Another DIY Tee Shirt Poncho & Spread The Kindness Link Up On the Edge #808
Last week, I shared my first DIY tee shirt poncho that I created from one of Archie’s old Fireside Collective tee shirts and two very old tie dye wrap skirts. It turned out so wonderful that I immediately set about to making a second one.
Before I get to the details of this tee shirt poncho, I must mention how very simple this project is. It requires just a few cuts with the scissors and the ability to sew a few straight hems. Honestly, the hems don’t even have to be all that straight to complete this DIY poncho. I can’t sew a straight line to save my life but you can’t tell so I shouldn’t tell!
There are lots of easy to follow YouTube tutorials available for this upcycle project if you are interested in making a tee shirt poncho for yourself. I used these two videos: How I turned my Pink Floyd T-Shirt and a Thrifted Scarf into a Cool Homemade Poncho! by Anna’s Kitchen & Stichin and SEWING: Upcycled Boho T-Shirt Poncho EASY! by Yarn & Yards.
Both tutorials guide you through a simple step-by-step process and offer some alternative ideas for the sleeves. You can definitely create one of these unique pieces using an old beloved tee shirt that isn’t quite wearable anymore but you want to give it new life and just about anything at all for the sleeves.
The tutorials used scarves for the sleeves. As I mentioned previously, I used wrap skirts for the sleeves of my first tee shirt poncho.
For this poncho, I created the sleeves from a gorgeous yellow sari that I picked up a while ago on a thrifting adventure for $6.99. If you are unfamiliar with saris, they are traditional women’s garments from the Indian subcontinent that consist of long unstitched swaths of woven fabric. They come in an extensive variety of colors and patterns and often are ornamented with beautiful borders, stunning embroidery, and detailed appliqués. Most saris measure about 5.5 to 6 yards (5 to 5.5 meters) in length and 44 to 48 inches (1.1 to 1.2 meters) in width. So for the $6.99 price tag, I got a lot of fabric! I used about half of the sari to make the poncho sleeves, leaving me with enough fabric for another project.
I started this poncho with an old Grateful Dead tee shirt that was in my upcycle bin. I think it belonged to Jeff and ended up in the bin because the graphic was really off center and it made the shirt look slightly twisted. I was able to even it out when I cut off the sides of the tee shirt. The colors in the graphic coordinated so perfectly with the colors in the sari that it was like a match made in boho heaven.
To create the sleeves for this tee shirt poncho, I laid the whole sari out on the floor and cut two long strips about 22 inches (55.9.cm) wide, making sure that both sides included the beautiful multicolored border. The fabric is delicate and slippery with heavy ornamental peacock and medallion appliqués which made it a little difficult to work with. I tried not to cut through any of the appliqués but I did have to sew through some of them which challenged me and my machine. But my machine and I won that battle because look at how beautiful this poncho turned out!
Because the tee shirt sides were removed and the sari fabric is slightly sheer, I layered the poncho over an old burgundy maxi sundress for modesty purposes. However, if I am feeling sassy on a warm enough day, I can definitely wear it over a bralette which would reveal some skin underneath the sheer parts. Layering it over a dress required much less sartorial thinking and I really loved the whole hippie vibe that it created.
Because this tee shirt poncho makes quite the statement all on its own, it didn’t require much more styling effort other than my navy blue cowgirl hat, big dangly burgundy feather earrings, and a pile of necklaces including some old favorites and some newly thrifted ones.
I completed the outfit with my other pair of Salt Water Sandals, the Sun-San Crosswind in Claret. Salt Water Sandals are constructed from high quality leather that was designed to get wet. Most leather footwear companies discourage you from getting your shoes wet without first adding a leather protectant to waterproof your shoes. However, when you get Salt Water Sandal leather wet, it helps mold the shoes to your feet creating a comfortable custom fit. Because they are designed for water, you can wear these sandals into the ocean or in a pool or anywhere your feet might get wet without concern for damaging the structure of the shoes.
I generally wear a 41 in European sizing which converts to either a 10 (40-41) or an 11 (41-42) in Salt Water Sandals so I sized up to the 11. However, the size 11 does feel a bit wide on my feet. The black Sun-San Margery sandals that I shared last week have a double buckle which I was able to tighten for a more secure fit. The Sun-San Crosswind does not have that feature so I definitely need to get these wet so they form to my feet for a better fit. I just haven’t had the opportunity yet to get them wet because it hasn’t been warm enough to walk around in damp shoes.
I absolutely loved how well the claret color and the criss cross slide vibed with this very boho outfit.
I can’t wait to wear this new tee shirt poncho out into the world because it really is quite a show stopper piece, don’t you think?
Featured Favorites
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and, if you live in the U.S, I also wish you a meaningful Memorial Day!
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
26 Comments
Amy Johnson
Thanks for the party!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Have a great weekend, Amy!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jill
What a cool poncho! I love the colors! Thank you so much for the feature! Enjoy the long weekend!
Jill – Doused in Pink
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jill! I hope you have a lovely weekend as well!
xoxo
Shelbee
Gail is This Mutton
A fantastic Shelbee outfit. Captures your individuality, creativity and energy. Have a good weekend!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aww, thanks so much, Gail! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Sally in St Paul
The oversized drapey boho nature of the garment makes this project a nice one to get started with, even as a beginner sewist, I think. The result looks fabulous!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Sally! It definitely hides any small sewing errors, for sure. And that is perfect for me! Have a lovely weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Di
Your pancho project turned out beautifully! The ornate detail on the sari is fantastic. This easy project makes me want to get my sewing machine out of storage and get busy on some projects, I used to enjoy sewing a lot. Thanks for sharing and hosting the link up. Hope you have a great memorial day holiday weekend!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you so much, Di! I am trying to get braver with my machine and try some more complicated things but right now I am enjoying the easy projects. They are great for helping to hone my skills. If you are inspired, you should definitely get that sewing machine out then! Have a lovely weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
Another fabulous transformation! I have been staring a sewing project in the face for nearly a month now and just have not make myself sit down and do it. I wear a lot of off the shoulder tops in spring/summer and it drives me nuts that they don’t stay in place… well I ordered one top that has a tiny elastic that goes under the arm keeping the off the shoulders firmly in place and I ordered some elastic to do that to ALL my OTS tops. I know I’ll love them and get so much more wear out of them but I really must motivate myself to dig out my sewing machine and just get it done. Of course when Alec’s pants needed an adjustment at the hem I did it all that very day he asked!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Joanne! Oh my gosh, I am the same way…if the kids or husband need something mended, I do it immediately. But then my creative projects just get stalled and procrastinated. I got really creatively inspired a few weeks ago and made two ponchos, a dress, and a duster in two days. Then I started a bathroom renovation which took all of my time. I am almost finished with it and will share my updated bathroom soon. I am so pleased with it! I love your idea for fixing your off the shoulder tops. I wear bralettes and the straps always loosen throughout the day. I had one strap break and when I stitched it back together, I did it so the straps don’t loosen and it is so convenient. I have been wanting to do it to all of my bralettes but I never get around to it and then I fuss around with my straps all day. I hope you get inspired enough to fix your shirts and I hope you also have a lovely holiday weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
nicole orriens
Your poncho looks great. I’m so impressed you made that yourself. I wish I could do that. I goes very well with your skirt and I love the shoes!
And thank you so much for featuring my post about sock psychology! You made my day : )))
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Nicole! This was so easy to make if you have a sewing machine and a pair of scissors! I really enjoyed your sock psychology post.
xoxo
Shelbee
Laura Bambrick
What a creative idea! I never would have thought to turn a tee shirt into a poncho, but it came out so cute and unique. I also love the message behind it. Kindness is always in style. Your DIY projects are always so fun and inspiring!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my goodness, thanks so much, Laura! I have been having so much fun getting creative with my upcycling projects! I hope you have a lovely holiday weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Melody Jacob
I honestly love how creative this project is because it turns pieces that might have been forgotten into something completely unique and full of personality. The combination of the Grateful Dead shirt with the sari fabric works surprisingly well and gives the poncho such a rich bohemian feel without looking overdone. I also appreciate that you explain the process in a realistic way because it encourages people to try upcycling without feeling intimidated by perfection. The styling with the maxi dress, layered jewellery, and hat pulls everything together so naturally. I recently shared a new post on my blog too and would love for you to stop by and read it http://www.melodyjacob.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Melody, thank you so much! I am so glad that my explanation helps to make some feel less intimidated by upcycling because I was definitely a person who used to be intimidated by the very projects that I am sharing now! I have always loved unique clothing so learning how to do it myself was a really important skill for me. I need to keep practicing but that’s all part of the fun I think! I hope you have a lovely week ahead!
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
I know you said this was easy, but it surely looks complicated to me. I do love those glorious sleeves mixed with your sundress. I kinda think the tee takes a backstage to the rest of the outfit! I just love the way you tie knots in the bottoms of your skirts. It’s such a fun and easy way to create interest. Those sandals look like they will be perfect this summer. I think they would be extra cute with some woolen socks in a cool pattern when the winter gets colder! Thanks for the link up, my friend!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aww, thanks so much, Marsha! This sundress is a little bit big and too long on me so I have to tie the skirt up or I’ll be tripping all over myself! I love the idea of adding socks with these sandals. That will definitely help with them feeling too loose. And this really was a super easy project! I’m gonna make more!
xoxo
Shelbee
Amy Scott
Those sell for so much at art festivals! Wow! You are concert/festival/whatever ready and you look so good!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aww, thanks so much, Amy! I have only ever seen these online, never in real life at a festival or anything. I would probably still buy one from someone else if I liked it! But they are super easy to make yourself, too.
xoxo
Shelbee
mireille
What a great upcycling project! I love it! I really like the fun sleeves and you are right, the tee and the sari look like they were made for each other.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Mireille! I could totally see you rocking one of these tee shirt ponchos! They are really easy to make. I don’t know if you sew, but if you do, I think you need to make yourself one of these!
xoxo
Shelbee
Sim @ Sim's Life
That poncho is fabulous and what a great way to upcycle a sari, it’s beautiful! Totally unique too, I love that! Sim x #SpreadTheKindess
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Sim! I love coming up with creative upcycling ideas. I absolutely hate throwing things away!
xoxo
Shelbee