How to Upcycle a Sweatshirt Using a Thrifted Dress Shirt | Business-Casual Sweatshirt

In this complete, step-by-step sewing tutorial, I’m upcycling a basic sweatshirt and a thrifted dress shirt into what I call a business-casual sweatshirt — polished on the outside, comfy on the inside.

This project creates the look of a layered outfit without the bulk. The dress shirt back and sleeves are sewn directly into the sweatshirt, so everything stays in place while still looking intentional and put-together.

This is a full start-to-finish tutorial and is beginner-friendly, with clear steps, sizing tips, and construction guidance throughout. If you’re newer to sewing or just starting to experiment with upcycling thrifted clothing, this is a great confidence-building project.

🧵 In this video, I show you how to:
• Deconstruct a sweatshirt and dress shirt
• Swap in a dress shirt back panel
• Create a fake layered sleeve look
• Reassemble everything into one finished garment

This project is great for:
✔ Thrifted clothing upcycles
✔ Using oversized sweatshirts
✔ Creating a layered look without extra pieces

If you enjoy turning thrifted or basic pieces into something a little more extraordinary, make sure you’re subscribed.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:27 Finished Business-Casual Sweatshirt (What We’re Making)
01:07 Materials Needed & Sizing Tips
01:43 Remove Sweatshirt Cuffs & Bottom Band
02:04 Cut or Unstitch Sweatshirt Sides & Sleeves
02:16 Cut Dress Shirt Sleeves & Back Panel
02:24 Square Up & Clean All Pieces
02:35 Match & Cut the New Back Panel
03:20 All the Pieces You’ll Need to Move Forward
03:59 Sew the New Back Panel to the Sweatshirt
04:24 Measure for the New Sleeve Cuff
06:23 Prep the Cuffs & Front Bottom Band
07:00 Cut the Sleeve for the Inserted Shirt Cuff
09:00 Find the Sleeve Seam Allowance
10:14 Make the Sleeve Cuff Pieces
11:18 Do You Need a Side Seam Slit?
12:21 Attach Sleeves & Sew Side Seams
13:09 Attach the Sleeve Cuffs
15:01 Attach the Front Bottom Band
15:26 Final Reveal – Business-Casual Sweatshirt

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