T-shirts are one of the most DIY-able items of them all. Their cotton jersey fabric is easy to cut, stretch, stitch on, and turn into just about anything you can imagine. I’ve made DIY necklaces from old t-shirts as well as a DIY belt, a cute DIY ruffled baby onesie, and even a DIY bag from an old tank top! Not only are they budget-friendly because you always have an old t-shirt on hand, they’re one-of-a-kind, and a great way to recycle and reuse items you already have rather than buying new. Here are seven of my favorite DIY t-shirts and tank tops that are super easy to make and perfect for summer!
1. DIY Cropped Tank
This is a favorite actually because it’s SO EASY and because crop tops are trending hard right now! Grab a tee from the men’s department {or from your husband’s closet, like I did} and get to cutting! I wore it recently here, A Weekend in the Hamptons and cut it even more {just in the front} for a more cropped look, then used the excess jersey material as the tie in the back in lieu of the ribbon.
* Find the full tutorial here | DIY Oversized Cropped Tank Vest
2. DIY Drop Waist T-shirt Dress
Another t-shirt DIY wherein I steal shirts from my husband’s closet! This little dress is so comfy! Wear it around the house or to the beach with sandals or with leggings and a blazer for fall. You can even add another “skirt” ruffle around the bottom if you have extra material. Easily make this for the kiddos too!
* Find the full tutorial here | DIY Drop Waist T-shirt Dress
3. DIY Snakeskin Tank from a T-shirt
Learn how to make a great-fitting tank from an old oversized t-shirt and add this hand-inked snakeskin print for a one-of-a-kind piece that’s all your own.
* Find the full tutorial here | DIY a Tank Top from a T-Shirt & Make a Snakeskin Print!
4. DIY Jersey Skirt from a T-shirt
This is actually a really easy DIY if you know how to use a sewing machine. If you’re really adventurous, use the sleeves from the t-shirt to make pockets -hidden or just stitched to the front. I also thought about using the extra material to create flower details, either around the bottom or just randomly placed …but ultimately kept it simple because it just felt so easy and sporty …but that doesn’t mean I won’t add to it in the future (which is why I save all left-over textiles) just. in. case.
* Find the full tutorial here | DIY Jersey Skirt from an Old T-shirt
5. DIY Lace Sleeved Tank
I’ve had this pretty vintage lace trim I found at a thrift shop lying around for ages. I pulled the $3 tag off just the other day as I was prepping for this DIY. I thought it would really be pretty with this blush tank and I love the turnout. This is a very simple DIY you can do to any spaghetti strap tank.
* Find the full tutorial here | Easy DIY Lace Sleeve Tank Top
6. DIY Swimsuit Cover Up
Summer’s not over yet! And this super easy NO-SEW T-shirt DIY makes the perfect cover-up!
* Find the full tutorial here | DIY T-shirt Bathing Suit Cover up
7. DIY Cut Out Back T-shirt
This T-shirt DIY is extremely simple and can be a no-sew as well. As shown above, you can wear it two different ways… the first is simply sliced {and reminds me of one of my favorite artists, Lucio Fontana} and the second style, by creating pseudo-bows out of each sliced section. You can choose to wear nothing underneath or wear an alternating colored t-shirt or tank top to show through.
* Find the full tutorial here | Easy Cut Out Back T-Shirt DIY
Have Fun!
* Find all my T-shirt DIYs here
* Originally created for Babble Style: 7 Easy DIY T-shirts & Tank Tops Perfect for Summer!
