Make a Toddler Romper From a Plain Tee Shirt

This is like a 2-fer Instructable! In this fun and easy Instuctable I will show you how to make a toddler romper out of a plain tee shirt and then how to embellish it!

For the romper...

A tee shirt that is 2-3 sizes to big for the little person

Some snap tape

Thread

Scissors

Sewing machine

Pins

And a tape measure

For the embellishment...

Fabric scraps

And some rick rack, just for kicks.

To start this project measure your little person from the nape of their neck to the middle of their crotch. Add about 2-3" to that measurement and maybe a little more if a diaper is still involved. Now from the center back neck measure down the amount and put a pin there, and then fold the tee in half. About 2-3" in from the hem fold start cutting a gentle 1/2 U shape, this is where you will sew the snap tape.

Now for the snap tape. Start with the front of the romper first. Un-snap your snap tape and use the receiving end of the snap tape for the front (the flatter side of the snap). Place the edge of the wrong side of the snap tape on top of the wrong side of the romper with the wrong side of the snap showing. Leave 1/2" or so of the tape hanging off the hem on both sides so you can fold that edge over to finish it off. Now stitch on the wrong side of the fabric, right along the edge. On to the back side! Start by snapping the tape back together. With the back facing up, pin the wrong side of the nipple side of the tape to the inside of the wrong side of the back fabric, the back side of the snap should be showing. Now un-snap the tape and fold the extra tape at the hem over to the right side and pin there. Now stitch the tee to the tape right along the edge. You are almost done! Now fold the nipple side of the snap tape over so that the right side of the tape and the right side of the tee are showing, and stitch the other side of the tape down. Clip your threads and voila the romper part of this project is done!

On to embellishing... be creative here, ducks, cars, and cows all work, but me? I am a fan of flowers, so here we go...

Use your fabric scraps to cut out a cute flower. Start with a length of the rick rack for the stem. Pin this to the front of the romper. Fold over the bottom edge of the stem for a nice finish and then stitch the stem down. Now stitch on the flower and the center dot, clip your threads. Don't worry about the raw edges, when you wash the romper they will fray and add a little something extra to the whole look.

You are done! Hope you and your little person love this project! Don't forget to vote for me!