I purchased this shirt about a month ago but after careful consideration I decided it looked much cuter on Lucas. It’s a woman’s crop top but in the world of children’s fashion anything goes. I decided to turn it into a tank and had my mama help with her sewing skills.

Iron the shirt and lay it out on a flat surface. Make sure all the seams are lined up.

Pin the seams on the arms of the shirt to hold them in place and make sure they are aligned.

Use a pencil to mark where you’d like to cut. I wanted a slouchy fit so my mom made the markings about 2/3 away from the collar. You can use one of your toddlers tanks as a guideline if you want a more standard look for the sleeves. Either way, create your markings with a little more space – you can always cut more or sew the sleeves more to your liking. It’s better to give yourself a little room to play with. Once you cut, you can’t go back!

Use good cutting shears to cut where you made your marks (regular kitchen scissors are tougher to use on fabric). DO NOT remove the pins until you’re done cutting.

Time to grab your needle and thread. Turn the shirt inside out and slightly fold the unfinished hem as you go along. Sew using small stitches.

That’s it! Since my shirt was originally a crop top I left the bottom as is. If you want to shorten your tank, use steps 3-5 to create the length you want. This is in no way a “perfect” tank but I think it looks pretty sweet. Plus it’s incredibly quick and easy. This would be a great project for a fun vintage find or even one of your old school college shirts. Happy sewing!