DIY: Crochet Tank Top

What’s a girl to do with a closet full of acrylic yarn? DIY her own crochet tank top, of course. These bad boys can go for a pretty penny but you can make one yourself for a few dollars and a whole lot of patience. And fear not- no experience required! The day I made this tank top was also the day I learned to crochet.

You’ll need:

• 5mm crochet needle

• acrylic yarn of your choice

• safety pins

For the body:

Using a slip knot, chain 50 across. I used this for a size S which turned out to be boxy/loose for me (orange tank top pictured). As a true XS, I redid this pattern with 40 across and much preferred this sizing for a more fitted tank top (green tank top pictured). Yarn over and single crochet, and repeat until you’ve reached the height of tank top body that you desire. Personally, I created 41 rows for a cropped, reasonably covering belly button length, but this is completely customizable! Repeat this rectangle for both the front and back pieces and when you’re done, sew them together in a zig-zag stitch.

For the straps:

Use safety pins to accurately/symmetrically mark the base of the straps on both front/back. Be sure that you are working on the inside-outside side of the tank top so that when you flip it, all the seams are on the same side. Essentially, you’ll create a wider triangular base that’ll taper into rectangular/thick straps. Single crochet into the front of the tank top in the marked areas that you want to create the base of the strap and then gradually taper by “losing a stitch” at the end of each row. This can be done by single crocheting into both the second to last + last loop at once. Once you get down to 6 stitches, single crochet as many rows as you want to create the straps. Again, this is up to your discretion, but I did 36 rows. I recommend making the straps a little tight because the yarn will stretch out. Using a needle, sew the strap to the back of the tank top body to combine the two!

This simple pattern can easily be converted into a bag by sewing the bottom together! Additionally, these tanks can be jazzed up by creating contrasting piping around the edges, crocheting the straps in a different color, color blocking, or incorporating a floral or wavy pattern into the body. I got the floral pattern from Ravelry. The options are endless and I can’t wait to experiment with more!