So I got this shirt in the 6th grade. And I keep on keeping it because I like the stripes or something…and maybe the colors. But I can’t wear it because a) it’s too short and b) it’s too thick to layer with anything. And in the middle of last week’s closet-purging, in a blinding stroke of genius, I decided to make it a cardigan. But the fastest, kind of laziest way possible.
use a ruler and cut a line down the center of the front of the shirt. ok. you’re almost done.
hem the edges with your hem tape, using the instructions that came with it.
pick a button. then sew it on one of the sides where a normal button should theoretically go. it’s just for show so it looks like a legit cardigan. you’re not going to dilly-dally with making a button hole or anything because that’s just out of the realm of my patience.
now wear that bad boy with every single thing currently hanging in your closet. it will either match or not match in a purposeful looking way. bonus points if it is in some way autumn colored. like orange.
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bahahaha you just made me laugh out loud. i love it! please tell me you will be wearing it on Saturday!
Great idea!
gracias, christa!
Holy cow, what an awesome idea!!! I’m so going to have to try this!!!
do it! then we can coordinate and match. like blog twins, but cooler than that.
OMG. this is soooooo cute!
you’re cute.
I LOVE it. I actually want to hunt through my closet now just to find something I can do that to.
thanks! I know – I have a huge stack of shirts i’m about to chop up
That looks fantastic!
thank you, gorgeous!
brilliant. looking through my closet now…
thanks
What a cool idea!
thank you!
I am your newest follower!! Love your blog!
That is the cutest thing ever!! I just might to that with an old sweater. Thanks for the awesome idea!
Jill
twoyellowbirdsdecor.blogspot.com
Please stop by and say Hi
Hi Jill
Thank you so much!
xo
I love to sew, but not “needing” to sew is so much better!! Great job, thank you for sharing!
new follower!!
god, I know. I can’t sew a straight line to save my life and sewing machines scare me. bad. so hem tape it is…
Wow I just tossed an old shirt. Should have kept it!
Hi there- found you through the hop and am a new follower. My kind of crafter! Its amazing if that shirt really is from 6th grade… I hope you have time to follow my life in South Africa by http://withoutcomplexities.blogspot.com
I hope you are having a great week!
thank you! haha it fit MUCH different from the 6th grade – I could just never go through with donating it. glad I didn’t
I can’t sew to save my life, but I have tons of fusible webbing and stitch glue. So this is perfect for me. I’ll need to give this a try. Thanks.
i know – i live and die by that hem tape
Wow, I’m impressed – 1st That you still have a shirt from 6th grade, 2nd That it still fits, at least sort of, 3rd Your creative genius at coming up with this great idea.
thank you Kimberly! haha – I can’t believe I still have the shirt either
I love this so much, especially that it is a no sew project. Great job. I’d love it if you linked it up to my top-toberfest link party. Feel free to link up any other tops you have worked on as well.
http://leafytreetopspot.blogspot.com/p/top-toberfest-link-party.html
thanks Tricia
I think the button was a perfect finishing touch.:) It looks awesome.:)
haha! me too – sometimes I forget it isn’t ‘real’ and try to button it closed and fumble around for a while before i remember
i did it, what a great DIY!
i turned a bummer of a thick striped shirt to an awesome cardigan!
thanks for the idea
yay! I’d love to see it!
I love it that you just put one giant button on it. So cute!
haha thanks!
This is such a fabulous idea! I would love for you to share with Blog Stalking Thursday at http://thecraftyblogstalker.blogspot.com/2011/10/blog-stalking-thursday-12.html
You made it so cute! What a great way to upcycle!
That’s really cool and so darn easy! Here I am wishing I hadn’t just (finally) given a particular old sweater to charity last month.
loulou @ Loulou Downtown
O M G girlfriend! Love love love it! I am so going to find something to do this to. In my favorites and I’m a new follower.
Now this is what I call an IDEA! I can’t sew, although I have a sewing machine, so this is perfect for me. I have to pin this, thanks for sharing!
so cool! cracks me up that you still have your 6th grade shirt. what’re you, 20????
amy
I like it even better as a cardigan than a shirt. I’ve never used hem tape before but now I want to. I’m 100% sure nothing that I wore in sixth grade still fits, though I do have some PE shorts from eighth grade that were gigantic that I can squeeze into. haha.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who can’t get rid of old shirts but never wears them. Such a good idea and the cardigan turned out so cute!
What a great idea! That is so cute!! I found your blog from the French Country Cottage blog party. I’m your newest follower…I hope you’ll stop by my new blog & follow along too!
loveofhomes.blogspot.com
What a great idea!! I just wanted to let you know I featured this on Saw it {Loved it} Sunday over at my blog.
http://www.mirrorsmetaphorsandkaleidoscopes.blogspot.com
Emily
What a great idea! Would love for you to share this over at my link up!
http://threemangoseeds.blogspot.com/2011/10/3rd-motivational-monday-link-up.html
Hope to see you there!
Clydia
This is adorable! I don’t have a sewing machine, so I gotta give this a try! Great tutorial!
That is awesome!!!
Fantastic! I love anything quick and easy
I absolutely LUV this idea! Thanks for sharing a great tutorial!
xoxo laurie
BRILLIANT! I love when people show upcycles that are so simple – but really do make a new item of clothing! Great work!
Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
Hope you have a great week!
Jill @ Creating my way to Success
http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/
Love it!
Very cute. I might have to try this, I wonder if I can cut a straight seam.
That is so stinkin’ cute. I love this tutorial. The post has such a great voice….so funny!
now that is just awesome!
I love this idea! I have so many shirts that no longer fit me in the chest… might need to make a few! I just wanted to let you know I’ll be featuring this on Sew Woodsy later today!
What an awesome idea!!! I have some sweaters that I don’t ever wear, but they would make cute cardigans! Thanks for the inspiration!!
Love this idea! Just wondering if hem tape is an absolute necessity (since I have none)? What does it, ehem, do?
This is so clever and it looks amazing. How fun. Thanks. Marty
AWESOME! I’m pinning this to do it later! Thanks!
Simple, smart idea! I like the colors. Now if you can figure out what to do with the striped skirt I’ve been holding on to since high school, I will be set!
We loved your tutorial so much we’re featuring you today at our {{What I Made Wednesday}} Linky Party! If you’d like, come and grab a featured button!
Also, you were the most viewed link so you’re the winner of free ad space on our blog…your blog button is now on our sidebar! =)
Briana
sweetpeasandbb.blogspot.com
Seriously? I never would have thought of that in a million years, it looks AWESOME!
I am old so I have nothing left from the sixth grade but I love this idea. Would be great for an old shirt or a great find on sale but the wrong size for a shirt. Pinned this, thanks!
Love the stripes, too. I recently turned a shirt into a cardigan for when I was pregnant, but can’t wait to make some more for the fall now that I have had my baby. And I can’t believe that you still have a shirt from the 6th grade. That is awesome!
I love it! Why didn’t I think of that?! New follower.
I’ve been wanting to do one of these. I like the big button addition! Thanks for sharing.
So stinking awesome! So glad you linked up, because now I can follow your awesome blog! I’m featuring this DIY tomorrow on the blog!
Smiles,
Melanie
Reasons To Skip The Housework {The Blog}
Tinker B Boutique {The Shop}
{skipthehousework@hotmail.com}
this is pretty genius, my friend!
Awesome! I love the use of the hem tape to finish the raw edges, plus the button to make it “look legit”. very nice
My mom brought me instructions on how to make a shrug with an tshirt and I haven’t tried it yet, but now that I see this I just might. Super post. New follower from the fest. Hope you stop by and check me out!
You’ve been featured. Check it out.
Cheri from Its So Very Cheri
This is AWESOME! Great idea, and I *might* even be able to do it! lol
New follower from the Fest… nice to “meet” you!
I’m over from Make Something Monday, and I absolutely LOVE this idea… I’m going yo search through my drawers this week & post about it soon! Thanks so much for sharing your brilliance! :]
Alyssa
I love this idea. I have a few shirts hanging around that I might have to try this on.
What a fantastic idea! I have a few shirts that are a liiiiiiittle bit too snug that this would be PERFECT for! Thank you!
Wow this looks so easy! Hem tape is a great idea.
Christine @ Projects Around the House
nice idea, i can do this to my old and tight clothes… perfect idea! i will do it right away…:)
I have a shirt that looks EXACTLY like this, only purple. It’s headed to CARDIGAN LAND. Thanks!
I love this! I am going to dig through my closet now!!!
This is pretty awesome; I can’t wait to try this!
Thanks for the idea and the funny read!
~Lori
Just what I needed! Thank you!
Brilliant! Thanks for the tutorial, I am definitely doing this. =)
Hi Jamie, what an awesome job you did in turning a “T” into a cardigan. You would never have known. Thanks for sharing. I have recently found your blog and am now following you, and will visit often. Please stop by my blog and perhaps you would like to follow me also. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Chris
Jamie, I stumbled across your blog last night and couldn’t believe this post!! Not only am I stealing your idea, I had to post it to my blog and link them up to you because it was too amazing to keep to myself. I hope you’re okay with me sharing your blog!
Thanks for the inspiration. I’m now a follower of your blog. I’ll be back.
Here is the blog post that features you, in case you wanted to make sure it was okay: http://www.itsbeckerstyle.com/2011/11/old-sweater-into-cardigan.html
You could have sewed a piece of ribbon or thick cord to the inside and made a loop and then you could have used the button!!!
THat is so cute and super simple! Thanks!
WOW!! I cant wait to do this!! Great IDEA
Love this!!
I just did this with an old sweater I never wear….love love love it! Now my 13 year old wants me to do a couple of her old sweaters! Thanks for the great tutorial!
i love your ideea! thanks for sharing this!
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Way to go. I will try this but know I will have to do more embellishing to make myself happy.
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[...] Make An Awesome Cardigan Out of a Shirt at Easily Dunn Filed Under: Tops · Tagged With: budget shirt makeover, cardigan refashion, make a cardigan from a shirt, refashion a cardigan, turn a shirt into a cardigan [...]
I Love It <3 It Is A Great Idea!
thank you!