My grandfather was an amazing man. He was known for his homemade BBQ and his grilling skills. Almost as famous as that, was his collection of red, plaid, button up shirts. That is the only thing I can ever remember seeing him wear.
It was only fitting when he passed away, that some kind of keepsake was made for the family to keep his spirit alive. So, my mom decided to make aprons out of his old button up shirts. I just received mine for Christmas and I adore it. It is a simple DIY project, but has so much meaning to myself and all of my family.
You can see Grandpa in his old red button up shirt at our Christmas gathering in 2009.
How to Make an Apron From a Men’s Dress Shirt
The red lines show the parts of the dress shirt that will be used for the shirt apron.
The process is actually very simple and takes minimal knowledge of sewing. There is no specific pattern that was used. All you need to do is cut straight lines.
1. Cut the Sleeves Off. Cut a line following the hem of the sleeves on both sides.
2. Cut the Back off. Make a straight cut from the arm pits, straight down to the bottom hem of the shirt on both sides. Make sure to cut on the other side of the side hem to avoid getting any raw edges.
3. Cut the Collar Free. You want to be able to use the collar for the neck piece of the apron. So, follow the seem from the bottom of the collar with your scissors. You will want to keep the collar attached to the front section of the shirt.
4. Shape the Apron. Make a straight cut going from the bottom part of the armpit to the area to the front of the shirt, where it meets the collar. This is going to leave a raw edge that you will want to fold over and sew down.
5. Sew Your Straps on. You can use separate fabric or pieces of the dress shirt for this part. Just sew the pieces on at the bottom of the diagonal edge you made by the arm pits. You can also use a piece of fabric all the way from the neck piece to conceal raw edges and then become your straps.
Check this out: Gabriel does a great job of explaining with pictures in this tutorial.
The Finished Product – My Men’s Dress Shirt Apron
Men’s Dress Shirt Apron Patterns
My mom didn’t use a pattern when she made this apron, but she is also amazing. Many of you have been e-mailing me for the pattern, so I decided to list a few resources that might help. Specific patterns for aprons using a men’s shirt are next to impossible to find. So, these are general apron patterns. The idea is that when you cut the shirt for the main apron piece, leave the collar attached. Just follow the seem, like in step 3. Please practice on a junk shirt first so you don’t ruin something important to you.
- McCall’s Patterns M5720 Misses’/Children’s/Girls’ Aprons, All Sizes
- Butterick Patterns B4945 Aprons, All Sizes
- Simplicity Creative Patterns 1221 Misses’ Vintage Aprons, A (S-M-L)
If you use this tutorial, please send me pictures of the finished product. I would love to post them here.