Valentine Shirt for Child

Add some heart-fabric embellishments to a plain white child's shirt for a fun Valentine's day sewing project. This Valentine's Day craft is a thrifty way to create a festive outfit for your child. 

Find this pattern and many more in our new eBook, 41 Valentine's Day Crafts: Valentine's Day Cards, Gifts, and More!

Materials:

• A shirt to makeover
• Heart Fabric
• Buttons
• Scissors
• Sewing machine, thread, etc.
• Sewing needle and thread (to sew on buttons)
• Iron

Instructions:

1. Determine how wide and long you want the strip down the middle to be. To determine the width measurement, take your desired width x 2. For the length, add how long you want the strip to be plus how much longer you want to leave for the part to tie and add an extra 1/2 inch for seam allowance. (My daughter's was 13" by 3"). This will be piece one. The second piece you need to cut is for the other tie to make the bow. Take the length of piece one minus the length of the middle strip (the part that will have the buttons on it). Add an extra 1/2 inch for seam allowance. The width will be the same. (My daughter's was 9" by 3").
    
2. Take the two strips and fold in half, wrong sides facing. Iron.
   
   
    
3. Open pieces up, then fold each side towards the middle crease and iron.
   
   
    
4. Turn up the bottom at each end and iron.
   
   
    
5. Fold back in half and sew down the open side and the bottom that will be left hanging to tie into a bow.
   
   
    
6. Pin the longest piece at the middle top of your shirt.
   
   
    
7. Pin the second piece on the middle a little above where the middle strip will end. This will make sure it is sewn on.
   
   
    
8. Sew down the side right on top of where you had sewn it earlier, but this time it's on the shirt. Then continue sewing around until you have it all sewn on. Tie the ends in a bow.
   
   
    
9. Sew on buttons. I used embroidery thread to extra contrast and a stronger hold.
    
10. To add a bottom flap, clip at the bottom of the side seams. I would cut it to right above the bottom seam.
    
    
     
11. Measure how long the bottom is on the now front flap and the back. This will be the width of your fabric measurement plus seam allowance. (I added an extra 1/2 inch). For the length, just decide how long you want it to be plus seam allowance. (I added an extra 1 inch for my seam allowance). Cut two pieces in these measurements.
     
12. Fold one side end over once, towards wrong side, and then again and iron. Sew down that side. Do the same for the other side.
    
    
     
13. Fold up the bottom once, towards the wrong side, and then fold again. Iron. Sew across.
    
    
     
14. Place front flap on, right sides together, and pin. Sew across. Repeat for back flap.
    
    
     
15. Turn seam towards fabric on the inside of the shirt. This will cover the fabric ends and prevent fraying.
    
    
     
16. Sew right over the pushed down seam to hold it in place.
    
    
     
17. Admire your pretty new shirt.
    
    

See more of Jessica's crafts at Happy Together.