How to Make Homemade T-Shirt Underwear
Making T-shirt underwear is easy, nearly free, fun and can allow you to get a perfect fit and the shape and style you want. It's also a great way to recycle T-shirts, saving your favorites from ending up in a landfill. Make T-shirt undies in any size you need and use the same patterns and sewing methods for making underwear from cotton interlock, cotton jersey or even bamboo fabrics.
Things You'll Need
- Old T-shirt
- Favorite pair of worn-out underwear
- Sewing machine with a zigzag stitch and coordinating thread
- Lingerie elastic
Instructions
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1
Find an old pair of underwear that fit well. These are going to be sacrificed to make a pattern for your homemade T-shirt underwear. Cut these apart at the seams to make a t-shirt underwear pattern. You can also use a printable T-shirt underwear pattern if you prefer (see Resources).
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2
Position your pattern on the T-shirt. In most cases, you will have a front piece, a back piece and a crotch panel for your t-shirt underwear pattern. Decide whether you want the print, if there is one, to go on the front or the back. Pin the pattern into place on the T-shirt.
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3
Cut out your T-shirt underwear, allowing a 1/4-inch seam allowance all around the T-shirt undies pattern.
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4
Sew front to back at the crotch of your T-shirt panties and both side seams. Use a zigzag stitch or serger to create seams that can give and stretch. Center your crotch panel over the crotch seam and sew into place along the inside of each leg.
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5
Cut lingerie elastic only slightly smaller than the waist and each leg. Place the plain edge of the elastic against the outside of the T-shirt underwear. Sew using a zigzag or three-step zigzag stitch. Turn to the inside, allowing any picot edging to show, and top-stitch into place. Repeat for both leg openings.
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Tips & Warnings
Add 1/2 inch to the legs and waist if you prefer to enclose your elastic in a casing. Use 1/4-inch elastic for the casings. A snug fitting T-shirt with some spandex may make comfortable T-shirt underwear without elastic.
