    Warm blessings,
    Spencer

    ReplyDelete
  25. UnknownNovember 19, 2010 at 1:57 AM

    what an amazing transformation.
    Traci

    ReplyDelete
  26. UnknownJanuary 18, 2011 at 5:44 AM

    I like your new cardigan:))...
    thank you so much for sharing....

    Funny Teeshirts

    ReplyDelete

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