- Plain t-shirt or sweatshirt
- Stretch and thin sequin trim (sold by the yard)
- Scissors
- Permanent Fabric Glue
- Needle & Thread*
- White or Black gel pen
- Ruler
*Match your thread to the color of your sequins.
If you have an old shirt in your wardrobe that doesn’t ever get worn, now’s the time to jazz it up! You can easily create a funky new shirt with only a few materials. You can use embroidery designs for intricate designs or you can use sequins to create a bigger masterpiece. If you’re thinking of writing a fun phrase like “Cheers!” or “Shine On,” begin by measuring your shirt with the ruler. Determine your center and then mark with a small dot where you want to begin and end your phrase.
Now carefully and neatly write the words in the center of the shirt. If you don’t quite trust yourself to write cleanly, just lay your sequin trim down on the shirt WITHOUT the glue. This allows you to carefully adjust your sequins until you have the exact layout you want
Carefully begin to apply your fabric glue on your shirt over your written lettering. Not many people have fabric glue ready to use for any project so you might need to order some online. Take a look at this guide on finding the best fabric glue for patches because trim will work the same way as patches. You’ll want to move slowly, using a small amount of glue at a time and then pressing your sequin trim down on top of the glue to secure it in place.
Now, add an outer layer to your phrase, only slightly overlapping your first layer.
Using your needle and thread, sew down the highest and lowest points of each letter. For capital letters (like our “S” in shine), reinforce the center of the letter and the points where the sequins overlap.
The key to this craft is taking your time. If you apply your glue carefully, you can cover up small mistakes and readjust your lines as you go.
If you’re trying out the chevron sequin design, you’ll need to purchase an inch-wide stretch sequin trim. Choose two or three different colors. Measure your shirt, find your center, and draw a small dot on your shirt. This will mark the center of your first chevron.
2. Cut two 8-inch strips and glue at an angle on your shirt so that the two strips form a slight “V.” Do the same with each color spacing each chevron about 2 inches apart. Slowly begin gluing down your trim, using your glue sparingly.
3. Repeat Step 2 to create a second layer that will slightly overlap your first layer to make thicker chevrons.
4. Now trim the ends so that your chevrons have straight edges. You may find that some of the sequins fall off in the process, but you can clean up the ends by gluing back on individual sequins. Sew down these individual pieces so that they don’t fall off in the wash.
5. Sew down the edges of your chevron and continue down the shape, sewing about every inch or so.
As you go along, you can cover up any imperfections by using leftover sequin trim, cutting small bits, and placing them over the flaws. This may be useful in the center of your chevron where the two points meet.
Shine on, crafters!