DIY: T-Shirt Makeover

I’ve almost finished putting together my wardrobe for fall but…I have been severely disappointed in the lack of cute, affordable tops. Apart from a couple blouses, it’s been really hard to find anything that’s suitable to wear under a blazer for school or pair with a skirt. So yesterday in the bookstore, I stumbled upon a couple of the many, many books on the recreation of the t-shirt. See here and here for examples. I admire the creativity and diversity of the craft but sometimes I think these t-shirts end up looking a little unfinished. After skimming through a couple project books, I decided to take an idea for sleeves I found and add some of my own ideas to a shirt.

I went to the local Goodwill and picked up four t-shirts in my size and then moseyed around the craft stores looking for embellishments and trim. I came up with a concept for each shirt. Today, I’m sharing the first one. I think it turned out pretty okay considering I’ve never done something like this before and I’ll definitely get a chance to wear it.

The shirt is a light pink from J. Crew in my size that I scored for $3.49. Total steal.

BEFORE

AFTER

I stole this idea directly from one of the books (who stole it from Blondie’s lead singer, Debbie Harry).

The fashion zipper is from the fabric store.

If you unzip it, it reads, “Here I love you” from one of my favorite poems by Pablo Neruda. One of my favorite passages goes like this…

This is a port.

Here I love you.
Here I love you and the horizon hides you in vain.
I love you still among these cold things.
Sometimes my kisses go on those heavy vessels
that cross the sea towards no arrival.

(excerpt, Pablo Neruda)

What about you? What kinds of DIY projects are you working on lately? Does anyone have a t-shirt they’ve modified?

love, elizabeth

PS: I’m making stuffed mushrooms for a party tonight. I got the recipe from Ashley over here. I’ll let you know how they turn out!