Are you looking to breathe a new life into your old T-shirts? This article is about how to cut a T-shirt into a tank top on your own, which inspires you to creative ideas for upcycling your T-shirts in a fantastic way to refresh your wardrobe. The guide will walk you through various DIY methods to convert a T-shirt into different styles of tank tops, including muscle tanks, racerbacks, singlets, and more.
Let’s dive into the easy techniques that require minimal tools and creativity.
Materials Needed for DIY Tank Top Out Of T-Shirts
- Plain T-shirt
- Sharp fabric scissors
- Sewing pins
- Chalk or fabric marker
- Measuring tape
- Ruler
- An iron
- Ribbons, hot glue gun (optional)
Make a T-Shirt into a Basic Tank Top
Tank Top is a versatile staple for both men and women to bring them comfort for casual wear, working out, and adding a layer of warmth in winter. It is a great starting point to learn how to cut a t-shirt into a tank top by following these steps without requiring any sewing skills:
Step 1: Choose Your Favorite T-Shirt
You should select a clean and wrinkle-free t-shirt to start making a tank top out of an old t-shirt. This makes it easier to mark and cut the fabric.
If you use a new t-shirt to make a tank top, wash and dry it first. The fabric usually shrinks when you wash it for the first time. Then you can design your desired size for your DIY tank top before you start turning a t-shirt into a new tank top.
Step 2: Draw the shape of your tank top
Before you start cutting a t-shirt into a tank top, lay the t-shirt on a table and use a fabric marker or chalk to draw a curve around the armholes. You’ll start from the shoulder seam and end a few inches below the armpit seam. Then you’ve just created a new armhole for your DIY tank top.
Regarding the shape and the depth of your neckline of the tank top, you can keep the original shape or create a deeper or wide neckline. Continue to use the marker to draw the line of your desired neckline for the tank top.
Useful Tips:
You can pin your tank top to the t-shirt, which helps you cut the t-shirt easier and faster without drawing the shape. Note that you must keep the shirt before you start cutting your t-shirt.
Step 3: Cutting the T-shirt
Follow the marked lines as you drew to cut the sleeves, the neckline (optional) of the t-shirt. Though no sew skills needed in this step, ensure your cuts are smooth and even without jagged edges.
Useful Tips:
You can leave around ½ inch to make a finished hem when you cut around the armholes and neckline. The finished hem will make your DIY tank top look more stunning.
Step 4: Fold the Edges
Gently pull on the edges of the armholes, neckline, and bottom hem. This helps the fabric to curl naturally, giving it a finished look without fraying.
You may also fold the edges down, pin them from moving and use an iron to keep the edges flat.
Step 5: Sew Your New Tank Top
You can sew by hand or by machine to complete a nicer finished hem. Use sharp scissors to trim cuts and avoid fraying.
Then it’s your thing. Let’s customize your design with your new DIY tank top out of the t-shirt. You can adjust the depth of the armholes and neckline to match your style.
Useful tips for transforming a t-shirt into a tank top:
- If you want a fitted tank top, cut the tank top slightly smaller than the original t-shirt size.
- Consider cutting fringes at the bottom or creating a racerback design by cutting a 'Y' shape at the back if you want your tank top to look more stylish.
Cut T-Shirt into a Muscle Tank
Turning a t-shirt into a muscle tank is a great idea for wear for workout or casual wear. A muscle tank stands out with deep armholes, which provides maximum ventilation and a relaxed fit. Below are a few simple steps to make a muscle tank top out of your old t-shirts.
Step 1: Choose your old T-shirt to make a muscle tank top.
You lay the t-shirt flat on a clean and hard surface and smooth out any wrinkles before cutting your t-shirt.
Remember you have all the materials needed for cutting a t-shirt into a muscle tank.
Step 2: Determine the cut lines
Use the chalk or fabric marker to draw a curved line from shoulder seam to shoulder seam. Mark a line from the shoulder seam down to the desired point on the side seam to create the depth of the armholes for your new tank.
Step 3: Cut the sleeves and the neckline
Starting at the shoulder seam, cut along the line you marked for the armholes. Move down the side seam and around the curve to create a large armhole. Then repeat on the other side.
Use your scissors to cut along the line you drew for the new neckline. Start from one shoulder and work your way to the other.
Step 4: Complete the Shape of your new muscle tank
It’s up to your preferences, you can adjust the neckline to make it deeper or wider, or deepen the armholes with additional cuts to make a tank top with open sides.
Finally, put on your new muscle tank and check the fit. You can make some changes to give a more finished look
Useful Tips:
We always recommend you to use a muscle tank you like as a template to lay it over the t-shirt and tracing around the edges as your desired shape.
Make A Racerback Tank Top out of a T-shirt
If you are looking for easy and quick ways to cut a t-shirt into a racerback tank top, don’t leave this blog post. We’ll give you a few tips to turn a t-shirt into your new favorite gym tops at home effortlessly.
Step 1: Identify your desired shape for a new racerback tank top
There are two common ways to deal with the beginning step of making a racerback tank top from an old t-shirt. You use a favorite racerback tank top to lay it over the t-shirt and draw the shape of the new one you want. Otherwise, simply use the chalk or the fabric marker to draw out the shape on your t-shirt.
Step 2: Cut the marked lines
After drawing the shapes of your racerback tank top, start cutting out the marked lines. Please note that you should cut around ½ inch beyond the lines you drew for your seam allowance.
To create the racerback look, remove the fabric between the lines and cut out the “Y” shape on the back. That makes it different from a DIY basic tank top.
Step 3: Hem the edges of your new racerback tank top
For a polished finish, you fold the edges over and stitch them down. Use a zigzag stitch on a sewing machine or hand stitch if you don’t have a machine.
To achieve a better fit, you can take in the sides of the shirt. Turn the t-shirt inside out, pin the sides to the desired fit, and sew along the pinned lines. That’s it. You can embellish your racerback tank top out of the t-shirt to add your personal touch for a perfect look.
Recycle A T-Shirt into A Tank Top with Fringe
Cutting a t-shirt into a tank top with fringe is an easy and fun DIY project for beginners because it does not require your sewing skills.
To make a fringe crop top from a t-shirt, you’ll follow the first steps like creating a basic tank top. Then you’ll need to create the fringe of the tank top.
First, you’ll need to decide how long you want the fringe to be. Measure and mark a horizontal line across the t-shirt at the desired length, typically just above the hem.
Use a ruler to mark vertical lines and start from the bottom hem. Cut along these vertical lines from the bottom hem up to the horizontal line to create the fringe.
Next, you tie a knot at the top of each fringe strip to complete the tank top with fringe. Double-knot the strips or tie adjacent strips together for a braided effect will give your fringe a more intricate design.
Cutting A T-shirt into A Tank Top with or without Sewing Comparison
Whether you transform a t-shirt into a tank top with no sew or with sewing, it’s worth trying this project at home. There is a subtle difference that you may find in the comparison table below, regarding the edges, its complete look, customization, and durability of a DIY tank top.
| DIY Tank Top No Sew | DIY Tank Top with Sewing | |
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Bonus Tips for Transforming a T-Shirt into A Tank Top for Mens & Women’s
No matter if you cut a t-shirt into a tank top for men or women, it’s key to consider the fit of the t-shirt. You may adjust the size of the t-shirt when you determine the tank top style you want, a loose, relaxed fit or a more fitted style.
Because you recycle a t-shirt into a tank top, you can add personal details for your desired style like adding a pocket, contrasting trim, or a graphic print to personalize your tank top and make it unique.
Find our creative collection of Tank Tops on Printblur to find inspirations from our independent artists. You may find your new desired tank tops at cheaper prices with discounts.
Should you find this article helpful, please share to others to create a new tank top from old t-shirts with our detailed guide.
See more DIY project articles from a T-shirt:
How to Make A T-Shirt Quilt for Beginners (& Free Patterns)
