Do your kids own any old t-shirts?  How about old white t-shirts, maybe even with a couple of stains, maybe even a couple that are a little on the small side…

Well, my 6 yr-old has for sure grown a foot or two (ok, maybe an inch or two) and I can’t keep up with her shrinking wardrobe!!  I decided to add a few more months to some shirts. 

This “plain white T” got some love just in time for Valentines Day:)

Supplies:

• old t- shirt
• long strip of fabric (40 ish inches will do)
• scrap fabric for your applique
• heat-n-bond
• cutting mat and rotary cutter
• sewing machine
• thread
• embellishments

Step 1:

***NOTE*** Wash all fabric before cutting and sewing.  Decide how long you would like the bottom ruffle to be, this will be the width of your strip.  Measure the circumference of the base of your shirt.  You’ll need at least 1 and 1/2 times or 2 times that amount for the length of your strip.  JJ’s shirt was 25 inches, so I would need at least 36 inches.  Cut or trim your fabric.  I already had a scrap of fabric that measured 40 inches X 10 inches wide, which was perfect!  Love when that happens.

Now cut your letters or applique design.  (I used my Silhouette for the first time for this project, and I have to admit, I was a little intimidated at first, but I DID IT!!) So, whatever method you decide to use, cut your letters out.

Step 2:  Using the directions on your adhesive paper, attach the fabric to the adhesive paper.  For Heat N Bond, you place the adhesive side against the back (wrong side) of your fabric, and iron the paper side for a couple of seconds, just until it bonds.

Next, flip your cut-out letters around, (so they’re mirrored) and trace around them on the paper side of the Heat n Bond. 

Cut your letters out, and peel away the paper backing, revealing the adhesive side of the letter. 

Place the letters or design, right side up, with the adhesive against the t-shirt.  Place the iron on top of the fabric for 8 or 9 seconds.  Straight stitch along the edge of the letters. 

For the “O” in this version, I decided to make a fabric yoyo, and sew a button to the center.  You can embellish however you would like!! 

If you like the yoyo idea, there’s a great tutorial HERE.

Step 3:

Make your ruffle.  Hem the strip of fabric by folding each side in 1/4 inch, and then another 1/4 inch.  Press and pin in place.  Next, sew along the folded edge. 

On one side of the strip, sew a gathering stitch (longest stitch setting on your sewing machine) from one end to the other.  Pull the bobbin thread to gather up the ruffle.

Step 4:  Attach your ruffle to the shirt.  First, sew both ends of the ruffle together, right sides together, forming a little skirt.  (I forgot this step, so in the picture I hadn’t sewn the ruffle ends together yet, but it works much better if you do, trust me:)  Turn the ruffle so the right side is touching the right side of the t-shirt, and the ruffled edge is against the bottom hem of the t-shirt.  Starting at one side seam, pin all around the base of your shirt.

Then sew the ruffle to the shirt using a straight stitch and about 1/2 seam, all along the base of the shirt.

Flip the ruffle over, press in place, and voila!!  A little ruffle goes a long way!!

I made some fun little “love” shirts for my boys too, I LOVE how the mustaches add some boy charm to such a frilly girly holiday:)

You can totally make your own, but for the next couple of weeks we will have them for sale in our Etsy Shop, just in time for Valentines!!

Linking up HERE this week!