How to Make a T Shirt Smaller

You have the perfect T shirt but it's just too big. If only you could make it smaller. Well, now you can. Making a T shirt smaller is not as hard as it might seem. Follow these simple steps and your shirt will fit perfectly in no time.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fabric Marking Pen
• Measuring Tape
• Sewing Machine
• Scissors

Put on Your Shirt

1. Put on the T shirt to determine how much you need to take in. Get someone to help you mark how much narrower it should be on either side and also how much smaller the sleeves should be.

2. Take off the T shirt and turn it inside out. Lay it flat on a table or on the floor. Using your marked measurements as a guide, mark the path you will sew down the sides of the shirt and across the seam on the sleeves.

3. Begin sewing at the hem on one side of the shirt. Position the shirt so that you can sew along your markings. Secure your stitches by sewing forward about an inch then backward to where you started and then forward again. Sew up the side of the shirt. When you reach the place that the sleeve seam and the side seam meet, lift up the machine foot with the needle still down and turn the shirt so that you can stitch along the sleeve (called pivoting).

4. Sew backwards slightly when you reach the hem of the sleeve and then forward again in order to secure your stiches. Repeat Step 3 on the other side of the shirt.

5. Clip along your seams leaving about half an inch of seam allowance. Clip any loose threads. Turn the shirt right-side out and try it on. Determine if the shirt is now small enough to fit properly. If it is still too large repeat the steps to make it smaller. If it is just right, take the shirt off and iron it for a finished look.