Oh my goodness … the last few days (and by few, I mean like a TON of a few!) have been hectic. I told y’all that I’d pick a winner for the Boo Boo Bags giveaway two weeks ago … shocker! I did not. But I haven’t forgotten!!!!
I’ve been having a blast making dresses from my flash sale a few weeks ago AND >>> I’ve been coming up with a couple of new pieces to offer in my shop AND >>> I’ve been making aprons!
Here is my new Caftan Tunic (also available as a dress and a maxi dress) .. I'll be offering this in lots of different fabric combinations.
Just in case you'd like to see what it looks like on a real live person ... although, I've not had any coffee so I'm not technically "real live" yet! (sorry mom, I keep taking photos of myself without makeup!)
And this is my new Moonview Dress ... available in any color combination - great for those color blocking dreams of yours!
And finally - today's tutorial project : an apron made from a man's XXL button-up shirt. (which was thrifted for $2.50!)
Just like last week’s project, I saw this in a book somewhere … I would LOVE for you to believe that I can look at a shirt and say to myself “hey you, turn this into an apron!” … but I’m a horrible liar! So settle for knowing that I didn’t create this idea, I’ve simply just executed it. Just in case you don’t have a bookstore nearby that’s filled with lots of crafting books to read aimlessly, here’s a tutorial for How To Turn a Man’s Shirt into a Woman’s Apron!
Start by raiding your husband's or your father's side of the closet (or a thrift store) for a size XL or bigger button-up shirt. I got mine for $2.50 at Savers.
To make the bodice of the apron, unbutton the shirt, and cut off the lower half of the shirt. I cut up the righthand side to the armhole, then across to the button holes. (Here is the first of several gratuitous blurry photos! Hey, it's a FREE tutorial!)
Now cut off the rounded part at the bottom so you have a square or a rectangle, whichever shape makes more sense for your apron. NOTE: keep the button hole placket in tact.
You'll end up with something like this.
Now go to the back of the shirt - to make the skirt of the apron: cut up the left side to the armhole, then around the armhole to the upper back, cut across the upper back to the other armhole and straight down. Here you can see half of what you end up with.
Then cut a straight line from armhole to armhole. (Yes, you can skip this step if you're good eyeballing a straighline across.)
I put a couple of small pleats just off the center of the skirt portion, then I sewed the two pieces together.
If you have a serger, you're back side should look like this.
Now, cut yourself a long strip of contrasting/coordinating fabric to become the tie of the apron. Cut it twice the width you desire + seam allowances.
Sew the tube right sides together, then turn right side out and press.
Center the tube on the apron, and carefully sew it along the upper edge of the skirt - all the way across the seam of the bodice and the skirt - and continuing to the other side.
Tuck in the ends of the strip, press and stitch closed.
Form a casing at the top of the bodice to thread ribbon through. Then, duh, thread your ribbon. You're done! Bam!
Here's your cute little homemaker ditty. So fun, huh!?!
I chose to keep the bottom of the shirt in tact, so it's rounded at the bottom and not straight across. Why reinvent the seam!?!
So there you go … an easy repurpose project for cheap. Here’s the breakdown:
Cost: If you have scrap fabric on hand for the tie, then all you’ll pay for is a shirt. Go cheap – you might be tempted to pay $8 for a nicer shirt but DON’T! It’s an apron… the fun of this project is not the fabric but the fact that it used to be a man’s shirt … and now you have that shirt cooking in the kitchen! Ha!
Time: If you are privileged enough to get to do this at one sitting, I think you can easily do this in one hour. (unless you’ve got Parenthood on in the background)
Are you going to make one???
I know, I didn’t forget!!!
The winner of the giveaway for a set of Boo Boo Bags … is …. SUZANNA!
(Now, usually I’ll choose winners at random, but I feel obligated to choose Suzanna because she was able to identify the book that came up with the project! This makes me soooo happy because let’s face it – good people give props to good people. I’m working on being that good people kind of thing!)
Congratulations Suzanna. I’ll get to work on your set of Boo Boo Bags this weekend! Send me your address!
Loved your post!! You are so talented!!
what a wonderful loving thing to do..bless you.
Go- bless and Be blessed..
You look great without make up! Your mom should be proud. Love all your handmade crafts!
This is the first time I have come across your page and thoroughly enjoyed your directions to make an apron from a mans shirt