My “Chique” Fringe Tee

This seems to be the summer of “doing” as in DIY “doing”. Some of you may know from here, I am crazy for reverse tie dye and dip dying, but my latest phase is inspired by my sister Heidi’s love of Free People fringe. She has been cutting and shredding stuff for my niece, Petra, and since I don’t have a daughter to fringe for, I decided to make a few shirts for myself! In fact, as I started ripping and tearing, all the memories came flooding back. Along with my crafty Mom’s guidance, Heidi & I were quite good at transforming a simple white tee into a piece of art. At least we thought so, back in the 80’s. I will have you know, our talents were not just limited to the “Bedazzler”.

So, to satisfy my need to add a little fringe to my summer wardrobe, I went to Matt’s closet. Well, not exactly his closet. He should be careful what he leaves on the floor as he is now down one white basic tee, but I have gained a trendy fringe top!

What do you think? Pretty boho “Chique” worn with a pair of ruffed up vintage Levi shorts, right? Obviously, my casual, walk the dogs, take the boys to swim practice, look. Not sure it will pass for date night, but I still love it! I also fringed an old H&M white over sized tank that I will use as a beach cover up. Stay tuned for pics of that piece as we head into vacation mode next month! If you are feeling the love, step by step instructions after the pics. What is on your list of DIY “doing” this summer?

DIY Fringe Tee

1 large men’s white t-shirt
A pair of sharp scissors
1 ruler or straight edge

Lay the white tee on a flat surface and first cut off the sleeves by following the seams.  Then cut the neck off from one shoulder to another. Essentially, you are making it into a square. It is better to start with a big tee as the fringe will become the straps so you still need enough fabric to cover your stomach. At least I wasn’t prepared to go old school by baring my midriff! So, once you have cut the arms and neck off, measure from the top about six inches down and start cutting strips. The cuts can be uneven as with time the pieces will roll into themselves. My cuts were about 1 inch apart, but you can make the fringe as wide as you want, personal preference. Cut all the way around except where you want the arm pit. Then determine with which 2 strips on each side should be tied together to make straps. I have 2 pieces of fringe left hanging in the front and back and tied the 3rd ones together to make the straps on each side. Then tie knots on each piece of fringe to finish it off. You could tie wooden beads on the fringe too, which is what I used to do as a kid. Embellish as you see fit, the possibilities are endless! Sorry, I did not take step by step pics as I found myself a little scissor happy before I realized I should have been documenting each stage. Comment with your questions, but have fun and enjoy!