As a homemaker, one thing I make great use of is an apron. Wearing an apron for daily tasks is extremely functional. It protects your clothes from spills and messes, and can become a hand towel, oven mitt, and even a trash bin if it has a pocket. Wearing an apron can also make you feel a bit more put-together, and sometimes helps me get into ‘work mode’. And while aprons are mostly functional, it’s nice to have a few options of colors and styles. In this post, I’ll show you how to sew an apron from a men’s dress shirt.
Choosing Your Materials
When choosing the shirt to upcycle, most any fabric will work. If you tend to make quite big messes, though, you might consider using a less-absorbent material like linen or a duck-cloth. for every day use, I just use a light-weight fabric shirt. If you have a shirt that someone in your family is throwing out, you can make use of it. Otherwise, I usually find great options at thrift stores.
Any all-purpose polyester or cotton thread will work well for this project. Using coordinating or contrasting thread is up to your preference. I typically like the look of a contrasting top stitch.
How to Sew The Apron
Begin by cutting out all the pieces you’ll need for your apron. For the front panel, You’ll cut out the back of the shirt, fold it in half, measure, and cut for the arm curves.
For the top detail and the tie strap, you’ll cut strips from the front of the shirt.
Sew a rolled hem on the straight sides of the large panel. Fold the button strip over the top edge of the main panel and sew with a straight stitch.
Bind the strips you’ve cut together to make one continuous strap. Press the edges of the strap, then fold in half all the way down its length and press again.
Starting from the center of the strap, folding it over the edges, pin the strap to the top of the apron panel and down the curved edges. Try the apron on to make sure you like how it fits. If not, add or subtract the same amount of strap from both sides to make it sit higher or lower.
Starting from one end of the strap, using a straight stich, begin sewing the open edge of the strap to the apron. Sew all the way to the opposite end of the strap, and do the same on the closed edge of the strap as well. Fold up the raw ends of the strap and sew them in place with a perpendicular straight stitch, going back and forth a few times.
Add Personal Details and Enjoy Your Apron
One of my favorite things about this Apron is that it can be folded and worn as a half-apron as well. I wear mine like this often, and enjoy it just as much!
If you’d like, you could absolutely add details like ruffles along the edges, a strip of lace on the bottom, or a pocket on the front. The beauty of this method is that you can make it your very own with just a few small additions.
The ability to personalize this apron and its simplicity make this piece the perfect gift for all the bakers, cooks, and homemakers in your life.
If you used this tutorial to make your own apron, I’d love to hear how it turned out! You can tag me on facebook or instagram or leave a comment here. And don’t forget to pin this post so you can come back to it later.
Simple Apron From an Old Shirt
Equipment
- 1 Pair of Fabric Scissors
- 1 Sewing Machine
- Pins
- 1 Iron and Board for pressing seams
- 1 measuring Tape
Materials
- 1 Men's Button Down Shirt 1-2 sizes bigger than you'd wear
- Coordinating or Contrasting Thread
Instructions
- Lay your shirt on a flat surface, unbuttoned. with right sides up. Cut out the back panel by following just inside the seams. Fold this panel in half down the middle. At the top of this panel, measure 6 inches from the center, outward, and mark. From this marking, angle your measuring tape to find where the distance to the outer edge is 12 inches. Lightly mark this entire line. In no particular depth, cut along this line, but curving inward slightly to meet both points.From the front panel that does not have a pocket, cut two-inch-wide strips from the bottom to the top, getting as much length as possible. These will vary in length, but we'll be binding them, so it doesn't matter.From the bottom of the button strip, measure up 12 inches and cut, leaving a bit of excess width to attach it later.
- With your front panel, strips, and button strip cut, grab your pins and head to your iron. Create a ¼-inch rolled hem along the two straight sides of the apron. Press and pin.On your button strip, fold in the rough edge of your excess width to make it flush with the buttoned edge when folded in half. Press this edge, and pin the strip to the top of the front panel. The button strip should fold over the front panel, to cover both sides.Bind your remaining strips together by placing on piece right side up on a flat surface. With the next piece, meet the ends, perpendicularly and right sides together. Place two pins parallel to each other at an angle from one outside edge to the other.Turn your joined pieces counter-clockwise, then flip over to make the previous piece right-side-up. Repeat the pinning method to connect all of the pieces and make a long strap.
- Move to your sewing machine and, with a straight stitch, hem the two straight sides and the top of the front panel.With your long strap, sew between each set of pins, and trim off the corners.
- For the most time-consuming step, head back to your iron and board. Press the seams on your strap open. Fold the raw edges in by ¼ of an inch and press. Fold the width of the strap in half and press again. You should be left with a ¾-inch-wide strap.
- Pick up your long strap to find the center of the length. from the center, measure 10 inches in both directions and pin those two points to the top of your apron on each edge, in the same way you pinned the button strap before- with the strap folded over the panel. Throw the apron on for a second, just to make sure the top lands in a comfortable place. If you need to extend of shorten, just be sure to do so by the same amount on each side.
- Continue to pin the strap along the curved edges of the front panel.
- Beginning at one end of the strap and continuing all the way to the other end, sew along the open edge of the strap with a straight stitch. Add a top stitch to the folded edge in the same way.To finish the ends, fold them up about 1-inch and tack them in place by sewing back and forth across them a few times.
Notes
- When choosing a fabric for this project, look for material that is not too absorbent, but is still comfortable.
- If you don’t like the button detail added to this apron, you can definitely just use a 2-inch by 12-inch strip of plain fabric.
- Just as a disclaimer, I am not trained in pattern drafting, and some of these terms and methods may not be proper. If you have corrections or other ideas, feel free to leave a comment and help us all out.
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