We all have them. That t-shirt, maybe two or more lying helpless in our closet that's too precious to throw out, but too worn to wear. Maybe its neckline is saggy, the fabric is faded, or it just holds too many memories to let go.
For me, these two, one was super comfy, and the other I bought with a friend from a trip to Lagos years ago, it holds so many sweet memories. Instead of letting them gather dust, I decided to give them a second life by bringing two old memories together.
In this post, I'm going to share my fun and easy process #diy for transforming old t-shirts into a stylish shorts.
The Plan & The Pattern
I decided to work with pattern because I still have a lot of old shirts in my closet that I've not worn in recent times and because of my emotions, I just stack them up in my wardrobe, some their fabrics are still pretty cool. This makes the process repeatable and quick. For this project, I'll be adding a 2" elastic waistband, which isn't included in the pattern piece itself.
Step 1: The Cut
First things first, I ironed out all the wrinkles on the shirts to get a clean, flat surface. I laid the fabric flat on the floor and placed my pattern on top.
I increased the length of the short on the fabric, I didn't add hem allowance as I'll be making use of the perfectly finished hem of the shirt. This way, I don't have to hem the legs later!
I used one shirt (a light, faded purple) for the front panels and the other shirt (a deeper color) for the back panels.
Step 2: Assembling the Pieces
This is where it starts to look like shorts!
- First, I joined the two front panels together along the curved crotch line.
- I did the exact same thing for the two back panels.
- Next, I joined the front and back sections together, sewing the inner leg seams first.
- Finally, I sewed the side seams to close it all up.
Step 3: Adding the Waistband
For a comfy fit, I used a black rib fabric for the waistband. I cut a strip about 4 inches wide. I then folded it in half to make a 2" band and attached it to the waistline of the shorts, gently stretching the rib fabric as I sewed.
And there you have it! A brand new shorts born from sweet memories. They are super comfy and cute, and I love that I get to keep the stories of my two old t-shirts alive while also doing something good for the planet.
Instead of throwing out or burning your old clothes, why not give them a new meaning and a new life? Let's save our planet together.
I'd really love to create more of this pretty soon because, why not? It's fun and a great way to unwind! Maybe this time, without patterns.
Now, I'd love to hear from you. Will you be trying this out?