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Artwork Materials on Wooden Table
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DIY: 3 Ideas To Turn Your Old Leggings into a New Top

Emma Flusk
Danielle Pransky
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Montclair chapter.

We all have at least one pair of leggings that either has holes in them, doesn’t fit as nicely as the others or are just too worn but we still feel the need to keep them around anyway. If you were looking to make good use of them, say no more! Transform those sad leggings that are just taking up space in your closet into a cute halter top, a ridiculously easy tube top, or an off the shoulder top!

Halter Top

Start off by laying your leggings out completely flat, but make them inside out. Next, take a piece of chalk and draw a line horizontally, at mid-thigh length and stop the line when you are halfway across. At this point start curving the line upward, making sure to draw the line about an inch over the middle inseam. Once you reach the middle inseam, draw a horizontal line across the other pant leg.

Now it’s time to channel your inner elementary school self and cut along the line! You will see you have the beginnings of an adorable halter top! The only thing left to do is cut out a long, skinny piece of fabric. This will act as the tie on your shirt. Fold the fabric that you just cut in the neckline of the top (making sure the fold is on the inside of the shirt) and sew or glue it closed with fabric glue. 

Here’s a YouTube video from Injoyy as a visual guide.

Tube Top

You will most likely not want to ever purchase a basic tube top ever again after seeing just how easy it is to make one of your own! Fold your leggings in half so that one leg is on top of the other. Next, draw a horizontal line about the middle inseam. How far up you draw the line determines how short your top will be, so I suggest making it long at first and then adjust later if you want it more cropped. Then, cut along the lines! 

You can either hem the bottom of your top, or you can give the fabric a slight tug so that it gets that rolled look. Both options look great, it really just depends on your preference and how much work you feel like doing.

Off-the-Shoulder Top

Now that you know how to make a tube top, why don’t you get a little extra and add some sleeves onto that. Not just regular sleeves, but those types of sleeves that you always see on Instagram that seem like they’re hanging onto the top by a thread. To achieve that look, I made sleeves from the ankles of my leggings. I wanted the sleeves to be small, so I cut horizontally about four inches up from the bottom hem of my pants. I sewed those bad boys onto the top, and now I have an Insta-worthy look!

If you want to take these three looks to the next level, add design to them with embroidery, store-bought patches, sequins, bedazzle, whatever your heart desires! Now you don’t have to have all these old leggings taking up much-needed space in your closet and you can have fun and new(ish) additions to your wardrobe. 

Another visual! Here’s a YouTube video by Handimani doing something similar to this.

Photo Sources: 1, 2, 3

Emma Flusk

Montclair '19

Emma Flusk is recent graduate from Montclair State University, where she majored in Television and Digital Media. She was the Editor-in-Chief and a Campus Correspondent at Her Campus Montclair. She’s passionate about anything that has to do with lifestyle, beauty and wellness for women. She is a self-proclaimed craft queen, semi-pro binge-watcher and a lover of all dogs.
Danielle has held various positions at Her Campus Montclair. Starting as a Contributing Writer during her sophomore year at MSU in 2015, she later became President & Editor-in-Chief during her senior year in 2017. She completed her B.A. in Communication & Media Arts with a minor in Leadership Development at Montclair State University in January 2018. Besides writing, she's a lover of cozy cafés, good lyrics, inspiring speeches, mountainous retreats, and sunsets on the skyline. She enjoys capturing the moment and has a passion for travel and discovery. You can often find her exploring NYC or venturing to one of her favorite East Coast spots.