How to Cut the Bottom of a Shirt Off

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Crop tops can be stylish shirts that expose the abdomen, or are worn layered over a tight-fitting tank top. The top is easily styled with skinny jeans and heels for a sassy night look, or worn with shorts and sandals for a day outfit. Creating your own crop top is simple and can be done in a matter of minutes. Grab your favorite shirt that is too long, or just not working for you anymore, and transform it into a chic new top by chopping off the bottom.

Lay the shirt on an ironing board and heat the iron. Look at the interior label of the shirt to determine what type of heat setting, such as cotton, poly-blend or rayon.

Iron the shirt to remove any wrinkles. You want the shirt to be completely straight and wrinkle free for a perfect cut.

Draw a line across the bottom of the shirt with tailor chalk. This will be your cutting line, so make sure the shirt is not too long or too short. Use a ruler to measure from the hem to the line in several different places. This will give you a straight cut along the entire shirt.

Cut through the front and back of the shirt along the chalk line. Cutting the front and back at the same time will ensure an even cut along both sides. Discard or recycle the excess material.

Leave the edge raw along the cut line for a sassy look, or apply no-sew hem tape for a polished look. To apply the hem tape, turn the shirt inside out and fold the raw edge 1/4 inch up toward the inside of the shirt and affix the hem tape along the line. Apply the iron to the hem tape to secure it.