Plenty of Excess
There are some clothing items I will never buy brand-new again: plaid shirts, basic solid-colored tank tops, and jean skirts. This is to say, I am confident that I will always be able to find these items in a thrift store because there is such an excess supply of them in good condition and they for such a low price that thrifting will always be the best way to buy them. However, my favorite thrift-store find of all is (drumroll, please) fabric! Almost all clothes are made from fabric, and there are all types of fabric in a thrift store! The only thing missing between you and any clothing you want is your ability to sew it yourself!
I understand that most people don’t have the time or the sewing knowledge to make any of their clothes, but one simple piece can be made by anyone and is a great way to start sewing clothes: the tube top!
What could be simpler than sewing a tube? Not much! That’s why this is a great first project and can be easily customized to your taste.
I made my first DIY tube top the night of the event I was supposed to wear it to. I had found a big shapeless tank top in stretchy gold fabric for six dollars and decided to buy the top with no plan of how I was going to wear it! Since I was running low on time, I made the easiest thing I could think of.
The process
Since making this tube top, I have made two more tops for a friend. I start by cutting the top horizontally under the arm openings.
Then, I flip the bottom part of the top inside out and marked the sides with chalk to match my own measurements. If I’m being honest, I completely eyeball it, making it a bit narrower at the waist and wider toward the top and bottom. I sewed along both seams, cut the excess fabric off, and I had a tube top! I used the bottom hem of the tank top as the top of my tube top.
Basic but Versatile
There are definitely ways to improve this minimal design. Whether you want to make it double-lined, add stitching detail, or make a drawstring bow for functionality, the tube top is easily customizable! It can look great in its most simple form, but getting creative and trying other sewing techniques is easy to incorporate into the design! Once you realize how easy it is to make a tube top, the only limit is your imagination and maybe how much thrifted fabric you can carry home.
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