How to Make Your Own No-Sew High-Low Hem Shirt from a Men's or Unisex T-Shirt

This post has been written in partnership with the Red Bubble Affiliate Program.  Thank you to Red Bubble for providing the Buffy t-shirt, created by an independent artist, for our DIY fashion project.  All opinions expressed are my own.

There are certain silhouettes in tops that I find to be particularly flattering on most body shapes.  The boxy high-low t-shirt is one of them.  It hides any flaws you may have around the middle and still provides coverage in the back for those of us who want to be more modest when wearing leggings or skinny jeans.  Even though the high-low hemline is something that is extremely popular at the moment, it seems to be difficult to find them in casual t-shirts.  I also have trouble finding women's t-shirts with a boxy hip-length cut.  There are so many cute t-shirts out there, but the girly fit is too form-fitting for my taste and the unisex t-shirts are too long.  I often forgo buying printed t-shirts I like because there does not seem to be a shirt style that's a good fit for me. That's why I decided to try making my own hip-length high-low t-shirt out of a unisex t-shirt.  Two birds . . . one stone!

Today's Project:  No-Sew High-Low Hem T-Shirt

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Men's or Unisex T-Shirt (2 sizes up from your normal size)

scissors (sharp enough to cut through fabric easily)

pen, pencil, or chalk
tape measure or a hip-length shirt you already own

Before you begin, be sure to wash your t-shirt to get any shrinking out of the way.  My Red Bubble t-shirt does not recommend machine drying, but I needed to shrink mine, so I put it in the dryer inside out.  I am about 5'5" and purchased a unisex XXL.  The shirt hem hit just above my knees.  After machine washing in cold and tumble drying it, the t-shirt length was 3" to 4" shorter, which was perfect for this project.

Step 1.  With your shirt laying perfectly flat (front facing up), use scissors to make two tiny cuts on either side of the trim around the neckline.  Then insert your scissors into the opening you've made and cut around the neckline of the front of your t-shirt only as close to the trim as possible.

Step 2.  Flip your t-shirt over and lay it perfectly flat on your work space.  Then continue to cut around the band along the neckline on the back of the t-shirt until the entire band has been removed.

Step 3.  Make a tiny cut at the bottom seam of the left sleeve as close to the band as possible.  Then insert your scissors in the opening and remove the band starting at the front by cutting as close to the band as possible.  Then flip the shirt over to continue cutting to remove the entire band.  Then repeat this with the right sleeve.

Step 4.  Repeat Step 3 with the hem of the t-shirt.

Step 5.  With the front of the t-shirt facing out, fold your t-shirt in half vertically.  Be very careful to match up the shoulder seams, underarm seams, and hemline.

Step 6.  Fold a hip-length t-shirt that you already have in half vertically with the front facing out.  Then lay it on top of your project t-shirt and make a small mark on the bottom shirt to note the length of the shirt on top.  You can do this using a pen, pencil, or a thin piece of chalk.  If you don't own a hip-length t-shirt, then you can use a measuring tape to approximate and mark off how high up hip-length would be from the bottom hem.

Step 7.  Lay your project shirt flat with the design facing up.  Then draw a curved line connecting the mark you just made at the middle of the shirt to the bottom right corner of the shirt.  Do the same thing, connecting the center mark with the bottom left corner of the shirt, mirroring the first curved line you drew.

Step 8.  Using scissors, carefully cut along the arc you drew to create a curved hemline on the front of your shirt.

Step 9.  Lay your shirt so that the right side seam is flat on your work space.  Then carefully remove the sharp angle at the bottom of the seam so that the front hem transitions smoothly to the back hem.  Repeat this with the bottom of the left side seam.

Step 10.  Give all your raw edges (neckline, sleeves, and shirt hem) a few good stretches to create a more natural slightly rolled edge.

Now you're all done and should have a comfy and stylish new high-low hem t-shirt!  This was my first time doing this project, but I am pleased with how it turned out.  I will definitely be doing this again and am thrilled that, going forward, I can buy the printed t-shirts that I love without hesitation due to the shirt style.  If you give this easy DIY fashion project a try, let me know how it turns out!


You can find this Magic Box Advertisement t-shirt by independent artist, UtherPendragon, and other Buffy t-shirts at RedBubble.com.

Kal Barteski (Published Canadian Artist) Shows Us How We All Have a Creative Publish-Worthy Side

This post was written as part of a sponsored campaign for the Blurb Affiliate Program. All opinions expressed are my own.



I am a firm believer that everyone has a creative side waiting to come out.  My husband always says that everyone has a story they are carrying inside them that they are dying to write.  I'm not sure if that's true for everybody, but I do believe there is an artist or a writer inside each and every one of us.  Canadian artist, Kal Barteski, shows us how wonderful this creative side can be if you just let it out.  You might just amaze yourself and want to share your creativity with the world.

Blurb makes it easy for independent artists like Kal to self-publish art books.  I have made several photo books through Blurb for keepsakes and gifts to family members, and even created a beautiful book of my first year of Silly Monkey Stories, an ongoing series on 3G2S that's dedicated to my children.  I still have yet to publish a book for the public, but I most definitely will someday.  If you have an inner chef, photographer, sculptor, poet, or any type of artist waiting to come out, why wouldn't you preserve each masterpiece inside the pages of a self-published book that others can purchase and enjoy?

To learn more about how easy it is to publish books with the tools provided by Blurb, visit www.Blurb.com.

Support Independent Artists & Graphic Designers with Holiday Photo Cards from Minted.com

I received a promotional item as a thank you for taking the time to share Minted.com with 3G2S readers.  All opinions expressed are my own.

The time is upon us when holiday cards are beginning to be made and purchased. We send out cards nearly every year, so when I heard about Minted.com, I was excited to see what they had to offer. Minted is a unique site because they seek out independent artists and designers who have exceptional work and then showcase them on their site. Consumers can then purchase truly beautiful products that benefit the artists who made them by giving them a commission on their amazing work. In addition to selling holiday cards, they have various invitations, gifts, art prints, and more. Plus, Minted offers free printing of recipient addresses on their card envelopes, so it eliminates that hassle for their customers.

Minted has a very well-designed website with a great layout that is easy to navigate and browse through. There are literally hundreds of designs to choose from that will suit any taste. The available products are very clearly labeled and then you can narrow down choices according to what you’re looking for. They even have the ability to upload your desired photos and it will showcase them in the cards as you browse, which makes choosing even easier. For holiday cards, they have 3 options: flat, folded, and minibook cards. Once your card is chosen, you can customize the colors, shape of the card, which photos to include, and more, so you will have a card that is unlike any other and truly reflects your personal style. Upon browsing, I found many cards that I loved and narrowing down my choice to just one will be very difficult. I particularly fell in love with the minibook cards because it would eliminate my Holiday newsletter that always accompanies my cards.

If you are looking for something new and different to use for your holiday cards this year, have a look at Minted.com and see if you can find something you love.  The ones I've chosen to share are my favorite designs.  Which ones are yours?

You can follow Minted on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are an independent artist, you can also visit their website to find out how your designs can be featured on Minted.com.