DIY T-Shirt Romper + FREE PATTERN

heather handmade sewing

This post may contain affiliate links.

Upcycle an adult t-shirt into a baby DIY t-shirt romper with this free sewing pattern in size 6 mos. It’s a great way to save money and save time!

Do you ever have a t-shirt that you just love, and you wear it out until it’s soft and comfortable? Turn it into a baby t-shirt romper with a free sewing pattern!

I love cutting up clothing to make something new. It’s so great to be able to reuse something I have and to save time and money! Enjoy this free pattern for a DIY t-shirt romper for your baby.

I just love baby sewing projects! They are so sweet and tiny and cute!

free baby pattern

Do you remember the original upcycled t-shirt romper? I’ve reworked the pattern and redid the pictures to give you the best tutorial possible.

I hope it’s easier to use and easier to understand! I’ve also released a multi-size upcycled t-shirt romper and dress sewing pattern. It has multiple views and multiple sizes.

upcycled t-shirt promotional graphic

I’ve come up with a bunch of easy variations to customize your t-shirt romper so you can make lots of different ones!!

Here’s a list of all the variations!

free upcycled t-shirt romper baby

what is a pdf sewing pattern?

A PDF pattern is a sewing pattern designed on the computer and organized so that it can be printed on several letter or A4 size pieces of paper.

I love using PDF sewing patterns because if the pattern gets ruined or if my children or I changed sizes, I can always print it again. It’ll never be destroyed since I have a digital version!

how do you use a PDF sewing pattern?

Open the PDF on a computer and click print. When printing make sure that the scaling is set to 100% or no scaling so that the pattern prints at the correct size.

Once the pattern is printed it can be taped together to get the full size. Then the pattern can be cut for each pattern piece size or individual sizes can be traced so that the pattern can be used again and again. Learn how to use PDF sewing patterns.

free upcycled t-shirt romper baby

DIY T-Shirt Romper + FREE PATTERN

Supplies

Do you just want the pattern and tutorial as a PDF? Get the pattern and photo tutorial for just $3. You won’t need to access the internet every time you want to make it. Or get the Pattern Bundle with ALL the PDF tutorials!

Cutting Instructions

1. Cut the side seams of your tee to open it up. Fold the front in half along the center front.

romper

2. Lay the pattern with the fold on the fold and the neckline lining up with the neckline. *The neckline might be a slightly different shape, but line it up the best you can.

free baby pattern

3. Do the same with the back to cut out a back piece.

baby sewing pattern

4. Cut out one gusset. Make sure the stretch is going the right way.

make a t-shirt romper

5. Lay the sleeves on top of each other. Line up the bottom of the sleeve pattern with the hem of the sleeves. Cut out two sleeves.

baby sewing

6. Cut out three facings. I layered my layers together so I only had to cut it out once.

make a romper

The pieces you need: one front, one back, two sleeves, one gusset, and three facings. 

diy tee shirt romper

Sewing Instructions

1. Overlap the back neckline over the front neckline by 2.5″. Pin and sew with a zigzag stitch along the edge.

tee shirt romper

2. Line up the sleeves with right sides together with the armscye. Pin and sew with a zigzag stitch with 1/4″ seam allowance. Finish the edges with a zigzag or serger.

make tee shirt to romper

3. With right sides together line up the sleeves and edges of the romper with 1/4″ seam allowance. Zigzag or serge the edges.

make t-shirt into romper

4. Take one of the facings. Line up the inside curve with the front inseam. With right sides together sew with 1/4″ seam allowance.

t-shirt to upcycled romper

5. Finish the outer curve of the front inseam.

upcycled romper

6. Flip the facing around into the inside of the romper. Sew with a straight stitch .75″ from the edge to tack the facing to the inside.

DIY upcycled romper

7. With right sides together line up the gusset with the back inseam curve. The gusset will fit right into the extra seam allowance on the back. The curve of the gusset is opposite to the curve of the inseam so it’s a little tricky to sew. Sew with a zigzag at 1/4″ seam allowance.

DIY baby t-shirt romper
sewing a baby romper

8. Take the last two facings. With right sides together sew around the outer curve with a zigzag stitch with a 1/4″ seam allowance.

t-shirt to baby dress

9. Turn right side out.

t-shirt to baby romper

10. With right sides together line up the inside curve of the facing with the back inseam going around the gusset. Sew with a zigzag stitch at 1/4″ seam allowance.

11. Serge or zigzag the edges.

upcycled t-shirt romper

12. Sew the seam allowance of the facing up towards the body of the romper with a straight stitch.

baby romper sewing pattern

13. Fold up the legs 1/2″ (including the front and back facings) and sew with a zigzag.

free 6 mos baby pattern

14. Add snaps or buttons to the faced inseams.

free pattern
baby romper

Get the Free Sewing Pattern here!

free baby t-shirt romper sewing pattern

If you make something using this tutorial, I’d love to see! Please share it on social media with the hashtag #heatherhandmade and tag me!

heather sewing

I believe small sewing moments can create great joy. Find your own “right” way to sew. -Heather

Subscribe
Notify of
23 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

PLease – I had joined several times already and await patterns eagerly.Thx

I joined the mailing list. Where is the free pattern? Can’t seem to locate it

So cute and thank you for this pattern and tutorial. I plan on making a few of these! Curious if the giraffe shirt is something I can still find? Do you know the brand? thanks.

I’d love to make this for my great grandson but can’t seem to access the larger sizes. It comes up as page not found. Please tell me what I’m doing wrong?

Is this some kind of a joke?
There’s no free PDF File or Link on this page.

Hello, I will say that I wanted to say thank you for the pattern. I must say I am a little confused. I downloaded the free pattern ( just to try it out) becasue my nephew is in the 9-12 mo range. Once I downloaded I guess the update is for 6-9 mo? Also the pattern I printed out has triangular bits on the side labeled “gather”- is that the dress option. I do not see gathering mentioned. I am an experienced sewer- but new to baby clothes. I think the different version of the pattern and tutorial got me a little turned around. I am gonna make it and see how it fits.

Hello, I will say that I was going to just say thank you for the pattern- but I must say I am pretty confused. I downloaded the free pattern ( just to try it out) becasue my nephew is in the 9-12 mo range. Once I downloaded I guess the update is for 6-9 mo? Also the pattern I printed out has triangular bits on the side labeled “gather”. I do not see gathering mentioned- but with I may be mixed up on the version? I am an experienced sewer- but new to baby clothes. I generally use commercial patterns on patterns I have made myself. In this instance I am lost.

So excited to make this so my son and husband can be twinsies! I can’t access the library and patterns yet although I subscribed. Could I have some assistance please?

This is a wonderful idea and it looks absolutely fantastic – but I can't seem to find the download link for the pattern?

When printing, do we print actual size, or scale to fit? There's no 1" test square to make sure it's printing out the intended size.
These are really, really cute and I can't wait to make some!

Hi, I'm trying to print the 2T pattern out but it's coming out huge…? Any advice on with percentage I should be printing it at? Also have you updated the 2T pattern or only the smaller size?
Thanks,
Beccy

For some reason, the pattern is no longer showing up! 🙁

Is there a way to make the romper without snaps so I could just pull it on and off with ease??

Thank you for designing and sharing this. Its a great patter and so generous of you to give it to others. I'll share a link when I sew one up :-0

These are so fun! Do you have a tutorial (or at least a pattern, if it follows the same basic instructions) for the long sleeved one that you have in the picture?

I love this idea! Are you able to give a pattern for bigger sizes like 12-24months too? Or ideas how to modify it for bigger bubs? Thanks heaps!

I only have a 6 mos size and a 2t size at the moment. Here's a link to the larger size!
https://www.heatherhandmade.com/2013/06/2t-t-shirt-romper.html

Thank you. The age range on this is perfect for some cute nephews I'll have next summer! Now to find the perfect t-shirts.