D.I.Y. Mondayyy!

Sorry that I skipped a few things on the blog recently. School has just started up again and I have been busier then ever. But, lets get down to it! This D.I.Y. is based of this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uo1ap9x8F4&feature=related

I really loved the way the tank top came out and needed some things around to remind me of the warm months coming up! I basically followed the video step for step and will clear things up that caused me some problems!

What you need:

A marker, very sharp scissors (I use ones specifically meant to cut fabric), a ruler (if you want, I personally prefer to use my fingers!) and an old t-shirt.

Before you start:

Just like in the video, I used a v-neck shirt for this tutorial. Although I followed along, nothing is wrong with using another style of shirt. Just be prepared to do some adjustments or to change the neck around to follow along easier.

Let’s Begin!

Step One: You are going to begin by marking out where you are going to cut the shirt. As shown the back needs to be cut in a razor back style. I suggest cutting the back before you begin marking up the cuts on the front of the shirt. I had a lot of issues with the lines on the front matching, so by doing this you lose some of the headache. From there you cut off your marked areas. Make sure you save all the extra fabric! You are going to need it.

Step Two: Next you are going to cut the leftover fabric into thin strips that will be used as ties. In the video, she says to use 6-inch strips, but they really do not need to be that long. Some of the strips I ended up using were as short as three inches. They really just need to be long enough for you to be able to double or triple knot them.

Step Three: You are going to take the new strips you made and tie two to the top and bottom of the razor back. Make sure you tie them very tight and double or triple knot them. Cut off the excess fabric from the knot. You are going to continue doing this up the back in about one-inch sections. You will continue the knots up to the front of the shirt. You can honestly end at any point you want to on the front. With my shirt, I stopped at a point where the straps met the front of the v-neck. Different shirts will have different starting and ending points so use your just judgment!

And that’s it!

This D.I.Y. was a little more complicated then other ones I have done before. So be careful with cutting and make sure you read this and watch the video. You may have to change things but, don’t let that scare you! This turned out really great and is super cute!

D.I.Y. Monday!

So I as I have said before, I am in love with crop tops for the spring. I also love having a chance to try out a trend early to see if you would like it. So this first D.I.Y. Monday is dedicated to my love of the crop top. I recently made one for myself out of a old Vans T-shirt (which can be seen in my “Meet the Bloggers” Post). This top is made specifically for Janel, which is why the shirt is so tiny and looks a little weird on me.

What you need:

A marker, very sharp scissors (I use ones specifically meant to cut fabric), a ruler (if you want, I personally prefer to use my fingers!) and an old t-shirt.

Before you start:

For this type of shirt you need to really understand your body type. If you are tiny like Janel, you can take a lot more fabric off. If you are taller like me, you want to be careful about the amount you cut off. I think the shirt is a little too much on me, maybe with some high waisted shorts it would be better, but overall it is not right for my body. Also pay attention to the shirt you are using. If it has a huge design on the front it may not be the best for this D.I.Y. (unless you are willing to cut it off). Also, be wary of how baggy the shirt is. If it is too big the shirt may not turn out the way you want it too!

Let’s Begin!

Step One: You are going to start by turning the shirt inside out and measuring out how much you want to take off of it. For this shirt I took off about 4 inches, which is a lot for such a small shirt. I took off about 3 1/2 inches on the shirt for myself, which was not as drastic for the shirt I chose. Next you need to make sure your line is as perfect as possible and cut! I know that I don’t have the most steady hands so I will go back and trim up the edges. I prefer not to sew up the ends because I love how deconstructed the shirts look after a wash, but if you aren’t a fan, you can sew it now!

Step Two: I like to add a little more to a shirt by taking off from them neck of a shirt. For Janel’s shirt I took off about an inch all around the neck (or the space in between my knuckles). For my shirt I took off about an inch and a half (or a knuckle and a half). Again you want to trace it out and cut to purrfection. Cut more off and the shirt will become more off the shoulder. Again, you can sew up the edges from here.

And you are DONE!

This is a really simple and fun D.I.Y. that you can really do a lot with. The more daring you are the more skin you can show! Have fun with this one and submit us pictures of your finished projects! If you have any questions to not be afraid to ask! We have no problem clearing things up or posting more in depth pictures!