How to Tailor a T-shirt Yourself (Easy Repeatable Method)

Learn how to tailor a T-shirt at home and turn a crappy fitting shirt into a more fitted T-shirt using a basic used sewing machine. In this beginner-friendly DIY clothing alteration tutorial, I’ll show you how to pin and measure your shirt while wearing it, create an even taper on both sides, leave enough room through the chest and hips, and sew a new side seam that follows your body without making the shirt too tight.

🔴 Sewing machine settings:
Straight Stitch
Stitch Length - 2.5
Stitch Width - NA
Stitch Tension - 3-4

🔴 Zigzag Stitch
Stitch Length - 2.5
Stitch Width - 5-7
Stitch Tension - 3-4

⚠️ You can use whats called a narrow zigzag stitch instead of a straight stitch if you're worried about the structural integrity of the side seam. I've used a straight stitch about 532 times and have only torn a side seam maybe 3 times. Nonetheless a narrow zigzag stitch will be able to stretch a bit making a more versatile side seam. The settings will be the same except for the stitch width, you will set that to between 1-2 instead of 5-7, and sew just like you would a straight stitch instead of trying to overlap the edge like a regular zigzag stitch. I hope that makes sense...

Universal Needle
Polyester Thread (both of which are $5 at Walmart)

🔴Remember, whatever measurements you come up with WRITE THEM DOWN or keep them in a Notes App so you can skip the measuring step next time! That way you can go and buy the same or similar shirt and just plug those same numbers into it and start sewing. I honestly don't remember the last time I've measured a t-shirt. It's been ages.

0:00 Pinning the shirt
1:51 Measuring and planning
4:51 Sewing the main seam
5:44 Finishing and trimming