Snow White Shirt Tutorial AKA Grown Ups Can Have Princess Outfits Too

Created On: August 7, 2013 | Updated: September 29, 2021 | 28 Comments

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Use this Snow White Shirt Tutorial for a an easy wearable costume. It’s perfect for wearing to trips to Disneyland with some DIY Mouse Ears or anytime you feel like playing princess without a full princess dress.

A few weeks ago my whole family went to Disneyland. It was the naughty nieces’ first time and I sewed the girls princess dresses for each day we were there. Yeah I know I didn’t have princess dresses when I went to Disneyland as a kid and I only went for one day but how could I turn down making a Princess Jasmine costume?

Even though I spent most of my time sewing for them, I wanted to make a little something for me. So, I whipped up this cute upcycled tank Snow White shirt.

It came together super quickly and when paired with a yellow knit skirt it was a super comfy fun outfit to wear to Disney bounding or just for a fun top. I had tons of people asking me about it I’m glad I had taken process photos so I could write the instruction up.

Snow White Shirt Tutorial

I used a premade tank top to save time but you could easy just this tutorial to tweak your favorite basic dress pattern! The way I’ve written it, it should matter what size you make. Whether making an adult or kiddo shirt the method is exactly the same.

What You Need to Make a Snow White Top

Navy Tank Top
White fabric (collar)
Red Fabric (Sleeve)
Light Blue Fabric (Sleeve)
Yellow fabric (sleeve)
Yellow Ribbon

How to Make Snow White Sleeves

To make the shirt I started by making the iconic princess sleeves. If you’re finding my description too fast be sure to check out my tutorial on how to make princess sleeves.

I started by making myself a sleeve pattern. Take a sleeve pattern for a poofy sleeve (or just add some space in the middle to make it poofy) .
Slit the sleeve 3 times to make room for the red pleats.
Cut about 2 inch slits for each gap out of red.
Sew the sleeve pieces together.
Pleat the red part back folding each side of the blue on top of the red and pin.
Sew basting stitches along both edges and gather. Fit to the arm hole of the tank and leave a few inches of extra space on each side since the armhole will stretch when you sew it on. Sew or serge finishing the edges of the sleeve.
Iron a strip of yellow fabric long enough to go around your flexed bicep plus a few inches in half and sew/serge the raw edge of the strip to the bottom edge of your sleeve.
Set aside

Make The Faux Peter Pan Collar

You’ll want to try out different sizes for the collar to see what you like. When I made the paper collar (step 1) I realized that I preferred a much smaller collar than I expected but really make it so it suits your own preferences!

Lay a piece of paper on top of your tank top and sketch a collar. I added 1/2 inch seam allowance but I wish I had made my collar a lot bigger.
cut 4 collar pieces out of white fabric.
Sew two pieces together leaving a small hole along the top edge to turn it right side out. Snip up to the sewing line and then turn the piece right side out and iron. Repeat with the other two pieces
Position your collar pieces on the shirt and sew along the top edge.
Sew the ribbon down the middle of the shirt (I stitched a line on both edges of the ribbon).

Put the Snow White Shirt Together

To finish up the Snow White top we are next going to set in the sleeves we made above.

So this part is a tiny bit tricky you can fit the sleeve to the tank and sew the sleeve closed but know that it will stretch so I’d make the sleeve circle a few inches bigger than the tank armhole. I did not do this so my tank had extra space at the arm pit. I just folded it and called it a cooling area.
If I were to do it again I would stay stitch the tank armhole first allowing it to stretch a little since I don’t like cramped armholes. Then I’d fit the sleeve to the armhole and then you won’t have to worry about the sizes not matching and set in the sleeve how you would on any garment.

Super fun right?

My only regret is that I didn’t make one for each day. I did end up making a Cinderella shirt after I got home but how fun would peasant Sleeping beauty or even Arial have been?

And here are some cute pictures that my sister took of me and the girls in our outfits. That day L wore her Belle Dress and T wore her Jasmine outfit. I’ll have tutorials for both their outfits up soon.

How to make Snow White sleeves tutorial

Turn any tank into a darling princess shirt. Snow White Shirt Tutorial at Rae Gun Ramblings.

Supplies

Navy Tank Top
White fabric collar
Red Fabric Sleeve
Light Blue Fabric Sleeve
Yellow fabric sleeve
Yellow Ribbon

Instructions

Start off by making the sleeves. If you’re finding my description too fast be sure to check out my tutorial on how to make princess sleeves.
I started by making myself a sleeve pattern. Take a sleeve pattern for a poofy sleeve (or just add some space in the middle to make it poofy) .
Slit the sleeve 3 times to make room for the red pleats.
Cut about 2 inch slits for each gap out of red.
Sew the sleeve pieces together.
Pleat the red part back folding each side of the blue on top of the red and pin.
Sew basting stitches along both edges and gather. Fit to the arm hole of the tank and leave a few inches of extra space on each side since the armhole will stretch when you sew it on. Sew or serge finishing the edges of the sleeve.
Iron a strip of yellow fabric long enough to go around your flexed bicep plus a few inches in half and sew/serge the raw edge of the strip to the bottom edge of your sleeve.
Set aside

Next make the collar.

Lay a piece of paper on top of your tank top and sketch a collar. I added 1/2 inch seam allowance but I wish I had made my collar a lot bigger.
cut 4 collar pieces out of white fabric.
Sew two pieces together leaving a small hole along the top edge to turn it right side out. Snip up to the sewing line and then turn the piece right side out and iron. Repeat with the other two pieces
Position your collar pieces on the shirt and sew along the top edge.
Sew the ribbon down the middle of the shirt (I stitched a line on both edges of the ribbon).
Set in your sleeves.
So this part is a tiny bit tricky you can fit the sleeve to the tank and sew the sleeve closed but know that it will stretch so I’d make the sleeve circle a few inches bigger than the tank armhole. I did not do this so my tank had extra space at the arm pit. I just folded it and called it a cooling area.
If I were to do it again I would stay stitch the tank armhole first allowing it to stretch a little since I don’t like cramped armholes. Then I’d fit the sleeve to the armhole and then you won’t have to worry about the sizes not matching and set in the sleeve how you would on any garment.