DIY Crop Top: How To Crop a Shirt

By ShirtSpace | Jan 31, 2024 |  Updated Jun 25, 2024

Shirt too long? You’ve come to the right place to learn how to crop a shirt, so it’s just the right length! Crop tops, a historically popular cut of t-shirt, has come back full-force! Perfect for those who want to show a bit of midriff or for high-waisted bottoms lovers who want their outfit to have the proper proportions. Yes, you can buy a t-shirt that is already a crop top style cut, but you can also turn an already existing t-shirt into a crop top, too.

Hero image credit: SAULO LEITE from Pexels

Image Credit: Ben Weber

DIY Crop Top: How To Crop a Shirt

DIY crop tops are great because you have the option to make it any length that you desire. If you choose an oversized, boxy tee to crop, you will have a roomier and more loose fit. Select a fitted tee for a “baby tee” style crop top. Read more to learn how to crop a t-shirt and other handy tricks for the best results. 

The Crop Top Craze: Unleashing Your Inner Designer

Crop tops are so popular that it’s sometimes hard to find a shirt that is not cropped in some young women’s retail stores right now. They are usually oversized or cropped – and no in-between. This may leave you wanting to repurpose your old standard tees into something more fashionable for this time. Teens and young women are the most common wearers of cropped tees. However, anyone can wear a cropped tee or sweatshirt. If you are concerned about your midsection being exposed, high-waisted pants or a skirt paired with a bit longer and boxier crop top will provide the coverage desired and give you that crop top look.

Prepping for the Perfect Crop: What You’ll Need

You will need more than just a shirt and a pair of scissors to set yourself up for success when cropping a shirt yourself. Be sure to gather these items before you start the project:

Materials:

1. A Shirt: Choose a shirt that you don’t mind transforming, since it will be forever changed.

2. Sharp Fabric Scissors: Normal scissors will not cut very well through the fabric. You will have a hard time cutting, and if you are successful, you might experience fraying or a rough-looking edge

3. Ruler or Measuring Tape: This will be essential to ensure that you are cutting a straight bottom hem. 

4. Chalk or Fabric Marker: Chalk or a washable fabric marker is best so that there are no permanent marks left on the fabric

5. Pins: These are used to pin the shirt in place to prevent shifting while cutting

6. Hand-Held Iron (optional): Smooth out any wrinkles and give the shirt a polished finish. 

The Classic Snip: Basic Steps to Crop a Shirt

Image Credit: Jo Szczepanska

Once you have all of your materials gathered, you can begin the process of transforming your regular t-shirt into a cropped t-shirt. Follow these steps to make it happen:

Step 1: Choosing the Right Shirt

You might already have a shirt in mind that’s been hanging out in your closet, or you may want to look for a t-shirt before turning it into a crop top. The more oversized the shirt, the more casual the look. Cotton tees and cotton/poly blends tend to work best since stretchy, synthetic materials like polyester and spandex can be hard to cut and tend to fray unless you are using high-quality pinking shears, which reduce fraying. But this will leave the edge of your fabric looking like a zigzag pattern, rather than a straight line. A great fabric to cut without fraying is modal.

Another thing to keep in mind is that jersey knit fabrics are susceptible to rolling. If you don’t mind the bottom hem rolling, then just be sure to accommodate for rolling when you cut your desired length. If you don’t like rolling, then you can sometimes get rid of the roll by ironing or putting it in a heat press, but this is not guaranteed. Another way to avoid rolling is to just avoid cutting jersey knit fabrics altogether. We have alternative methods of cropping a shirt (without cutting) a little later in this blog. 

Step 2: Measure & Mark Your Lines

Tracing the edge of a ruler straight across always works, but you may still end up with a crooked line and the bottom hem of your shirt. This is why it’s best to make sure the distance from each shoulder down to the line where you plan to cut is the same on both sides. This will ensure a straight bottom hem. Remember that you can always remove more fabric, but you can’t put it back on, so, be conservative with your cuts. We recommend drawing a dashed line where you would like to cut, since it’s still easy to follow, but is easier to wash off than a fully drawn line. Plus, if you make a mistake, it’s easier to correct. 

Step 3: Pin Shirt in Place

You can pin the shirt in place, place something very heavy on one end, or clip it in place. You can also use strong tape (such as duct tape) to keep the garment in place. You can secure each end if you would like, for extra stability while cutting. 

Step 4: Cut Along the Markings

Image Credit: sonersimsek from Getty Images

Using sharp fabric scissors is the best way to get a crisp, clean and even cut. Work somewhat slowly so that you can be extra mindful of your cutting. Once your cut is made, you can remove whatever pins, clips or heavy items you had been using.

Step 5 (optional): Iron 

Lay your shirt out on a flat surface, such as an ironing board or a tabletop. You might want to use a towel under the shirt to protect the surface. You can usually achieve similar results by throwing your design into the machine dryer for a few minutes on a warm heat setting. If you are dealing with rolling, we recommend trying to iron your shirt. 

Other Creative Ways to Crop a Shirt

There are other ways to crop a shirt, beyond the most obvious way of cutting length off the bottom of the garment. We love these methods because they require no sewing or cutting of any kind. Rather than permanently altering the tee, these are ways to style the shirt in a cropped fashion, leaving the ability to manipulate the shirt back to its original version after it is unfastened.

Tie in a Knot

Image Credit: Justin Essah

This is one of the most classic ways to shorten a shirt, a trick many of us learned as kids. While wearing the shirt, grab as much fabric from the bottom front and twist it. Take your twisted fabric and tie into a knot. This can be done on the back, front or side of the shirt, but it is most commonly used to style the front.

Tie with an Elastic Hair Tie

If your shirt is not long enough to provide enough fabric to twist and tie, then using an elastic hair tie might be a better option. Or you might just prefer the look, compared to knotting. Either way, this is also a method that can be used on the front or back of the shirt. You can use the hair tie to tie a knotted up piece, or you create a “t-shirt ponytail” and then tuck the “ponytail” up into the body of the shirt, so that you cannot see it hanging loose. This creates a gathered effect at the bottom hem and will make for a fitted crop top. 

Tucking into a Camisole, Bandeau or Tight Sport’s Bra

Image Credit: Brian Lawson

This method is similar to the tucking method mentioned with the hair tie, except you tuck the shirt into a bra or camisole. The trick is to wear a sports bra or flexible athletic-style cropped tank. The stretchy material will hold the excess fabric in place when aiming to achieve a cropped look. Plus, this method is versatile since you can tuck the extra fabric into the front or back of the shirt. 

With a String

Wrap string (a shoelace works great!) around the midsection and tie the ends together in a bow. Then pull your shirt up, creating a pocket of fabric, until the ends are not visible anymore. The shortened shirt will fold over the string, creating the perfect length. 

And, of course, don’t forget, another piece of clothing that looks great cropped is a sweatshirt. Crop a hoodie, crewneck or quarter-zip for the perfect cropped sweatshirt! 

Through Your Belt Loops

Another no-sew way to turn your top into a crop is to take an oversized tee, twist two pieces of fabric with each hand and feed the fabric through a front belt loop, towards the zipper. Then tuck the ends into the top edge of your pants. Pull the body of the shirt down for the perfect cropped length. 

Styling Your Crop Top Masterpiece

When it comes to piecing together an outfit, there are many ways that you can style a crop top. Our number one piece of advice? Get creative with your crops! 

Layered Crop Tops

Layer two crop tops to create a unique look. Choose two different colors for some intentional color blocking. Contrasting colors really make a statement! You can also experiment with layering different crop top cuts. Wear a form-fitting crop top as the first layer and then wear a looser crop top over. Or layer a short-sleeve cropped tee over a long-sleeve one when it’s a bit chillier outside. We also love the idea of a crop top layered over a hooded long-sleeve. The possibilities are endless when it comes to crop top combinations. 

Crop and Then Cut Fringe

You don’t have to leave a cropped shirt plain. Consider a fun hemline by cutting small strips (going a few inches up) along the bottom hemline of the shirt to create a unique, Bohemian fringe look. You can even put beads on these pieces of fringe and then tie a knot, or skip the beads and just knot the pieces. This style is great for music festivals and concerts or even sports games where you want to show your team spirit with a fun and festive outfit! 

Off-the-Shoulder Crop Top

Another way to make a crop top your own is to cut the neckline. Create a wide neck or off-the-shoulder crop top by cutting the neckline. Off-the-shoulder crop tops look great layered with sports bras or bralettes. Think Jazzercise class, gym shirt, or outdoor summer concert wear. Check out our blog on t-shirt neckline cutting ideas for more ideas on how to make a crop top an off-the-shoulder style. 

Laced Up Crop Tops

Cut a line vertically along the sides, front or back, and then create holes to lace up your string or ribbon. You can also cut mini fringe pieces and tie them together to create a seam, similar to how you would make a no-sew fleece blanket. These methods create an edgy look that is perfect for any rock show or fashion event. They are also great options if you want to make a shirt more form-fitted. 

Caring For and Maintaining Your DIY Crop Top

When it comes to washing and drying your new crop top, be sure to follow laundry best practices. Be especially diligent if your shirt is made from natural fibers like cotton, silk or linen. You will not need to worry about synthetics like spandex or polyester shrinking, but still look out for cotton/poly blends. To prevent shrinkage, be sure to wash using no heat and air dry. To stop pilling, turn your shirt inside out, and wash with non-abrasive items. And to avoid fading or dinginess, wash with like colors. Follow laundry care symbols from your garment’s tag. When you aren’t wearing your crop top, store in a clean, dry area – such as hanging in a closet or folded neatly and kept in a drawer. You might even consider storing it in a garment bag to protect from dust.

Image Credit: Mike Von

Now Crop Away! 

When it comes to fashion, crop tops are a cut above the rest! But you already knew that! Now that you know how to crop a shirt – stop, crop and roll! That is, you should get on a roll making all of your shirts and crop tops! If you want to expand your crop top collection but prefer to purchase them already cropped – check out our selection of cropped tees, sweatshirts, and tank tops today! Thanks for reading, and tell us your favorite crop top hack in the comments!

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