T-Shirt DIY

T-shirts are known for being plain and simple, but not very interesting. However, with a little bit of DIY vision, there are a wealth of possibilities for altered t-shirts which can turn boring clothes into gothy masterpieces. Easy, cheap, and fun, many DIY t-shirt projects don't even require a sewing machine! Here's some step by step instructions to create a woven t-shirt, perfect for beating the summer heat.

All the supplies you'll need

I got my t-shirt from Walmart, and immediately saw some DIY potential. Since it was a little big for me, I thought about doing the Cut-&-Tie method on the sides which is fast and easy, but I decided to try something new, with weaving!   

Weaving, easier than it looks!

First, I laid out the t-shit and pinned the sides so I could cut without it slipping. The next step is to cut horizontal slits in the back which slowly become smaller the further down the shirt you go. Remember to only cut through the back of the shirt! :) You could play around with this, perhaps have two channels of slits or create a different pattern with the lengths. Just remember, the slits must be horizontal for the T-shirt fabric to coil nicely. 

Next, stretch each strip until it coils 

Sorry for the blur. The strips will stretch pretty far. This is a good thing!

See how thin they get? 

Next, you weave the strips by twisting the first one into a loop, reaching through it and pulling the second strip up through the loop. It's a little hard to explain (and very hard to photograph when the process requires both hands!) For further clarification, here is a helpful video!

End result of weaving!

Finally, cut the bottom strap and tie it to the loop above to finish off. 

Then you're done! Woo! I added a little iron on fun to the front of mine, and I may mess with the collar and add safety pins (of course) sometime. 

Happy DIYing! Perhaps while you snip, you can enjoy a Song of the Day:

New favorite band? Methinks...YEEEEEEEEES!