The T-Shirt Hack (Or: How to revamp an old t-shirt with nothing but scissors)

Step 7 Stick it on and dance around!

Note to readers: it is hard to photograph your own back. :)

But it looked something like this, when I'd finished my T-shirt Hack!

I did a second one, with two rib hacks instead, and have the final result picture of that for you here as well.
How to? same as the hourglass spinal hack we just walked through, but on the sides.

Good luck! :)

Comments

[Byanyothername]

Wow! I tried this just today and did the sides instead of the back. This is a really great instructable, it had enough detail to get us through it, but short and to the point enough that it wasn't boring or tiresome. I really liked that you threw in the suggestion to cut off the arm bands along with the neck, as I too like the more uniform. This is the best way I have found to mod a tee shirt and I will for sure use it again! (Everywhere my dad goes on training or courses, he brings me back a shapeless too big tee shirt!)

[thepinkcupcake]

This was a totally awesome and clear tutorial. I chopped up my husband's extra large cotton shirt (it has no stretch to it) and now it fits as a tight large/medium women's t-shirt. Thanks so much! And the video clip was a big help. :D

[czintx]

Love it!!!!! It was so easy to do.

[SpellboundAngel]

would it work the same way as far as making the shirt fitted if I were to do this to the sides? any other advice for that?

[Jyssa]

yes, it would :) my advice really is play with the idea! the core of this is "cut the strips" and "twist them as shown" nothing else about this is set in stone: run with it! :) anywhere on the t-shirt will shrink it - hacks that go up and down the shirt shrink it in width, hacks that go across the shirt shrink it in length. if it hasn't shrunk enough for your liking, you can cut the strips, remove a bit and sew them back together shorter, then twist/weave them.

[SpellboundAngel]

thanks ^^ I ended up doing this for a color-themed dance I went to, with a yellow 'hacked' shirt over a black tank. Worked nicely and I got lots of complements.

[tutu.paris]

would anyone happen to know how well this holds up in the wash?
i just want to know before i were to try it.... im thinking about doing this to one of my favorite t's. but am a tiny bit hesitant

[Jyssa]

It holds up fine in the wash, so long as your tee is a knit fabric (doesn't fray like woven) and you didn't cut thru any seams (like the ones usually found down the sides of a tee). If you do cut seams, and want the shirt to endure, hand stitch over each seam-section on each strip, so when the snipped stitching washes out, yours will hold it together. Good luck!

[Depraved]

This is so cool! I have so many shirts I can do this to, thanks!!

[VampireFrancesca]

this is awesome! i'm off to search the closet!

[Riann13]

this is really cool-looking; I think I'll try it ^.^

you has received a 5/5 from me =)

[Dameventh]

This is a really good instructable! The video was very helpful. Sadly a few weeks ago I went through my wardrobe and goodwilled most of my old T's. You should check out some of the T-shirt recon videos Threadbanger on youtube has. TONS of ways to redo an old t-shirt. I think you would love them! Now i just need to bye an some old T-shirts at a thrift store so i can redo them.

[ladydebs]

This is a great idea!! Going to try it out on a few tops. But more importantly, does anyone know if this will work with a slightly larger t-shirt to make it more fitted?? I have a small boys top and want to make it fitted.

[Jyssa]

Hi, I'm glad you like it :)

Yes, doing this to a t-shirt *does* make it more fitted! :) very nice for downsizing a tee from 'sack' to 'sexy'.
Enjoy!

[michosa]

Awesome! I just did it to this boring plain shirt I have, along with the front, and I'm really happy with it! A wonderful instructable.

[penumbra_]

Excellent instructable and very nice result! I can't wait to try it out. Thanks!

[Ohhmyydice]

Thanks so much for the instructions, its really creative and diffrent. I tried the origanal tie on the sides and everyone stole the idea for our band shirts, im pretty positive they wont now.

[Irina]

Thank you for making this. It's a great idea. Yoink!

[jnet0110]

I love this idea, very easy to do and such a awesome look. I'm so excited to make my own, your instructions are clear and simple. Thanks for the video at the end, definitely would have been hard to understand without.

[Jyssa]

This is my first ever instructable - feedback plz!! :)

[kirstiem23]

I thought this was an excellent idea. I was struggling to find a way to make some boring promotional t-shirts for work a bit more interesting and this was perfect! Thanks so much. Easy to do and really effective! x