Two Ways To Turn Your Old Tees And Tanks Into Studded Masterpieces

In this installment of Craft Wars, two expert DIY-ers give plain, boring tops a facelift with some simple studs.

It doesn’t take much to make a plain shirt eye-catching — just strategically bedazzle it with some shiny studs, like these two fabulous fashion bloggers.

First up, Virginie from Style Reload transforms a simple blank tank into a modern racerback

Here’s what she did.

Gather your supplies. You’ll need a tank top, scissors, three large beads (the beads shown were from an old bracelet, but any similar beads will do), a piece of fabric in the same color as your tank (it should be about 5” long and 6” wide, or the width necessary to accommodate your beads), and thread that matches the color of your fabric and tank.

Start sewing the beads. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise so it’s about 3” wide, and thread through your first bead. Begin adding he beads to the fabric, centering them in the middle of the folded fabric, and stitching through both layers of the fold.

Continue adding beads. Sew all three beads through the folded fabric in the same manner.

Add the studded fabric to your tank top. Gather the two straps of your tank top at the back, and wrap the beaded fabric around the straps so they are snuggly enveloped. You may need to trim to your studded fabric to make it tighter. Sew through the overlapping areas of the beaded fabric to make a secure enclosure.

And you’re done! A simple but stylish tank top for day or night.

Next up, Alicia from Whimseybox upgrades a white tee with gold dome studs.

Here’s how she did it.

Collect your materials. All you’ll need is a basic white t-shirt (try to find one with a few interesting seam details that you can highlight with the studs; the one shown has a subtle epaulet), 5/6” gold dome studs, pliers, and an X-ACTO knife if your t-shirt material is on the thicker side.

Start studding along the back neckline. Starting here and working outwards will keep your design evenly spaced across the shirt. For a thin knit shirt you can gently push the studs through without any cutting. Thicker materials may require you to make a small slit with an X-ACTO knife before inserting the stud. After you’ve poked the prongs through, use a pair of pliers to press them securely closed.

Continue adding studs along the shirt seams. For the shirt sewn, the epaulets were outlined. Be sure to place the studs very closely to one another.

Take a look at the inside of your shirt. The prongs should be lying very flat, as shown.

Once you’ve outlined all the desired seams, you’re finished! You now have a cute summer shirt with a bit of edge.

Pippa Armbrester is a quilt maker and designer. Follow her adventures in quilting and life on her website.