how to repurpose an enormous men's polo::

{idea originally from this blog, but this version is for beginners}

some kind soul donated this XL polo to my local goodwill...

i'm thinking he may have grown out of it.

either way, we're going to turn it into a fashion statement!

yay!

first, i cut off the collar, & unpicked what was left.

{unpicking is when you remove the original stitch}

this split the "collar" (or what was left) into two flaps, which i used later.

the next step is to cut off the sleeves.

using an existing shirt that fits me, i lined up where to snip.

{make sure you move the cut out about 1/2 inch to leave room for the sewing}

when cutting, i followed the original stitch line.

i cut down the polo about 3/4 inches away from the line of the existing shirt.

then to make life easier, i folded the shirt in half & followed my own cutting lines

on the other side.

{DON'T throw the extra material away! you'll need it later}

then i flipped the "shirt" {more like a smock now}

inside out & matched up the edges. i sewed all the way up to the armpit on both sides.

now for the sleeves. using the sleeve of my yellow shirt, i lined it up & 

drew lines to follow along when i cut.

but then i decided i wanted the sleeves to be short, so i simply cut

horizontally. where to cut depends on how long you want the sleeve.

this is what mine looked like:

i folded over & sewed the bottom so it won't fray.

now we need to sew the sleeves on.

this part is tricky, so take your time.

{make sure everything is still inside out!!}

i started from the bottom & made my way up to the top, alternating sides

in case the sleeve size didn't match the size of the arm hole.

ta-da! i made a shirt! but i wasn't done yet!

using the extra material from the sides, i created this piece of fabric about

 3 or 4 inches wide & about 2 feet long.

i sewed it up so it resembled a tube, & i flipped it inside out & ironed it flat.

finally, i carefully & evenly sewed one edge of this tube

INTO the split neck from before. once it's done, it'll look like this!

simply sew up the ends & tie into a bow!

feel free to ask any questions!

xoxo