DIY Tank Top: Fashion on a Budget

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Like the rest of the female college world, I have been swept up in the Pinterest craze. The information sharing site allows users to “pin” things they enjoy to categorized boards for users who follow to see. The other day, a friend pinned a link to instructions to make these tanks from t-shirts. Being in a sorority, I have an inordinate amount of t-shirts that could use some remodeling, so I decided to give it a try. Now I have turned two t-shirts that I never wear into cute new tank tops.

Although there is already a set of instructions, I  came up with my own to help you avoid a few of the problems that I ran into along the way. Transform your old T’s into tanks by following the instructions below.

DIY Tank Top

Tools: Tank top, scissors, pencil (preferably not mechanical)
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Step 1: Pick a shirt. Any t-shirt will do, but I found that a shirt that is slightly big on you works better than one that is tight.

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Step 2: Cut around the ribbed collar of your t-shirt until it is completely off. Make sure to stay close to the seam.

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Step 3: Remove both sleeves by cutting around the seams that attach the sleeves to the main body of the shirt. Again, make sure to stay close to the seam.

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Step 4: Cut the neck hole about an 1.5 inches deeper. I recommend cutting to the halfway point and folding the cut strip onto the other side. Then you can use the part you’ve already cut as a stencil for the other part; this way the neck hole isn’t lopsided.

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Step 5: Now cut the sleeve holes about an inch from the neck line. The tutorial I found said to make a cut like the one here. But I found that this cut makes the shirt gape a little awkwardly on the sides. I recommend turning the shirt over and cutting more onto the back than on the front.

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Step 6: Using the scraps from the sleeve, cut a strip about 2″ wide and 8″ long.

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Step 7: Pull on each end of your 8″ strip until it curls up. This will be the tie on the back of the shirt.

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Step 8: Put the strip through both sleeves and wrap it around the back of the shirt twice and pull it tight. Tie it up with a simple double knot. You can then shift the knot so it is on the inside of the shirt.

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Voila! You have successfully recycled an old t-shirt into a new, fun tank top. I had a little bit of stretching and pulling to make mine fit well, but mine makes a good work out shirt, swim suit cover-up, and lounging shirt. And best of all, I took a shirt I never wear and made it into a new shirt without spending any cash. It’s like getting free clothing.

If you are looking to make something a little different, I also made a shirt like this one. For this shirt I cut a “V” down the back of the shirt as well and cut bigger holes onto the back. The front looks very similar to the first one.

Let me know if you come up with any other variations of this pattern, I’d love to try it out.

I found a great variation if you are looking for a little something different: http://rabbitfoodformybunnyteeth.com/diy-workout-shirt/

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232 thoughts on “DIY Tank Top: Fashion on a Budget”

  1. Did this tonight, both patterns! thank you! On the second one I did have to tie the straps at the top right above the neck too and it was really cute, it was a little bigger on me so i also cut small holes and cinched it up again. its cute. thanks for the ideas!

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  3. I tried this tonight and it came out really good. My straps came out a litlle thinner though, but still very cute and comfy. I did the first style and i added a second knot to it. Makes my old Colorado tourist shirt ( that was way too big ) look super cute.

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  8. I love this idea! Already made one and working on a second. Best part about it? You cut out the tag of the shirt. No one can tell what size it is :)

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  10. This is a great idea! When I attend sporting events and the promoters give out t-shirts, I usually have to give them to my guy because they are too big. Now I get to keep them and look super cute. Thank you.

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    • What do you do with the bottom part since the tshirt is too big? Do you sew up the sides to make it a little tighter around the bottom?

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  11. I love this! I did it with an old Skullcandy TShirt and I love it. I’m gonna make a thousand and wear ‘em ALL summer! :) Thanks a ton!

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  13. I’m excited to have found this today! I have way to many old DMB T’s that are way to big for me that have been retired to a tote. Now I’ll be able to wear them again! I just finished a practice one, super cute!! Thanks!

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  14. Thanks, I’ve been meaning to do something like this for a long time! I usually end up rolling up my sleeves while I’m jogging, but then I have to keep re-rolling them over and over again. Now I’ve got a good jogging tshirt and will make several more!

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  15. Just did this with an old t-shirt that I only ever wear to bed. It was too big (width-wise) but short, so this made it look more feminine and it’s actually more comfy now too! I’m excited to use it for working out.

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  17. Thank you so much!!! Just did this to a high school volleyball tshirt I seriously haven’t worn since 7 years ago! It looks awesome and took me 5 minutes!

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  18. these were very easy to make, thanks for posting, now I have 4 old shirt that are new and that I will actually wear!

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  19. Super fab! Great for getting back to the gym post baby! Super comfy for pilates. Bravo, they are easy to make, comfy, flattering, and just a great up cycle! Hubby better watch his back on a few tees I now have my eye on! X

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  22. Just did this with one of my “too big prego tees”. Im still prego but its getting so hot that even t-shirts don’t cut it. I did this on one and it works great! Thanks for the tutorial. Unfortunatly I have the cutting skills of a preschooler with craft scissors so mines a little choppy looking, but practice makes perfect <3

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  23. Loved the idea! Just did my 1st shirt, a little rough looking but all over perfect. I was wondering if you had a solution for the puffy part at the top of the shirt. since I tied the sleeves together the neck portion on the back was a little puffy. Thanks!

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  26. Did it to one of my husbands never-much-worn tees! Gonna go for a walk with the baby today and maybe get a better tan line – not a farmer’s tan. Thanks!

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  28. Great idea! I have lots of t-shirts but I get too hot when I wear them (I’m a no-sleeved kinda gal) lol. I made the first kind but cut a little too much off the front of the arm holes so I might need to put a couple stitches in the underarm to stop it from gaping. But besides that it turned out great!!! Thanks again! :)

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    • I’m sorry. I recommend starting with smaller cuts and working your way bigger then. That way you can control the shape a little bit better. Also make sure that your scissors are nice and sharp. Good luck next time!

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    • Don’t feel bad! It took me two destroyed shirts before I figured it out… guess I’m just not as crafty as the rest… try again!

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      • It does take a little bit of practice. It sounds like you are not the first one to struggle with round one. But make sure your scissors are sharp, and you start out with smaller cuts. Remember, you can always cut more fabric off, but you can’t put it back on. :)

  30. Thanks for posting this and making it super easy!!! I am going on a fishing trip the second week of June and these will be perfect for 2- 7hour days on a boat!! I plan on making many more!! Also, it provided a slimmer look :) Thanks again!

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  32. I’m so uncoordinated when it comes to this!! Did it to a boyfriends old Fox shirt, in love with it! Thanx! <3

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  34. Just did this to an old white t-shirt from high school with really horrible and embarrassing armpit stains that I didn’t want to throw away. I can wear it again! :)

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  35. I am going to try this, but I have one question: does the knot on the back hurt your back at all if you are on your back doing stretches, weights, or ab work?

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    • That’s what I did the first time too. You ruin a lot fewer t-shirts starting out small. :)

      And of course I would love the extra link. I appreciate the interest. Happy crafting!

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  40. Well I just gave this a try…didn’t turn out exactly how I was expecting it to, but still looks alright. I now have a new sleeping top! Which is what I was hoping for! I can’t sleep in t-shirts, because I feel like I’m choking! LOL

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  44. I got a little too happy with the scissors (oops!) so I ended up taking the hem of my shirt and making the whole back of my tank (down to about my waist) look like a rope. I just tied knots all the way down and it turned out looking wonderful!

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  46. Hey, I’m just curious – did you do something to make your shirt more fitted around your waist or was it fitted to begin with? Thank you for the tutorial – I think I cut mine too much, the straps were really skinny, ha! Can’t wait to try it again.

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    • I didn’t do anything special around the waist. This shirt was a little small on me to begin with, so it fit me pretty well when I cut it. Good luck with round two! I’m glad you enjoyed it. :)

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  47. I just made this for my twin daughters that are 4 and myself. They turned out so good and comfy. Great idea for summer.

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  48. I had some great success with this! Thanks. I would be happy to send you a picture of front and back, and some helpful tips I thought that helped me.

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  49. I’m pretty bummed about feeling the tie in the back, I mean you’re bound to sit back on something at some point, right? Other than that, this was easy!

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    • Yea, the knot is not the best, but with washes and wear it gets better. To avoid the knot in the future, sew the strap of fabric instead of tying it. It shouldn’t even take a sewing machine. Good luck!

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  51. My 11 yr old daughter loves this!! She is using all her older brothers Hollister & Aero tees that he out grew. She also cut open the sides, cut 1″ strip inside and knotted them together. We are going to use this idea for her soccer team’s summer camp shirts. Thanks for sharing.

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  52. Hello! I just tried up cycling a tshirt like this for the first time using your blog! thanks by the way! but the back of my racerback is bunched up funnt right below my neck.. do you know anything that can prevent this? or does it just depend on the way the t shirt fits? it’s like there’s too much material at the top

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    • One of mine did that too. I literally just cut fabric out of the top. So instead of cutting a “U” in the back, I cut a “V.” And then I tied the knot right at the base of the “V.” I hope that makes sense… Good luck!

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  56. Found this on Pinterest and tried it this morning before work out. Worked great. We’ll have to try a few more I’m sure. Thanks!

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  58. I just tried this on a shirt I loved the neck but the sleeves were to tight and it looks like a totally new shirt. I’m also putting liquid stitch on the seam and folding it over to give it a more finished look around the arms. I’m going to wear this shirt like crazy over the summer now!

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  59. “I recommend cutting to the halfway point and folding the cut strip onto the other side. Then you can use the part you’ve already cut as a stencil for the other part; this way the neck hole isn’t lopsided.” GENIUS!

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  60. This shirt looks awesome! i failed on my first try, didnt follow the steps in the right order… highly recommend that, and if you are terrible cutter like me put heavy objects on the shirt while you cut to get cleaner cuts.

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  61. Loved the idea of this and tried it. It took all of 10 minutes and had a great work out shirt for the gym and did another one for a swim suit cover up. Thank you so much.

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  64. This is such a good idea! I just did one on a big tshirt I never wore. Its cute and comfortable. The only problem I have is the front neckline- it’s like curling up and it’s all poofy and stuff. I’m thinking that if I cut it into a v-neck instead of the u-neck, it will fix it. Thank you for this post :)

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    • Cut t-shirts tend to curl up a little bit on the edges when they are dried. I’m not sure if that’s what you are experiencing, but I’m not sure if there is a good way to avoid that. I hope the v-neck helps and thanks for the comment!

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  65. I tried the first design tonight on a couple of concert tshirts I bought too big in fear they would be too small. Messed up a little bit on cutting out the sleeves so I have a little altering to do but I still think it is super cute and I’m glad I can wear them! Thank you!

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  67. I tried it with my husband old blood drive shirts. Turned out well and I am the most un-DIY person you have ever met. I did have to cut a bit lower in the back of the collar so it didn’t bunch up as much since it was from an XL shirt. I may even try it for my daughter’s swim team buddy gift. Thanks!

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    • I’m glad I could help out, especially if you are new to the DIY world! I had a similar struggle with bunchiness on top. But I solved it the same way you did, cutting down a little bit lower and tying the knot at the bottom of the U. Thanks for the comment!

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    • I actually don’t have anything to take video right now, but there are a bunch of tutorials online, I like this one. It doesn’t have the tie in the back, but that is fairly easy with my pictures. Sorry for any confusion and let me know if you have any more questions! Happy crafting!

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  71. I did this with a big and tall size shirt and made it a bathing suit cover ;) Or a summer dress. Thank you for the idea!

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  72. I have been thinking of how to make unique backs. I thought of cutting a shirt into 2 strap and then cut those both into 3 strips & braiding those. in order to connect them to the shirt either sew or tie them to the shirt!!

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  73. Hi! i did this today and it turned out great! thank you so much! and all my friends are going to do it also!

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  74. I just made one out of a cheap men’s undershirt (full t-shirt). I put 4 ties on the back instead of one. I love it! thanks for the idea…

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  81. I did this and totaly loved it, my only question is did you have problems with the cloth right above the knot and behind your neck? Mine kind of bunches, is that why you cut larger holes in the back of the sleves?

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    • Sometimes it does tend to bunch a little bit. I’d suggest cutting a “V” of fabric out of the neck hole above the knot in the back, just to get some of the fabric out of there. That helps a little bit. Good luck!

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  85. So easy! So fun! I tried this last night…I had so much fun creating the first tank I went ahead and made a second!
    First I purchased 2 plain cotton tees from Michael’s ( 2 for $6.00)
    Picked out 2 iron on prints ( .99 cents each! )
    Ironed on the prints to the shirts…i didn’t iron the print the correct way because I wanted the tanks to have that “used” look.
    I followed your directions and
    VOILA!!! 2 tanks to add to my summer wardrobe. =)

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  91. I just tried this and my cuts along the seams are all jagged. I tried going as slow as possible to ensure a straight line but to no avail. Does it matter the kind of scissors you use? Tips?

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    • A good sharp pair of scissors is the key. I have a pair of scissors that I use only for fabric because paper tends to dull them. But otherwise it helps to stretch the fabric taught while your cutting. That may help get a straighter line.

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  92. Thank you so much! Volleyball is going to start soon and I needed some new shirts that were easy to move around in, Now I don’t even need to go buy anything!

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  93. Oh my goodness! I had an old Firefly t-shirt that was waaaaaay too big, but I COULDN’T throw it away. You’ve helped me save it! I shall wear it all the time now that it’s a tank that fits me :)

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  94. I made the first design, but on the back of the t-shirt, just above the tied scrap, it sort of looks like there’s just too much fabric there.. It’s bunched up and awkward-looking. Is there a way to fix this without just cutting it and accidentally messing it up? Other than that, I love this tutorial! So easy!

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  95. I just did this; mine looks a bit rough; but I love it anyways :) Thank you for sharing this! :) Mines a bit jagged; cause my scissors were kinda dull but I still love it :)

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  103. I made mine with an old 5k shirt and I braided mine down the middle and just sewed the braid to the t-shirt. I had a blast making it! It is my new workout shirt! :)

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    • A lot of people really like the braided back. Especially because you avoid the knot going into your back when you’re doing pilates or weights or something. Great idea, I’m glad you had fun!

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  110. Thanks for your fab post :) I did my first one today with a race tsarist and it turned out well :) only alterations I made were to sew the back tie back to get rid off the knot and I found beneath this I had loads if excess bunched up :( so I made mine have a key hole back :) looks good x

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  111. Going to do this soon… They just moved the dance to Nov 16th instead of October 19th… but anyway.. Thanks(: its like really easy to follow! x)

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  113. I did it to one of my football T-Shirts and it looks gr8!!!! Thanks soo much for the info!!! I can’t wait to play basketball in it!!!:)

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  117. I really love this… I made one with a v-neck and another one with the crew… the v-neck turned out awesome… thank you for sharing this!

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  122. Okay, at first I was skeptical of my cutting abilities – I had to keep making edits to make it look even and not weird around the boobs, but now that it’s done I freakin love it – Im scheduled for a long run outside today with my new garmin, and it’s freezing out – but I was soooo sad to take it off – I might just go to the gym later tonight anyway just to show it off. lovvve. It has a giant neon picture of Animal’s face on it ((from Muppets)). It’s awesome. My BF loves it too.

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  132. Found this on pinterest the other day and I loved the idea. I made one already today and it worked great! Thanks :) Definitely going to be doing more for this summer for when I run!

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  133. FREAKEN AWESOME!!!!! i just did the first one and its so comfy ^_^ i can also show off my tattoos on my back!! :) super easy!!!!!!!!!!

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  135. I just made a tank top out of an old batman t-shirt I had. I thought I would try something different and try braiding the straps. It was very difficult and has some flaws but it wasn’t bad for the first try. I had difficulty with the arm holes being the same size. But thanks for the inspiration and I will definately be trying to make another one. :)

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  136. i cant wait to try this…my husband has all kinds of cool t’s that he doesnt wear any more and has been wantin to get rid of and i been lookin for a reason to hold onto them and u gave me 1 lol

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  138. I just made one of these work out shirts. It was super easy and super fast! That’s for the directions. Now I can repurpose all of my team and school shirts.

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  139. Just did this to a shirt that belonged to a friend of mine that passed away. After 7 years, you can imagin what shape it was in. Now i can wear it again! And she would have LOVED it :)

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  141. I hadn’t seen this, but I had an old turtle necked shirt that I thought was hideous. I cut the neck really low, cut the sleeves off, and scooped the back. Once this was done, I cute the straps at the back, so there was a little thing at the top of the back and two really thick halter-like straps.I cut the thing at the back into two halves and cut each half into ribbons about two inches thick till the side hems on either side. I then braided them by cutting slits into the t-shirt below and kind of waterfall braiding and tying along the back till I reached the middle. I did this on both sides and tied the strings together really tight and cut everything off of the knot. Then, I cut each halter strap into third from the should hem to the end and braided them down, tying the ends in a knot. The shirt now works as a really cool halter or a tacer back if I tie the ends to the knot in the middle of the back. It looks amazing!

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  142. i found that the 8″ strip was not long enough for the back. what I used instead was the collar of the shirt that gets cut off in step 2. I had a hard time pulling it tight, so the shirt looks a little odd & my cutting t-shirt abilities leave something to be desired so the shirt tends to rip some… :( glad I used an older t-shirt for this try. I might try it again, but i’m not sure.

    Reply ↓

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