Tweengirls’ crop tops are a staple in their closets, but not all of their favorite shirts are as short and stylish as they’d like. If your daughter wants to cool down in the warmer months or breathe new life into an old shirt, she can tie her shirt into a crop top.There are multiple ways to tie a normal shirt into a crop top, including using a bunny ears knot, a bun knot, a back knot, side knot, and rubber band knot.
Girls and crop tops go together like birds of a feather in today’s world of tween fashion. By tying her shirts into crop tops, your daughter also has the option to untie the shirt for more coverage. This can be helpful if she feels uncomfortable about boys while wearing her crop tops or if she misunderstood her school’s dress code.
Tying a Button-Down Shirt
Tying a button-down shirt into a crop top is simple. The easiest knot is a bottom knot. First, your daughter will put on her shirt, unbuttoned. Then she will take the two bottom corners of the front of the shirt and tie them into a double-knot at her desired length. Make sure she pulls it tight enough to stay put. Then, she can button up the shirt the rest of the way!
Knots for T-Shirts
Here’s how to tie a range of t-shirt knots for a cropped look:
Bunny Ears Knot
To make a bunny ears knot, start by gathering two sections of your daughter’s shirt along the bottom hem in front of her hips. Cross one of the sections over the other, then take that same section and pull it under and up through the gap you’ve created. It’s just like tying shoes! Pull the two sections tighter to secure the knot.
Bun Knot
Starting at the bottom of your daughter’s shirt, bring your thumb and index finger together into an ‘O’ shape. Slide the hem of the shirt through the ‘O’ until the shirt fits her snuggly. Tighten your thumb against the fabric, wrapping the tail of the bun around your index and middle fingers, forming a loop. Pull that tail through the loop and tug it to tighten the knot.
Back Knot
Back knots are either bunny ears or bun knots that are just gathered on the back of her shirt. Have your daughter stand with her back to you and gather the material, tying it using whichever knot you prefer.
Side Knot
Using either the bunny ears or bun knot style of tying, shift the starting point to the side of your daughter’s waist or stomach. Your gathering point should be off to the side of the shirt. Then, tie the knot using your preferred knot, and you’re done!
Rubber Band Knot
Gather the fabric from the shirt’s hemline in one hand, twisting it like a bun knot. However, instead of tying it all the way, use a rubber band to tie around the gathered fabric. Tuck the resulting ‘tail’ and rubber band inside your daughter’s shirt, making it look tucked and cropped.
Alternatives to Tying Crop Tops
If you don’t want to stretch out the hem and fabric of your favorite shirt, there are other ways to achieve the cropped look without tying your shirt.
Cutting It Shorter
Cutting your daughter’s tops into crop tops can be a fun activity for you to do together. Get a pair of fabric scissors, a light-colored fabric marker, and sewing tape. Measure your daughter’s chest and waistline, determining what length she would like for the top. Then, lay the shirt she wants cut flat on a table or other even surface. Use the fabric pen to mark where you will cut.
We recommend you either cut the cloth yourself, or closely monitor your daughter as she cuts. Coach her to take short, slow cuts to make sure she’s cutting the fabric evenly. This will also lower the risk of any accidents or injury. Once it’s done, you can either sew a hem by folding in the loose seam and sewing it with a sewing machine, or leave it as is!