Tutorial: Embellished T-Shirt

 

















Yay, my first tutorial!  I've been seeing a lot of embellished t-shirts in stores lately, and am aghast at how much they sometimes cost, since they can be made so easily!  So, I decided to make one to show you how easy they are.  The one I made doesn't require much sewing skill at all, in fact, you could totally make one without even owning a sewing machine.  It really is that simple. 

I was inspired by the nautical theme that seems to be the trend this spring, plus these embellished shirts from Anthropologie:

($48?? Really?)

And from Target ($15, but still...):

Anyway, here's how I made mine for under 5 bucks.   I found this shirt at Wal-Mart for $4 (regular price)!  They had lots and lots of colors, and I plan on going back soon to get a couple more.

I'm a sucker for seersucker (ha!).  It's just so summery and versatile and preppy.  I got a couple yards a few weeks ago for around $5 on sale.  I plan on using the rest to make a skirt for myself, or an outfit for Liam (or both!).  

(I didn't bother ironing the fabric--the end result is supposed to be a little 'raw' and messy.  As you can tell, I usually don't iron my tablecloths either.)  Next, I cut 4 long strips of the fabric, about 1 1/2 inches wide and running the width of the fabric (44 inches).

There are lots of ways you can make fabric flowers, but for mine I used a similar method to making a flower out of frosting...start in the middle and coil around, twisting the fabric as you go.  I made a couple stitches every 1/4 way around or so.

It doesn't have to be perfect--the goal is 'shabby chic.'  I tucked the end of the strip behind the flower and stitched it into place.  I ended up making 7 flowers, making some much smaller (by coiling around less).

I also cut some leaves (4 fabric thickness) and pinned everything the way I wanted it to look.

Then stitched it all into place! For added texture, I stitched 'veins' on the leaves.  Note: you totally don't have to do this on a sewing machine...it just takes longer by hand. 

All done!

I really like how it turned out!  (Not the greatest picture, it's hard to take a picture while wearing the shirt.)  And for just over $4 and about an hour and a half of my time, not too bad of a deal!