how to 'shrink' a t-shirt for kids

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Bee and Lou received these rather large t-shirts when we signed up for the colon screening for life 5K. They were youth mediums and my little people are a small 3T and a small 5T. I'm not crazy about big baggy t-shirts. I've fixed some of Bee's over sized shirts with elastic or ribbon, but that wouldn't work for Lou.

I decided to fix it. Here's how you can too.

1. You need to cut off the old sleeves. Use a correct fitting shirt to guide you as to where to cut the new sleeve line. Allow some room for the seam allowance.

2. Trim off the old sleeve itself. Use the old shirt as a guide if you need. Take off some length from the side you have already cut (not the hemmed edge). Also, you need to shorten it. Cut off some length from the bottom of the sleeve (see arrow). It should be cut open so the sleeve is no longer a tube but is open.


3. Cut open the sides of the shirt. The only thing keeping the front and back of the shirt together now is the top of the shoulder.


4. Open up the shirt and open up the sleeve. Look a the inside of both now. Pin these two together. (technically the right sides are together.)

5. Sew this line. Repeat on other side.


6. Fold the shirt so that the sides of the sleeves and sides of the shirt match up. Make sure the corner of the armpit matches up. You are still working with the shirt inside out. Pin and sew. Repeat on other side.

7. trim off the length of your shirt to the appropriate length. Fold under the edge about 1 inch. Sew around bottom of shirt making a new hem.

8. Let your little people enjoy their appropriate sized shirts.