DIY Fashion: Sequin Pocket Tee

I’m unusually prone to spilling things on myself and wearing my lunch, which has often led to the destruction of some of my favorite clothes. I learned long ago how to get most stains out, but some things are beyond hope.

As an alternative to throwing away perfectly good clothes, I sometimes add pockets to my shirts to hide a stain. This DIY will show you how to add a basic sequined square pocket to a tee to create a more glam look for a plain white tee that’s seen better days.

What you’ll need:

• T-shirt
• Fabric
• Sequin Trim
• Needle
• Thread
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• Iron
• Ironing board
• Pins

How to:

1. Cut out your pocket. Since I’m adding sequins to mine, I stuck with a simple rectangle for my pocket, but you can use the traditional pocket shape if you prefer.

2. Using your iron, press the edges of your pocket in about 1/4″. This will make it easier to sew onto your shirt and keep the edges from fraying. Make sure you don’t have your iron turned up too hot or it could damage the fabric.

3. Fold down the top of the pocket about 1″ and press this down as well. The folded edges will be on the inside of the pocket, so you won’t see them, but try to get them as flat and wrinkle-free as possible so your shirt doesn’t have any bumps.

4. Sew along the top of the pocket. Make sure you backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam so the thread doesn’t come out. Sew again along the bottom of the fold, so that the top of the pocket is finished.

5. Pin the pocket onto the front of your shirt. Make sure you don’t pin through the back of the shirt. Once you have it in place, sew along the left, right, and bottom of the pocket, again being careful not to sew through the back of the shirt. Do not sew along the top – you (obviously) want the pocket to be open on top.

6. Cut your sequin trim into strips about 1/2″ wider than your pocket. The strips should overlap slightly so the shirt won’t show through the sequins.

7. Begin hand sewing the sequin strips onto the pocket. Fold the edge of the trim under a little so that the edges won’t unravel with wear. Sew the edge of the trim down first, then work your way across the strip. I used a zigzag pattern to sew the trim onto the pocket so that the top and bottom of each strip would be secure. Continue adding each strip, making sure the edges of the trim slightly overlap so the shirt doesn’t show through. Use a separate piece of thread for each strip and make sure you double or triple knot the end of every thread on the inside of the pocket.

Ta-da! Finished glamorous shirt, free of the highlighter stain. You could try alternating colors of the sequins to make stripes as well.

What do you think?

Will you be making your own sequin pocket tee? What do you think about adding pockets to shirts to hide a stubborn stain? Have another glam DIY you’d love to see? Let us know in the comments below!

You might also want to read this DIY: Upcycling a Necklace into a Panja Ring-Bracelet.