How to Make a T-Shirt Sleeveless
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Learn how to make a t-shirt sleeveless or how to take the sleeves off of a t-shirt. This refashion project is a great hack to change any tee.
Have you ever had a tee or t-shirt that you wanted to make sleeveless? Do you have a tee or t-shirt you don’t wear because of something to do with the sleeves?
I went through my tees that I don’t wear and relized that for some of them the problem was the sleeves. I also had some old t-shirts from past events that I wanted to make more workout friendly. I tested a bunch of different fabrics and methods so I could share all the information about how to make a t-shirt sleeveless. Let’s get started!
What is refashioning?
Refashioning is to fashion clothing again or differently. I usually use this to describe when I’m sewing clothing to fit different or to look different, but the majority of the item stays the same.
What t-shirts can I do this to?
I tried this on two different t-shirts with a jersey knit: one with spandex and one without spandex. I also tried this on three different tees: one was a wool jersey, one was a rib knit, and one was a double knit.
I found if the fabric was a jersey, it didn’t work as well unless it had spandex. I had to use a different fabric to create the bands. I found if the fabric was extra stretchy with good recovery (like rib knit and double knit) it worked well.
Love to sew? Try one of these fun sewing projects:
How to Make a T-Shirt Sleeveless
Supplies
- T-shirt or tee
- Optional: extra knit fabric
- Sewing tools
- Sewing machine
- Here’s a great help for sewing sleeve and neckbands!
Instructions to make a sleeveless t-shirt with t-shirt fabric
If you want to use the fabric from the sleeve to finish the armhole edges, this is the method to use. This only works if the t-shirt has spandex in the blend. The jersey fabric needs spandex to make it stretchy enough and have a good recovery.
Cut the sleeves off. Cut through the t-shirt so that you remove the seam allowance and the sleeves.
*If the t-shirt shoulder is really wide for you in the shoulders, you can cut another inch off of the shoulder seam to make it thinner. When you cut more off of the shoulder width, the more fabric you’ll need for the band!
Cut the sleeves into a 1.5 inch or 2 inch strip at the widest section of the sleeve. If you do 1.5 inch you can get a longer strip. If you do a 2 inch strip you will get a shorter strip.
*You’ll need a strip that is .8 the length of the armhole circumference.
Straighten the ends of the strips.
Fold the strip in half matching the short ends right sides together. Sew the seam with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Do the same to the other strip.
Fold the tube lengthwise with wrong sides together and matching the raw edges together. Divide the tube into four sections. Divide the armhole into four sections.
Match up each section of the tube and armhole and pin them together. Pin between each pin. You’ll have to stretch the tube to match the armhole.
Sew the tube to the armhole with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Use a zigzag stitch or a serger. Stretch the tube to fit the armhole as you sew.
Fold the band to the outside. Press the seam allowance towards the body. You finished!
Instructions to make a sleeveless t-shirt with different knit fabric
If you can’t use the fabric from the sleeve to finish the armhole edges because it doesn’t have spandex, this is the method to use. You will need scraps of rib knit or cotton spandex jersey for this method.
Cut the sleeves off. Cut through the t-shirt so that you remove the seam allowance and the sleeves.
*If the t-shirt shoulder is really wide for you in the shoulders, you can cut another inch off of the shoulder seam to make it thinner. When you cut more off of the shoulder width, the more fabric you’ll need for the band!
Measure the t-shirt armhole. Multiply that measurement by .8. Add 1/2 inch for two 1/4 inch seam allowances. This is the length
Cut two strips of fabric with the length measurement and either 1.5 inch or 2 inch wide.
Fold the strip in half matching the short ends right sides together. Sew the seam with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Do the same to the other strip.
Fold the tube lengthwise with wrong sides together and matching the raw edges together. Divide the tube into four sections. Divide the armhole into four sections.
Match up each section of the tube and armhole and pin them together. Pin between each pin. You’ll have to stretch the tube to match the armhole.
Sew the tube to the armhole with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Use a zigzag stitch or a serger. Stretch the tube to fit the armhole as you sew.
Fold the band to the outside. Press the seam allowance towards the body. You finished!
*I also cut the neckband off and measured it. Then I used the floral knit fabric to create a neckband. I liked the idea of the knit fabric being in three places to make the t-shirt more fun. (you can see the finished t-shirt near the top of the post.)
Instructions to make a sleeveless tee with tee fabric
If you want to use the fabric from the sleeve to finish the armhole edges, this is the method to use. This only works if the tee has spandex in the blend. The jersey fabric needs spandex to make it stretchy enough and have a good recovery.
Cut the sleeves off. Cut through the t-shirt so that you remove the seam allowance and the sleeves.
Cut the sleeves into a 1.5 inch or 2 inch strip at the widest section of the sleeve. If you do 1.5 inch you can get a longer strip. If you do a 2 inch strip you will get a shorter strip.
*You’ll need a strip that is .8 the length of the armhole circumference.
Fold the strip in half matching the short ends right sides together. Sew the seam with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Do the same to the other strip.
Fold the tube lengthwise with wrong sides together and matching the raw edges together. Divide the tube into four sections. Divide the armhole into four sections.
Match up each section of the tube and armhole and pin them together. Pin between each pin. You’ll have to stretch the tube to match the armhole.
Sew the tube to the armhole with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Use a zigzag stitch or a serger. Stretch the tube to fit the armhole as you sew.
Fold the band to the outside. Press the seam allowance towards the body. You finished!
*These bands turned out to be too tight. I should have cut a little more of the sleeve to add a little more length to the band. The sleeveless tee looks okay when I wear it because the bands stretch to fit, but next time I will make them longer. It’s really important to measure the armhole to get the right length!
Other Examples
This is a double knit with spandex. I cut the sleeve off and used the width of the sleeve for the armhole just like the method I showed.
This fabric and sleeve band length was perfect. I love how it looks and how it fits!
This is a merino wool jersey t-shirt that I made several years ago. I wasn’t wearing it as is, so I wanted to see if I would wear it if it was sleeveless. Since this fabric has less stretch and recovery, I cut extra length from the sleeve to make the band longer.
I really like how this one looks, but I actually made the band a little too long and the band gaps around my shoulders. This one will be worth fixing because the fabric looks as new as the day I got it. It’ll last me forever!
If you make something using this sewing project, I’d love to see! Please share it on social media with the hashtag #heatherhandmade and tag me!
I believe small sewing moments can create great joy. Find your own “right” way to sew. -Heather