Home » Guest Contributor Lisa » Leather Collar Shirt Refashion…a quick way to update an old shirt!

Leather Collar Shirt Refashion…a quick way to update an old shirt!

January 18, 2016 - By Lisa 7 Comments

Oh you guys, I’m so excited to be adding new contributors this month to Make It and Love It! It really is so fun to share this space with some talented (and super darling) gals, who also love to create! Today’s newest contributor is Lisa from Grey Luster Girl…..and she is incredible at something I also adore —REFASHION! (Once you try it…you’re addicted!) Lisa also shares her favorite recipes, decorating tips, and other fun project ideas! I’m so exited she has decided to share her ideas here with us!

WELCOME LISA! -Ashley

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Hello Make It and Love It friends! My name is Lisa and I blog over at Grey Luster Girl. I really love a good clothing up-cycle. Who doesn’t love to get a new shirt? And what is better than a new shirt? A new shirt that is almost free. If you have a plain old v-neck T-shirt in your closet, then you are one step away from making this easy leather collar shirt refashion.

Leather Collar Shirt Refashion....a quick way to update an old shirt! | via Make It and Love It

If your v-neck shirt has a stain on the collar and you stole it from your husband’s closet, then we may just be refashion soul mates.

What a difference adding that collar made!

First off, the shirt is actually being worn now! Secondly, I got a new shirt for next to nothing. It is a win- win! Maybe not for my husband though. He is out a shirt. At least it was a stained shirt though. So he should be thanking me. I basically helped clear out his closet.

Now you can go help your husband “clear” out their closet too!

Supplies:

A V-neck t-shirt
1/3 yard of Faux Leather Suede Fabric
Basic Sewing Supplies
Wrapping Paper and 2 Pencils

I used a coupon on my Faux leather and since you only need 1/3 yard (or less) this whole shirt refashion only cost about $3. Not bad, not bad at all.

This is an easy t-shirt refashion and it comes together fairly quickly. The hardest part is making the pattern for the faux leather collar. A lot of people get intimidated when they hear that you have to make your own pattern. If you too are thinking that you wouldn’t be able to make your own pattern, let me take your back to your kindergarten days because we start out with an easy little thing called tracing. Simply put your piece of wrapping paper over top of your v-neck t-shirt. With a pencil (or your fingernail as I did) feel the existing collar line and mark it.

Now we are just going to free hand a simple pointed collar shape. You can choose if you want a thicker collar or a thinner collar. I opted for a thinner one and I am glad I did. It seems a little more refined.

Now that your basic pattern is done, you need to add in the seam allowances. This can be done using a neat little trick. Take two pencils and attach them together with a rubber band. Make sure they touch the paper at the same time. Trace over top of your pattern and your seam allowance will come along for the ride.

After you are finished with the front pieces, you can move on to the back piece. We are going to do this the same way as we did with the previous pattern. Feel and trace the outline of the back neck collar and free hand the new collar pattern on to it.

Cut out four pieces of the front collar and two pieces of the back collar out of the faux suede leather.

We need to connect the front and the back pieces. With right sides together, sew the small skinny sides of the front pieces to each side of the back pattern piece. Repeat with the other pieces as well. Now you should have two sewn pieces that look like the picture above.

With right sides together once again, sew your two pattern pieces together along the outer edge. Don’t forget to sew the pointy part as well. Match up your seams as much as possible for a more professional looking end product.

Flip the collar out and poke out the pointy part as much as possible.

Turn your shirt inside out and pin your collar onto your inside out shirt. I ended up cutting the very center part of the v-neck shirt’s old collar’s ribbing off.

Sew the new faux leather collar onto the shirt. Turn your shirt out so that the right side is facing out once again. Your collar should be on the inside of the shirt now as shown above.

Flip the collar out and top stitch the top of it. Bring the front pieces together as close as possible as you top stitch so that there is not a gap in between them.

Congratulations. You just earned yourself a new shirt. Go ahead and wear it with pride.

-Lisa

If you enjoyed this leather collar shirt refashion, swing by Lisa’s blog, Grey Luster Girl and check out her other clothing refashions! You can also follow her on Pinterest, Instagram , Facebook and Twitter.

Refashioning old clothes is such a great way to extend the life out of your favorite pieces. Check out a few more of our favorite refashion tutorials!