DIY Tassel Boho Cropped Tee

Learn how to make this adorable and trendy DIY tassel boho cropped tee with a simple tee shirt, tassels, and hemming!

The other day, we were walking around the mall, and I saw the cutest top with colorful tassels along the bottom. I was in love. And then I realized that it was in a junior’s shop. Now, I’m not pointing fingers, but I feel like I cannot pull off teen fashions. Some ladies my age can rock cute crops and super short shorts, but I am not one of those ladies.

I’m one of those ladies who recently gave away all of my old bikinis to replace them with ALL high-waisted bikinis. It went down like this… Rob and I were packing to go out of town for a few days, and I busted out my bathing suit box and then balked at what I had worn just last year. Just no.

DIY Tassel Boho Cropped Tee

Now, even though I loved that crop top, there were two solid reasons to go home and DIY up my version instead. 1 – A DIY version can show just a little peek of my belly, which is what I’m comfortable with right now in my life. 2 – I was NOT going into a store where everybody browsing the racks looked like they were 13, and even if I did, if I bought that top, I’d get it home, and it would go in the itty bitty bikini box.

What You Need to Make a Tassel Cropped Tee

For this project, you will need the following:

• Jersey tee shirt (jersey fabric only)
• Tassel fringe (or pompom!)
• Hemming
• Fabric glue

How to Make a Tassel Boho Cropped T-Shirt

First, you’ll need to find your fringe. I got mine at Hobby Lobby, and it was $10 a yard. I used right at 1 yard, but I used a 40% off coupon and paid $6. I’m using a $5 boyfriend tee (a slightly more loose fit) from Old Navy.

Put on the jeans or pans you’re most likely going to wear with this top because it will make a WORLD of difference in the level you’re comfortable with the crop. I decided that I’d be wearing high-waisted jeans and skirts with this top, so I planned accordingly. With the top on your person (seriously, this is HUGE) and about the waist level of pants, look in the mirror and mess around with different cropped lengths. Decide what you’re comfortable with and mark it with a temporary fabric marker. Use a straight edge to fill out your line and it will help to have a straight bottom once you’re done cutting.

Trim your shirt as straight as possible.

Now I’m a moron, and I went out and bought my trim and decided I already had the right hemming tape at home, but it turns out I did not. Trimming the excess off hemming tape is a pain in the everlovin’ rear, guys. Like, it’s such a mess. Buy the right width for the job, OR just use fabric glue. The glue takes a while to set up fully, but it’s cheap and easy.

Do not cut your trim, but leave a bit of excess off of one side of your shirt and glue it to the front side. Allow the glue to dry (if necessary), and then flip the shirt over, continuing along the backside until you meet up with the beginning of the trim.

Run fabric glue along the two places where you need to cut on the trim to get a nice, flush fit with both ends glued together. Allow that glue to dry to hold your trim together without unraveling. Once fully dry, trim to fit and then glue down. Allow the glue or hemming tape to cure according to package directions.

When I stand normally, my cropped tee shows about 1 inch off my belly, which I’m okay with.

I love this project because it was probably about the same price in supplies as I would have paid for the other tee. But I wouldn’t know because I didn’t set foot in that store.

But no matter, I LOVE this shirt, and I’m rocking it when we head out to the beach this weekend! If you’re missing the good old crop top days, I hope you’ll give this a go!

Allison

A crafter since her earliest years, Allison spends a little time every day making something. She crafts, sews, paints, glues things onto other things, and is a firm believer that a life spent creating is a life worth living. Visit Allison’s blog, Dream {a Little} BIGGER.