Eight Things You Can Do to Scoop-Neck Shirts to Give Them a New Look
One quick way to change the shirt is to add a decorative ribbon to the neckline. You’ll find the ribbon in any sewing department and they range from wide to narrow and from bright to bland. Choose a design that you like, in a width approximately the size of the neckline hem, and sew it all the way around the neckline. You can match the sleeves and/or bottom hem by using the ribbon in those areas as well. The ribbon will only cost a couple of bucks and can really make the difference between an ordinary scoop-neck shirt and a beautifully designed wardrobe piece.
Purchase pre-ruffled fabric and sew it to the neckline. The ruffled fabrics come in gingham, lace, and other designs, and is very easy to work with. Simply sew it around the neck area and sleeves if you wish. Be sure and place the straight edge of the ruffle under the sewn edge of the neckline – not on top of it.
Use faux jewels to make a design around the collar. Use fabric glue to attach the gems and allow to dry for 24 hours before laundering. The gems come in all sizes, colors and shapes. The design doesn’t have to be limited to just the neckline, either. Place the gems in a random pattern all over the shirt front or just align them in straight, vertical lines that get smaller and smaller as they go around the front of the neckline. Do this by placing, say, six jewels straight down the center of the shirt, from the edge of the neckline. On each side of that line of jewels, make another line of jewels, using only five jewels this time. For the next set of lines, use only four gems, and continue this pattern around the front of the scoop-neck area.
Cut the side seams out of the scoop-neck shirt. Use narrow pieces of fabric or lace to join them back together, leaving a tiny gap down the side. Or, just cut the shirt halfway up the side seams and hem the cut area. You can also cut a section out of the front of the shirt and replace it with a different color of fabric. Or, cut out small shapes all over the shirt, then sew lace into the openings.
Cut the sleeves out of a scoop-neck shirt to make it sleeveless. You can hem the armhole openings and leave them plain or use decorative ribbon to outline the armholes.
Cut a rectangle of fabric and stitch it across the chest, connecting each end of the rectangle to opposite sides of the scoop-neck area. Gather the fabric in the middle with a broach or something similar for a shirt-with-a-choker look that’s really cute.
Invest a couple of bucks on a cute applique for the shirt. The appliques can be stitched or glued on and make any shirt look completely different. Choose from appliques like Disney characters, Native American designs or even bouquets of flowers. The applique will completely change the look of the shirt.
Use shirt paints or paint markers to stencil designs onto the shirt. Stencils are available in every design you can imagine and the markers or paint give the shirt dimension and elegance. Paint stripes on the scoop-neck shirt, arrange dots to make a monogram, or just stand over the shirt and squirt out a couple different colors of paint for a spattered effect that looks unique and fabulous.
Scoop-neck tee shirts are very inexpensive and ordinary, but many people wear them because they’re so comfortable and go well with jeans and skirts. Just because you like scoop-neck shirts doesn’t mean they have to be dull and plain, though. Take a couple of bucks and a couple of minutes to make your own design that will wow everyone else.
