Crop tops or cingkrang tops have been in demand by many women since the last few decades and do not seem to be forgotten in the near future. If you want to make a crop top, follow the instructions in this article. Besides making it by sewing yourself, an easy and quick way to make a crop top is to modify a top, sweater, or leggings!
Step
Method 1 of 3: Modifying the Top (No Sewing)
Step 1. Prepare the clothes you want to turn into a crop top
You are free to choose the top or sweater you want to use as a crop top, but make sure the clothes can still be worn. Choose clothes that are slightly loose if you want to tie the bottom edge of the front side of the crop top. Choose clothes that are a bit tight and stretchy if you want to expose your curves.
- Make a crop top from a t-shirt, shirt, or blouse that fits the body.
- Make sure you make a crop top from a blouse or shirt that is no longer worn because the model will be very different if the shirt has been modified.
Step 2. Determine the length of the crop top
Wear clothes that will be modified while looking in the mirror. Fold the bottom of the shirt up a little at a time to determine the length of the crop top. The bottom edge of the crop top is usually a few inches above the navel, but you can define your own as you wish. Use chalk or a cloth pencil to mark the clothes to be cut.
Ask a friend to help you mark the clothes by making a horizontal line according to the length of the shirt you want
Tip: So that the crop top is not too short, cut the shirt a little longer. If needed, the clothes can still be cut, but cannot be returned to their original state.
Step 3. Cut the bottom of the shirt to the desired length
Place the clothes on a flat and firm place, for example on a table or tiled floor. Spread the shirt out and smooth the fabric with your hands so there are no wrinkles or creases. Then, cut the clothes using fabric scissors along a horizontal line.
Make sure the fabric cutouts are not jagged! Cut clothes as neatly as possible so that the results are satisfactory
Step 4. Prepare 2 triangular pieces of fabric on the front side of the shirt, if needed
If you want to tie the bottom two sides of the crop top in front of the stomach, don't shorten the front side of the shirt according to the horizontal line. Make 2 triangles on the front of the shirt so they can be tied together. Cut the front side of the shirt to form a diagonal line starting from the waist to the bottom end in the middle of the front side of the shirt.
If you're making a crop top out of a button-down shirt, don't cut the edges of the fabric with buttons and buttonholes
Step 5. Cut the collar just below the collar seam using fabric scissors
You can cut the collar of the shirt to enlarge the neckline or leave it as is. Lay the shirt on a flat place before the collar is cut. Make sure both sides of the shirt are straight and the fabric is not wrinkled and then cut the fabric along the collar 1-1½ cm from the seam.
Remember, the fabric can still be cut if you want to enlarge the neckline, but the fabric that has been cut cannot be returned to the way it was. So that the neck cuff is not too big, cut the fabric 1-1½ cm from the seam, then wear the shirt to determine whether or not the neck cuff is enlarged
Step 6. Cut the sleeves to make a crop top
If you're modifying a sleeved top, but want to make a crop top, remove the sleeves using scissors by cutting off the inside of the sleeves.
If you want to enlarge the cuffs on the underarms, cut the sleeves closer to the waist
Method 2 of 3: Modifying Leggings (No Sewing)
Step 1. Fold 2 leggings together by joining the hips and pant legs together
Place the leggings on a flat, firm place, for example on a table or tiled floor. Fold 2 leggings so that both pant legs overlap. Flatten the pants by hand so there are no wrinkles or creases.
Tip: Crop tops made of leggings are usually very short. If you don't like short crop tops, make them out of tops.
Step 2. Cut the crotch of the leggings into a circle with a diameter of 10 cm
Use sharp fabric scissors to make a circular hole by cutting the crotch of the pants. You can make the circle bigger if you want to wear a low-neck crop top. Insert the sleeves into the trouser legs and then insert the head into the newly created holes to determine whether or not you need to change the shape of the neck cuff.
If you prefer a V-shaped neckline, draw a 10cm straight line at the crotch of your pants and cut along the line
Step 3. Trim the leggings if needed
You have a long sleeve crop top if the leggings are left as is. Trim the leggings if you prefer to wear a short-sleeved crop top. Before cutting the leggings, put on a crop top, mark the desired sleeve length, then remove it again. Place the leggings on the table, flatten the legs of the pants with your hands, then cut them according to the markings.
- Time to fit the crop top one more time if the sleeves are still too long and need to be cut!
- You can make a short-sleeved crop top by modifying capri leggings or shorts for cycling.
Method 3 of 3: Sewing a Crop Top from Scratch
Step 1. Prepare an elastic fabric of approximately 1 meter
To make a crop top, use a cotton jersey, spandex, or other elastic fabric to make the shirt a bit tighter and more attractive. You can choose plain or patterned fabrics.
Don't make crop tops out of thick or stiff fabrics, such as wool, denim, or velvet
Step 2. Measure your bust, waist and upper arms
You can make a crop top that fits your body if you have accurate body size data. Use a soft, elastic tape measure to measure your waist, chest, and upper arms and record the numbers.
- Before measuring the waist circumference, determine the length of the crop top. For example, if you want to make a crop top that ends right at your navel, measure your waist circumference by wrapping a tape measure around your waist at belly button level.
- To measure the circumference of the chest and upper arm, wrap the measuring tape around the chest and upper arm with the largest circumference.
Step 3. Prepare 2 pieces of fabric according to the measurement results of chest circumference, waist circumference, and crop top length
Fold 2 fabrics and then draw a rectangle with the length of the top side = chest circumference and the length of the bottom side = waist circumference. Make sure the two lines are parallel and the distance = crop top length.
- For example, if the measurement results are 86 cm bust, 74 cm waist, and 33 cm crop top length, draw a rectangle with 43 cm top side, 33 cm side and 37 cm bottom.
- Prepare a 1½-2 cm wide seam to connect the edges of the fabric.
- Use fabric chalk when making the line and then cut the fabric along the line to make sure the cut is straight and neat.
Step 4. Prepare 2 pieces of fabric for 2 sleeves
Fold 2 fabrics and then draw 1 rectangle whose width = arm circumference and length = crop top sleeve length. Then, cut the fabric so that it produces 2 equal pieces of fabric. You are free to determine the length of the crop top sleeve as you wish.
- For example, if your arm circumference is 30 cm and your crop top sleeve is 15 cm long, prepare 2 rectangular pieces of fabric 30 cm long and 15 cm wide.
- Prepare a 1½-2 cm wide seam to connect the edges of the fabric.
- Use fabric chalk when making the line and then cut the fabric along the line to make sure the cut is straight and neat.
Step 5. Connect the edges of the fabric with zigzag stitches
Stack the two pieces of fabric so that the edges are neat and make sure the inside of the fabric is outside. Then, zigzag 1½-2 cm from the edge of the fabric to join the 2 pieces of fabric. This stitch will be on the sides of the body when the crop top is worn.
The zigzag stitch is the best option for sewing elastic fabrics because the fabric can still be stretched
Step 6. Fold 2 sleeves and sew with a zigzag stitch
Fold 2 sleeves with the inside of the fabric on the outside. Then, sew a zigzag 1½-2 cm from the edge of the fabric. Finished sewing, you get a tubular sleeve.
Cut the thread hanging from the edge of the fabric after sewing the seam
Step 7. Make hems on the hem and sleeves, if needed
Stretchy cotton fabrics usually don't need to be hemmed, but crop tops look more attractive when they are hemmed. Fold in the edges of the fabric and sleeves 1-1½ cm wide and then sew the hem with a zigzag stitch.
- Fold the edges of the fabric inward so the hem is not visible. Make sure you fold the edges of the fabric to the inside of the fabric.
- Cut the thread hanging from the edge of the fabric after sewing the seam.
Step 8. Connect the sleeves and the top edge of the crop top
Turn the shirt and sleeves so that the inside is on the outside. Join one of the sleeves with the shirt at the exact seam, then machine sew the two sheets of fabric that overlap each other with a straight stitch in a rectangular or triangular shape. Then, do the same steps to connect the other arm to the shirt.
Cut the thread hanging from the edge of the fabric after sewing, then put on a crop top! Finished
Tips
- After determining the length of the crop top, you should cut the shirt or leggings a few centimeters longer than the desired crop top length so that the clothes are not too short.
- Use fabric chalk or fabric pencil when marking the shirt or leggings to be cut, instead of a permanent marker. If you make the wrong mark, chalk or pencil streaks can disappear when the clothes are washed.
- Make sure the clothes or leggings that will be modified can still be worn so that the effort to make a crop top is not in vain.
Warning
- Fabric cutters and shears are usually very sharp. Be careful when using it!
- If you want to modify someone else's shirt or leggings to make a crop top, make sure he or she agrees.
