I just love refashioning t shirts. They’re such quick projects, like less than half an hour! And the results can be awesome. For this project I used this oversized black t shirt that I picked up at the thrift store.

oversized thrifted black v neck t shirt

I decided to make a deep v neck wrap style crop top out of the t shirt.

black wrap style crop top front view up close

I really like this style because I think it looks casual but also a bit elegant, especially if you were to style it with more classy bottoms.

black wrap around crop top with jeans and black boots

This is my favorite way of tying the top, but because the shirt is basically just open in the front with two long ties, you can wrap and tie it any way you like. Just let your imagination roll!

wrap crop top side view

So let’s get into the tutorial! This refashion took me less than half an hour and was super easy to do; there’s very minimal sewing involved. So even if you’re a beginner at refashioning, you can totally DIY this crop top.

What you need

*This list contains affiliate links for your DIYing convenience, so I receive a small commission if you buy something through my links. This really helps to support my site so I can keep creating DIY tutorials to help you create your dream wardrobe.

Steps

  1. Crop the back of the shirt
  2. Cut the front curved ties
  3. Cut open the front of the shirt and shape the neckline
  4. Make longer ties from scraps and attach them

Instructions

Step 1

The first step is to try on the t shirt and mark where you want the shirt to be cropped to. I put a chalk mark at the center front where I wanted the shirt cropped to.

black t shirt on cutting mat with pink chalk marking at center front

Next, measure how far from the bottom of the shirt your marking is. Turn the shirt over and measure to make an identical marking on the back of the shirt.

a chalk mark on the back of the shirt showing where to crop it

Then use a ruler to draw a straight line across the back of the shirt from side seam to side seam, going through your mark. Mine is slightly below my mark, but that is just because I decided at the last minute to add a bit of extra length. So if you’re happy with the length you chose, just go straight through your mark!

a chalk line drawn across the back of a t shirt

Now you can cut up each side seam to your line, then cut across the line. This will cut a rectangle of fabric out of the lower back of the t shirt.

the back is cut out of a t shirt to crop it

Step 2

Next, turn the shirt over so the front is facing up. Measure from each side seam to find the center of the shirt front and make a marking at the bottom of the shirt.

center front of t shirt marked with chalk

Then draw a straight line up from your center front mark to the marking you made earlier.

a straight pink chalk line drawn about halfway up the center of the shirt

And cut along this line.

t shirt with a vertical line cut straight up the center of the shirt

Next, draw the shape in the photo below on one side of the shirt front, blending the curve into the already cut back of the shirt. I used a french curve ruler to get a nice curve, but you can totally freehand this.

a curved shape of a tie is drawn with chalk on an upcycled t shirt

Cut along this line, then fold the shirt in half, with the cut side on top. Cut along the curve to make a matching curve on the other side. Be careful to only cut the front of the shirt, it can be easy to accidentally cut into the back a bit.

t shirt folded in half with the cut side on top

cropped black t shirt with curved front ties cut

Step 3

Next, draw a line straight up the center front of the shirt all the way to the neckband. Cut along this line. Honestly, you could have probably done this step earlier, but this was just the process I used as I was figuring out how to make the shirt.

a pink chalk line drawn straight up the center front of a black t shirt black cropped t shirt cut up the center front

Now you have the basic shape of the shirt done. The next step is to try the shirt on, wrap it the way you would when wearing it (we don’t have the long ties on yet, but you can still get an idea of how it will look) and use chalk to mark a good neckline shape that will lie flat. Mine looked like this:

pink chalk used to mark the neckline of the upcycled t shirt

Cut along this line.

cut one side of the neckline of the refashioned t shirt

Then fold the shirt in half (like you did for the curved front ties) and cut an identical neckline curve on the other side.

black cropped wrap around t shirt diy

Step 4

Our final step is to make those long ties! I used that big leftover rectangle of fabric from the back of the shirt and cut four identical rectangles. They were 2 inches wide (the same width as the bottom of the shirt front curved tie pieces) and as long as I could get them with the fabric available.

four identical tie pieces

Next, I separated the ties into pairs and sewed one of the short ends of each pair together (right sides together). Once sewn, this will create two long ties.

two pairs of ties are pinned together at one of the short ends

Then sew one tie to each side of the shirt front with right side together.

one tie is pinned to each side of the curved shirt front

And you’re done! Just put the shirt on, pull the crisscross v-neck tight across your body, wrap the ties around once or twice and tie them off.

DIY wrap crop top

 

If you enjoyed this tutorial, I would love for you to subscribe to my email newsletter. You’ll receive sneak peeks and updates on new posts as well as first access to any sewing patterns I release.

wrap crop top DIY t shirt refashion to wrap crop top DIY t shirt refashion to crop top Diy wrap crop top pinterest graphic