Using ribbon to embellish a T-shirt an take a plain shirt and give it a completely different look. Follow this tutorial to find out how.For my niece’s birthday last month I made her a skirt and shirt to wear to her birthday party. I shared my tutorial for the skirt, but I thought you might like to see how I embellished a plain T-shirt to go with it.
I actually embellished two shirts with ribbon using two different methods. I also added machine embroidery designs to the front of both shirts. My niece loved them both.
I pretty much was just winging it with the shirts, but hopefully my method will make sense. 
Supplies Needed
- T-Shirt
- Grosgrain Ribbon (3/8″ for method 1; 1″ for method 2)
- Seam Ripper
- Steam-A-Seam 2 Double Stick Fusible Web 1/4″
(for method 1)
- Thread
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine
- Pins
- Iron
Instructions for Method 1
1. Use a seam ripper to open the sleeves of the T-shirt, at the hem, about 2 inches.
2. Place Steam-A-Seam 2 Double Stick Fusible Web 1/4″
To determine how much ribbon you will need, measure the circumference of each sleeve and add 2 inches. It will be more than you need but you don’t want to have too little.
3. Peel the paper backing off of the fusible web.
4. Stick the ribbon to the outside of sleeve, near the edge.
I used the seam line of the T-shirt sleeve hem as a guide to get the ribbon to be straight all the way around the sleeve.
5. Iron the ribbon to the shirt so that it will stay in place for step 6.
I used a seam roll
Note: I am sure they sell permanent fusible web that would not require sewing and would make it so there are fewer steps for this process. However, I decided that sewing the ribbon on would make sure that it wouldn’t come off after many washings.
The reason I used the fusible web was because it allowed me to have the ribbon be straight on the sleeve when pins would leave a greater margin for error, in my opinion. You can pin the ribbon on if you prefer to use fewer supplies and steps.
6. Use matching thread to sew the ribbon in place. Sew near the edge along each side of the ribbon on each sleeve.
7. Pin the openings in the sleeves that you made in step 1, and sew them closed again.
Note: The reason I opened the sleeves in step 1 was so the ribbon ends would be enclosed in the T-shirt seam. It looks nicer this way.
I embroidered an Elsa design I purchased from this Etsy shop onto the front to finish off the T-shirt. If you don’t have an embroidery machine there are plenty of appliqué designs/patterns available that you can sew with a regular sewing machine.
Be sure to check out how the shirt looked with the skirt I made by clicking here.
Instructions for Method 2
1. Use 1 inch wide grosgrain ribbon for this method.
To determine the amount of ribbon you need, measure the sleeve circumference and cut 1 1/2 times that measurement of ribbon for each sleeve.
2. Set your sewing machine’s stitch length to a long stitch length.
3. Sew close to the edge of the ribbon. Leave a long tail of thread when finished.
These are the gathering stitches. I used the same color as the ribbon, but you might want to use a contrasting color of thread so that you can see the stitches to remove them easier in step 10.
4. Gently pull on the bobbin thread to create gathers in the ribbon. Make the gathers as tight or spread out as you desire.
Leave about 1/2 inch on each end of the ribbon without gathering it to make it easier to sew the T-shirt seam closed.
5. Use a seam ripper to open the sleeves of the T-shirt, at the hem, about 2 inches.
6. Pin each end of the ribbon to the open edge of the sleeve on the outside.
7. Make sure the gathers are even and pin the ribbon to the sleeve adjusting as needed to get the ribbon to fit.
Note: I used the stitching line on the hem of each sleeve as a guideline for pinning the ribbon so that it would be straight.
8. Set your sewing machine stitch length back to a normal setting.
9. Sew the ribbon near the edge all the way around each sleeve.
I recommend pulling the pins out instead of sewing over them. You may have to sew slowly.
10. Use a seam ripper to pull out the gathering stitches you made in step 3.
11. Pin the openings in the sleeves that you made in step 5, and sew them closed again.
I embroidered the cute chick appliqué design I purchased from Lynnie Pinnie on the T-shirt (It has a tutu made of tulle!). Like I mentioned earlier, if you don’t have an embroidery machine you can always use your sewing machine to do appliqué.
I think my niece really liked her new chick shirt because she told her parents she needed to wear it to go buy her new baby chicks.
I had fun using ribbon, and embroidery designs, to embellish these T-shirts for my niece.
While I only used ribbon on the sleeves, you could use these same methods for adding ribbon to the neckline or hem of a T-shirt, too.
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