How to Make Your Own No Sew Punk Tee Shirt Skirt

A tee shirt is a close fitting casual pullover shirt, made of a soft, knit jersey type material. Jersey doesn't ravel, but instead, tends to self hem by curling upwards. This quality makes them ideal for all sorts of no sew projects, including punk style shirts and skirts. Punk shirts and skirts are fun and fashionable to wear, and can add a little variety to any teenager's wardrobe.

Materials needed

To make the illustrated skirt, all that is required is a sharp scissors, an old tee shirt, an old shoelace, and an ice pick or hole punch.

Deconstructing the tee shirt

Cutting the tee shirt apart is probably the most difficult step. Refer to picture #2 for cutting guidelines.

1. Lay the tee shirt flat on the cutting surface, with arms extending at a 90 degree angle away from the torso.

2. Make the first cutting mark directly beneath the left arm. Cut horizontally in a straight line, ending up beneath the the right arm.

3. Throw the top half of the shirt into the rag bag.

4. Turn the lower half of the shirt around so that the raw part now faces you. Cut a series of fringes along this edge. The length and width of the fringes are up to you!

5. After the fabric has been cut, take 15 minutes to curl the fringes. This is done by dipping the fabric in warm water, wringing out the water, then tossing in the dryer for 10 minutes. The fringes will then curl into a tube like shape.

Reconstructing the shirt into a skirt

Once the fabric has dried, the next step will be to create a waistband.

Locate the old shirt hem on the skirt; it will be on the opposite side of the fabric from the fringes. This is what is called a "cased hem". This hem is really a tiny 3/8" pocket that runs around the entire edge of the shirt.

Use the ice pick or hole punch to make a hole in the exact center of the casing. The hole should be on the front side of the shirt.

Thread the shoe lace into the hole and through the casing. To thread the shoelace, simply push it through the casing, gathering up fabric as you go. As you work your way around the casing, keep bunching up the fabric to create an evenly distributed drawstring waistband. Eventually, the shoelace tip will come around to the front of the shirt again, and pulled outside of the hole. (Refer to picture #3 for placement).

Try the skirt on for size, adjust the shoe lace tie by pulling until the skirt fits snugly around the waist. Tie a square knot to keep the shoelace from disappearing down the casing.

Variations

My daughter liked the look of the skirt over a pair of black shorts. For a different look, cut the fringes deeper and further apart, and wear over a tight skirt in a contrasting color. For a more practical summer skirt, don't fringe the garment at all, and just let it self hem.

Don't stop with a tee shirt! Old sweat shirts can also be made into terrific casual skirts.