I'd like to turn a "too big" t-shirt for my 2 year old into a pillowcase style dress. I know I can either roll up or cut off the sleeves and put a ribbon at the shoulder and maybe some cute trim at the bottom. Suggestions on what to do with the sleeves or other ideas to make it cute from some of you crafty moms? I do not have a a sewing machine and the t-shirt is for our VBS at church this week. It has chest print on the front, pocket area and a larger print on the back. I can hand stitch, fabric glue or hot glue any trim! Thanks in advance!
I've seen shirts cut into slits all around the bottom and then braid the strands and secure w/knots (or beads).
You can get that sticky fabric stuff(sorry don't know the exact name). I would turn down the top about a 1/4 of an inch all the way around, leaving an open space where you can put cute ribbon through it, then tie at the shoulders.
If you cut slits all the way around the bottom of the sleeve you could weave a ribbon in and out all the way around. Pull the ribbons to tighten the sleeve a bit to make it blousy and tie it in a bow. Gather the sleeve up to the top, and Safety pin the bow to her shoulder. That would be a unique little pouffy sleeve. The shirt sounds busy already, so, I would go with a solid coordinating color or pick up aplaid or pattern already in the shirt. DO the same around the bottom. Cut slits all along the bottom, slit one side up about 4 inches if the shirt is all the way long. Weave in and out leaving the loose ends at the top of the slit. Then pull the strins a bit and tie in a bow on the side. That will cinch the shirt up a bit, so she isn't tripping over it.
Go to your local fabric store and purchase some Heat-n-Bond tape. You simply roll over the edge, sandwich in the H-n-B, and iron together.
If you cut the t-shirt with pinking shears (zig-zag looking fabric scissors) it will unravel slower.
