Recycled Old Men’s Tshirt = Stylish VEST (NO-SEW)

With the help of a bag of old huge t-shirts, a pair of scissors and a handy tape measure, I made a really cute vest today. Inspired heavily by all those cute jersey/cotton draped vests I’ve been seeing everywhere, making this one is more cost-efficient than zipping over to Urban Outfitters (over-priced!!) or even Forever 21. And hey - all you need to know how to do is use scissors and a tape measure. Easy, no?

Things You Need:

• 1 huge old t-shirt (I used a men’s medium, but that’s because I wanted my vest cropped. Bigger = longer, smaller = shorter)
• Scissors
• Tape Measure

How To:

1. Lay t-shirt out on flat surface/floor.
2. Cut from armpit to armpit, leaving the “trunk” in one piece and giving you a wide tube.
3. Cut your tube down the middle.
4. Tricky part: measure the distance between your shoulders and center that “amount” in the middle of your now long wide strip - this is to figure out how far apart to make your arm holes.
5. Cut two generous slits for arm holes at designated central points.
6. Wear!

   

   Old t-shirt, scissors & tape measure

   

   You don't have to cut evenly

   
   

   

   Clearly I can't cut straight - those are arm holes

   

   It looks wayy cuter on a human than on a hanger.

   
   
   

Fun facts: I used some old give-a-way t-shirts to make mine. You can also cut fringes along the front to make it cuter. The longer/bigger the t-shirt = the better your vest will be. You want it to be drapey and hang a bit. Don’t judge how it looks on my t-shirt - it falls FABULOUSLY when it’s on. I just didn’t think you all need a gratuitous boob shot.

Estimated Time: no more than 5 minutes, and that includes figuring out how far apart your shoulders are.
Craft Level: So easy it hurts!

Tags: easy, no-sew, recycling

No-Sew Knock-Off Face Tank Top

As usual, my #1 inspiration is designer clothing that I can’t bring myself to spend money on/can’t afford. When I first saw this Lanvin tank top, I knew I HAD to have it. It was only once I’d seen that it was knocked off at tons of low-end chains, that I found it craft-interesting. And it was being worn by fashionistas. Every single chain that’s notorious for knock-offs (Forever XXI? Can you hear me?), has done some form of face top for their spring lines. Even regular designers are on this! Rather than buy a carbon-copy, why not make your own design? I will admit to this though: the INSTANT I saw it, I knew it was an easy-shmeasy craft to make. That, and the authentic top is sold out nearly everywhere, so you and I have NO CHOICE but to make it!

That, and it’s no-sew and you can make it using ONLY things you probably have at home - whether you have access to a craft closet or not!

Things You Need:

• A plain white regular boring cotton tank top or t-shirt - hint: don’t use a ribbed one, it’s a PAIN to work with
• Sharpies [permanent markers] in black, red, whatever colors you like
• Scissors
• Ribbon of your choice
• 1 old cardboard box or piece of cardboard (the ones you get from the dry cleaner inside your shirts works!)

How To:

1. Make a blueprint drawing of whatever face you want on your top on the cardboard - this’ll serve double duty as both a stencil for your design AND a barrier between the front and back of your tank top. Permanent marker ink seeps through and is, believe it or not, PERMANENT. It’s also MUCH easier to trace an image than draw freehand.
2. Working on a flat surface, shove the cardboard template inside your top.
3. Using a Sharpie, trace your face! Be sure to hold the top taut so you can doodle with ease - it’s easier said than done to draw on a t-shirt!
4. Use different colors for accents, like red lips, pink hearts.
5. Once you’re satisfied with the face you’ve drawn, cut a piece of ribbon, long enough to make a bow.
6. Tie the ribbon in a bow onto one of the top’s straps.
7. Sign your name on the back, because this isn’t a Lanvin top - it’s YOUR original design!

Note: only because I KNOW you’re going to ask - this is a similar tank top to the one I used (mine is racerback and I can’t find it on the website, obviously) and this is the one I used for my sister’s top. Mine was MUCH easier to work with than hers. Also, because it’s more trendy now to have a bigger, looser tank top, my tank top is about 3 sizes bigger than I’d normally wear. This design totally looks better on a looser top. Because I didn’t sew the bow on [you absolutely can if you want to], it’s totally exchangeable for other bows! Change your mood, change your bow! (If you don’t sew on your bow, remove it before washing it!)

Estimated Time: 15 minutes - MAX
Craft Level: So easy it HURTS!

Tags: designer knockoff, easy, inspirations, Lanvin, no-sew, tank top

Drab to Fab Cardigan

After a no-craft delay of a few weeks - SORRY - I am anxiously returning with a fresh craft.  We’re going to spruce up a BORING old cardigan and turn it into something SUPER CUTE.

Because I’m heavily inspired by pop culture and its fashion, it should come as NO surprise that this craft is in honor of an avant-garde fashionista from the TV: Penny Marshall as Laverne De Fazio from Laverne & Shirley. Yes, I know this show is from before my time and technically I should be basing crafts on Donna Martin & Kelly Taylor, but give me a break. Did Kelly or Donna look like this? What about this? Catch my drift? See where we’re going here? INITIAL CARDIGANS (with a twist)! 

Truthfully, I’ve been trying to put the cardigan I used in my pile of “give-away” clothes for years. Likely since the week after I bought it. No matter how many times I tried to get rid of it, it always managed to creep back into my closet (on the floor, obviously). It was always too plain and usual (and itchy) for my regular rotation. When I was brainstorming on crafts for here, I knew that fixing up this cardigan would be an obvious choice post. And it actually worked - since I did this, I’ve actually worn the cardigan out AND it’s given me inspiration to hang onto old clothes and fix them up!

So, without further ado, let’s talk CARDIGANS!

Things You Need:

• 1 old boring cardigan THAT FITS YOU (we’re not changing its size, we’re just making it FANCY)
• Fabric scraps (I used velour, but that’s because we had it hanging around)
• 1 skein of embroidery floss - in a bright cheery color, why not!
• 1 embroidery needle (or any sewing needle with a big enough eye to push floss through)
• Scissors - obviously
• Cardboard (to make shape templates)
• Iron-on/stick-on initial applique
• Patience & imagination

Things You DON’T Need But Can Use Too:

• Glue gun
• Fake jewels
• Extra buttons

Note: while this IS a sewing craft, you don’t need to be a wizard seamstress to do this - a simple fell stitch does the trick and is as basic as stitching comes.

How To:

1. Lay your cardigan out flat and decide what sort of embellishment you’d like to do. I chose to put heart-shaped patches on the lower back, front and elbow, along with my initial on the front and jewel-covered buttons.
2. Using a cardboard cut-out (I actually used a heart-shaped box), trace your shape onto the wrong side of the fabric - as in the side you don’t want to be seen.
3. Cut out your shapes.
4. Decide where you want to put your shapes on your cardigan.
5. Here’s the tricky part: thread your needle. I suggest being really generous with your floss and use as much as you can handle working with. It’s not a big deal if you have to rethread partway through. I did!
6. Lay your cardigan out and using our friend, the fell stitch, sew your patches to your cardigan. Hint: if you’re sewing your patch to the back or front, it’s easy-breezy. If you decide to do an arm patch, make sure you don’t sew the sleeves together. It can get very complicated very quickly! If you must, roll up the sleeve as much as you can for sewing ease. You’ll notice my stitches are anything BUT perfect. That’s not entirely because I’m not a great seamstress. Uneven stitches on these patches gives a more kitschy vibe to your cardigan AND you’re then not stressed for perfect stitches.
7. Read the instructions on your applique initial patch. Mine is a Wal-Mart purchase ($3.99 CAD) and is a stick-on with the option of ironing. In my case, I simply peeled it off the package and stuck it on. Easy! No iron needed! No burnt fingers today!
8. To add a little bit of sparkle, use a glue gun to stick jewels on top of your existing buttons. This has a double-duty feature: not only are you adding SPARKLE to your cardigan, but by hot-glueing on top of the buttons, you’re securing the usually-weak button stitches. No more lost buttons! If you have patience and a knack for sewing, instead of this, you can replace the existing buttons with different buttons - just make sure they’ll fit through the button loops!
9. Wear your cardigan and be the cutest girl in town!

   

   Original Cardigan - SNORE

   

   Supply Pile

   

   Tracing Your Shape

   
   

   

   Cutting - Nice Nails are a MUST!

   

   Looking Good!

   

   Threaded & Ready!

   
   

   

   Beginning Stitches

   

   Sewing up a STORM

   

   Jeweled Buttons

   
   

   

   Pressing on the Initial

   

   Final Cardigan - Front

   

   Final Cardigan - Back

   
   
   

Estimated Time: 45 - 90 minutes, depending on your sewing level
Craft Level: Intermediate if you don’t sew, EASY if you’re a seamstress

Tags: cardigan, embellishment, jewels, sewing