How to upcycle a tank to a peplum top

Peplum T-Shirt

I love all the varieties of peplum going on right now. It’s just  . . . I like them on other people. I’ve been a little uncertain how they would look on me. My body is pear shaped so I strictly avoid anything light, shiny and frilly or decorated on my lower half.

You need a T-Shirt and a piece of fabric

Peplums add volume to the hip area and that’s the last thing I want happening. But I have relented and added a peplum to an old T-shirt. And to double up fashion kudos, I also used a bold print fabric in a nod to the wallpaper print trend that’s happening at the moment.

What I also did was make sure the peplum was short, to avoid too much activity below my waistline. Don’t you love that you can modify trends to suit your body shape when you DIY?

Here’s how I made this peplum top.

You need: –

• 1 x T-Shirt
• a piece of fabric at least 1 metre long and 20 centimetres wide
• a needle and contrasting thread
• sewing machine and matching thread

Gather the fabric

Just a few notes.
If you do go for a print, make sure you have enough fabric to cut out the full design.
The longer the fabric, the more volume your peplum will have.
The wider the fabric, the longer your peplum will be.

You do: –

Cut your T-shirt up to just below the waistline. If you want the peplum to sit lower then cut lower. Always, always fit the garment to check how it falls.
Stitch the two ends of your peplum fabric together and hem the edges.
Gather your peplum with a needle and contrasting colour cotton.

Pin gathered fabric to T-Shirt and sew

Pin the peplum to your T-Shirt – right sides facing together.
Sew the peplum to your T-Shirt. Remove the contrasting thread. Put a hem in the peplum and voila! You have a new peplum top.

See how I made another peplum top – here.

Here are a couple of other DIY blogger’s peplum projects – peplum skirt – and – another peplum T-Shirt. 

Visit the Greenie Galleries at the top of this page for more ideas to upcycle and recycle old clothes into newer on-trend items. And don’t forget, you can share your DIY’s on the Greenie facebook page. 

Till next week.

Greenie.