How to Design a Blank Long Sleeve Tee Shirt
No matter what style you want to go for---punk rock, girly, classy, hipster or quirky---the number of ways to design a blank tee is endless. You can choose to embellish the blank shirt with lace, ribbons, buttons, sequins, embroidery floss (the thread used to make friendship bracelets), chains, an iron-on transfer, fabric, fabric spray paint using stencils and even safety pins. You can add extra flare by cutting out holes or slits in different areas or sewing on pockets to sleeves.
Things You'll Need
- Paper
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Sewing kit
- Buttons (optional)
- Sequins (optional)
- Embroidery floss (optional)
Instructions
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1
Determine what style you want to fashion, and make a general sketch of your ideal shirt, drawing slits, buttons, sequins or other materials you would use. Decide whether you want a fun design to wear just at home, a classy design for work or a casual design for a night out to the movies. For instance, a design that is wearable to work would include cutting out the collar of an old button-up shirt and sewing the bottom edges to the inside neck of the blank shirt, and then cutting out a separate piece to make a front pocket.
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2
Buy a pack of iron-on transfer paper, which you can purchase at office supply stores, if design is not in your genes but you're desperate to revamp your dull and plain long sleeve T-shirt. Find a favorite image from the Internet, or scan a picture, and print it on the special paper. Cut out the image, flip the paper over with the blank side facing you and then iron it on.
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3
Gather the materials you'll need such as scissors, buttons, fabric glue, embroidery floss, a sewing kit and sequins.
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4
Place the shirt on a flat surface. Arrange the items you plan to attach on top of the shirt according to your sketch and style preference. Then under each piece, make a mark with an erasable fabric marker to guide you through as you sew or attach items.
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5
Try your shirt on it on in front of the mirror. If the shirt still looks too plain, add more embellishments.
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Tips & Warnings
If you don't want to risk ruining the shirt and regretting the final result, do a test on an old, tattered shirt you wouldn't mind throwing out. It can be a good way to practice cutting out slits and holes.
If you choose to design the blank long sleeve shirt with embroidery floss, be careful not to accidentally sew both sides of the shirt together since it can be a pain to fix. Check the back seams as you sew.
