Every time I look in my babe’s closet lately I have this urge within me to run straight to the cutest baby store and buy her some cute, over-priced t-shirts. She has a ton of winter shirts that still fit her but that are way too warm now for everyday wearing. So I take this consumerist urge and turn it into a sewing project!

Below, you’ll find my first ever tutorial of how to turn a long-sleeved shirt into a short-sleeved, making your favorite winter shirt into your favorite spring shirt. Hopefully, this will be easy to understand and read – I welcome any feedback!

Tools Needed:

• Sewing Machine
• Long-Sleeved Shirt
• Short-Sleeved Shirt
• Fabric Pen
• Pins
• Needle & Thread

Directions:

1. Pick out a long-sleeved shirt that your baby is still able to wear, but that would look good as a spring t-shirt.
2. Pick out a different t-shirt. This shirt should have sleeves at a length that you want the long-sleeved shirt to have.
3. Place the short-sleeved shirt on top of the long-sleeved shirt.
4. Using a fabric pen, draw a line on the sleeves of the long-sleeved shirt. Use the short-sleeved shirt as a guide for where you’d like the “new” shirt’s sleeves to be. Make sure to add an inch of extra sleeve to the length. You will need the extra fabric for hemming the sleeves.
5. Cut the sleeves where you drew the line. Discard extra fabric.
6. Turn shirt inside out. Fold half an inch of the sleeves two times. Pin the folded fabric with pins so that the fabric doesn’t fall out of place.
7. Place one sleeve under the machine and slowly start the machine. Sew about half an inch away from the sleeve edge.
8. Pull the back of the sleeve away from the machine. Work carefully to not sew the opposite side of the sleeve at the same time.
9. Repeat with the second sleeve.
10. Iron the edges of the sleeves for a cleaner sleeve line.
11. For a less complicated, but more lengthy way of hemming the sleeves, you can also hand sew the sleeves.