Just thought I'd post this idea here because I know I wish somebody would have suggested this to me a long time ago. ^^;
So here's an extremely simple 3 to 4 step tutorial on how to make your own bell sleeves out of a long sleeved shirt. The only trick to the whole thing is to find the right kind of long sleeved shirt in the first place. It needs to be something like this:
http://www.jiffyshirts.com/tshirts/l...cust=135135890
You could get one from that website for $4.61 + shipping, or you could do like I did and recycle an old shirt that you never liked in the first place. >w< I'd suggest taking a look at your local retail store. I know the St. Vincent De Paul here sells loads of stuff for under a dollar. Just make sure it has those kind of sleeves. If you have thin arms you might want to go with a size smaller, but I guess it's mostly personal preference.
1. (If you're not shopping online) Before you even buy the shirt, try sticking your arm up the sleeve in the wrong direction. Make sure the end of the sleeve wants to stay above your elbow, or right below it. (Depends on where you want to wear it.) You might need to get a different size than you would normally wear as a shirt, you might not.
2. Cut the shirt (please buy it first. xD) at the base of the sleeve, just on the inside of where the sleeve meets the torso area. Try it on this way, if you like the length, you can keep it like that and no sewing is required. Just make sure that you cut close enough that it doesn't look scraggly.
3. If you want it shorter, take a ruler and some kind of fabric marking tool (my sister has tailors chalk or something like that) and mark it where you want to cut it. You also might want to pin it to make sure that it holds still. Cut it and try it on again. If it's still too long, repeat the process. Caution: If you're going to hem it up, remember to give yourself around an inch extra.
4. Hemming time! You really don't have to hem it if you don't want to or can't, but it'll make it look neater and keep it from fraying or flipping up at the ends. Mine aren't hemmed right now and they're not fraying. ^^
5. Get creative and add stuff if you want. Get some cute lace and sew it on the ends of the sleeves, cut out some other cute shapes from some other fabric, or buy iron on patches. Sew some buttons on, or put some ribbon on the ends. These are all just suggestions. Mine are still plain, but feel free to go wild!
Vuala! You're done! Put them on and go out and show them off! Best of all, you can use the rest of that shirt to make yourself some arm warmers (or leg warmers if you're creative enough) seen here:
http://forum.asiajam.com/made-me/294...-tutorial.html
You can make these out of plain fabric and elastic, but it requires more sewing and is more time consuming, and it doesn't look exactly the same. I might make a tutorial for that someday if I get bored enough. Probably not though. xD
And here's a pic of mine!
In that pic I rolled the tops under to make them shorter.
Ok I think that's it. Sorry if it's unclear in some places, feel free to ask any questions. Just know that if I can do it, you can do it too!
Off-topic note:
I was thinking about posting a lolita inspired skirt tutorial. Would anyone be interested in that? Just trying to see if it's worth posting.
Uber easy recycled bell sleeves (optionally no sew)
I'm pretty sure most other brands have 4 buttons I believe for detachable sleeves,
post it!post it! aha~ XD
