Sew: DIY Functional Exposed Zipper Tee {A 15 Min T-Shirt Makeover}

Oh how I love a 15 min sewing fix! This one came about because I was thinking about layering and staying warm and winter sewing plans. But I’d also been looking at some sweet & retro summer peekaboo tops and some rockabilly styles. Basically, I was looking at Pinterest and calling it sewing research. I fell asleep thinking about it all and when I woke up, I made this! Nothing beats a sewing project that you can finish before breakfast.

Of course, I made it and wore it on the same day because it’s just that easy! What I love about it is that you can later it over another tank or tee and open the zipper for cute pop. Or wear it on its own with the zipper closed or even partly open. This tee is a pretty versatile piece. Not only have I worn it lots, the girls in my family gave already put in their orders

This is such a simple DIY, you really don’t need much. You will need a zipper and if you are going with a metal one, try and find one that’s not to heavy or your top might sit funny when you’re done. Mine was a cheap one from eBay and was nice and light. Of course you’ll need a tshirt too. I had layering in mind, so I went with a plain, black, long sleeve tee.

Start by finding the centre of the tee and laying the zip down the front. Position the zip so that top of the zipper teeth and pull are right at the edge of the neckline, with the excess zipper tape hanging of the edge. When everything is positioned nicely, pin it on to the front of the tee.

With your zipper foot on, use a straight stitch, insert the zipper. You’ll want to sew about halfway between the teeth and the edge of the zipper tape this time. Sew down one side of the zipper, across the zipper tape at the bottom and up the other side of the zipper. Basically, sewing a three sided box around the zipper teeth.

Open the zip to reveal the fabric behind and carefully cut down the center, where the zipper teeth sit. Fold the fabric away from the zipper teeth and pin it down on both sides. Fold the excess zipper to the back and pin that down too.

Now, you need to repeat the sewing around the zipper thing that you did in step one but this time, sewing closer to the edge of the zipper tape. The aim is to catch the folded fabric and also to stop the zipper tape from flapping around. Sew down one side of the zipper, across the bottom and up the other side. Trim your threads and you are good to go!

I can’t believe how easy this is and how much I’ve worn it! I’ve had a couple of requests for super quick and easy sewing projects and I think this hits the spot. Let me know if you want more projects like this. And of course I’d love to see your version of this, so be sure to tag me in on your pics xxxxx