Easy D.I.Y Paperbag Top

Heyyy Loves!

This is a quick post to tell you about this paperbag top. You may be familiar with the paperbag waist on pants. If not it looks like the picture below. Its just kind of a ruffled gather of fabric, a fun touch. Normally you don’t see it on tops, as its most popular for the waist of pants but to make a top out of it is SOO easy and very beginner friendly. The straps may take the longest because they are so small and you have to turn them inside out but other than that making this should be a breeze. I recommend using a light-medium weight cotton or linen type fabric.

• Measure around the top of your chest just above your boobs.
• Double that measurement and add and inch
•  Cut a piece of fabric that length. It ends up being a big square of fabric mines was 63 inches in width and 24 inches in height.
• Now cut your square in half because you want to have 2 side seams.
• Sew the fabric together right where you just cut it.
• Fold the long edge of your fabric over twice to finish the raw edge. Press and Sew.
• Repeat the step above on the other long edge.
• Then fold one of the edges down about 5 inches
• You want about 2-3 inches of ruffle at the top and enough fabric to make the casing.
• Press along the folded edge and measure down 2-3 inches (whichever you like) use a ruler and chalk and mark a straight dotted line all the way across your fabric. This will be like a stitching guide. My elastic was 3/4 inches wide and I added 1/8 inch so it would be nice and snug in the casing. So my 2 rows of stitching for the casing were an inch apart. So determine how big your casing needs to be. Whatever size your elastic is just add 1/8 of an inch to it. Below that line make another stitching guide with your ruler and chalk.
• Sew the two rows for the casing.
• Then make your straps. Just use 4 strips of fabric that are 4 inches wide . Determine how long you need them to be. Sew them with the right sides together then flip them right side out. Repeat on all 4 straps and press them flat.
• Attach the straps to the inside of the top.
• And You have yourself a new top!