How-to: Neckerchief-Style T-Shirt Scarf

Neckerchief T-Shirt Scarf

It’s still sweltering here in Atlanta during the day, but we’ve had some nice cool mornings and evenings lately. Fall is in the air, and this light, cozy t-shirt scarf is just right for those cool-but-not-cold times of day.

I know, t-shirt scarves are kind of old news, but the ones I’ve made have always been that spaghetti-style: lots of skinny pieces of stretched jersey. Those are fun to make and cute, but chances are you’ve seen a thousand of them by now. What I like about this scarf is the chunky pieces of fabric and the faux neckerchief detail. Here’s how to make your own!

Materials

  • reclaimed t-shirt – clean out your dresser, or hit the thrift store to find a shirt that’s the right color for your scarf
  • fabric scissors
  • sewing machine, pins, and thread in a coordinating color – I used a contrasting color, so you could see my stitching, but you’d really want yours to blend

Directions

1. Lay your t-shirt out on a flat surface, and cut the bottom seam off. Set this aside, but don’t discard it. You’ll need it later.

2. Cut your shirt horizontally from armpit to armpit, right under the sleeves. Then, cut the rectangle you just made in half horizontally. When you’re done, it will look like this:

cut t-shirt

3. You’ll be left with two tubes of fabric. Cut one of the shirt’s side seams out of each tube. Most t-shirts will have two side seams, but you only need to cut one open. Once they’re open, stretch the fabric. As you stretch it will start to curl under, which is what you want.

Cut and Stretch T-Shirt Scarf

4. Time to sew! You should now have two long pieces of stretched jersey fabric. Grab your two pieces and lay two of the short sides together, right sides in. Pin and use a wide zig zag stitch to sew your pieces together. Make sure you back stitch on either end, so your stitches will be nice and strong.

Pin and Sew

5. Repeat step 4 with the other unfinished edges of your fabric. When you’re done, you should have a big loop of jersey.

6. Double that loop over, bringing the seams that you just sewed together, then grab that bottom seam of the shirt that you set aside earlier. Slide that bottom seam under your scarf where the two seams meet up. Knot that bottom seam piece around your scarf so that it hides the seams you sewed.

Slip and Tie

That’s it! To wear your t-shirt scarf, you can let it hang low or double it over. In the photo at the top of this post, it’s doubled over to really work that neckerchief look.

The shirt I used, and the one on the mannequin, were extras from this year’s World Domination Summit. My awesome friend Jen Neitzel from The Maven Circle helped organize the event and when they had a bunch of leftover shirts, she was kind enough to send me a few to craft with.

3 thoughts on “How-to: Neckerchief-Style T-Shirt Scarf”

  1. Pingback: DIY Accessoriesa | Crafting a Green World

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