Use a Doily to Create a DIY Boho Cut-out Top

Here’s how to give a boring, long sleeved top a stylish boho fashion look.

All you need is a round or square doily, or the center of a lace tablecloth.

It’s quick and easy to do but very imaginative and creative, to give you a brand new look for almost nothing.

Tools and materials:

• Long sleeve, round neck top
• Circular or square doily or tablecloth center
• Pins
• Scissors
• Sewing machine

1. Plan the design

I started with this raglan sleeve leisure top in a non-fray fabric.

My doily (actually the centerpiece of a tablecloth) is large enough to cover the neckline when folded in half and wide enough to reach the top of the shoulders.

Then my second row of stitches will go through the lowest complete row of the doily.

3. Cut the neckline

I cut away the excess doily fabric at the neck edge, to expose the original collar seam.

Then I cut off the collar itself, as close to my top row of stitching as I could.

I tidied up the edge by carefully cutting off any of the doily stitches that had been attached to a row that I’d removed.

I finished the neck edge with a tight, wide zigzag stitch all round the neckline. If you have a serger, you could use that instead.

Make sure that the top row of the doily is caught firmly in your stitching.

4. Cut out the shirt

Turn your top wrong side out.

What I’m planning to do next is remove the shirt fabric behind the doily, between the two rows of stitching.

I started by making a small cut into the shirt fabric above the second row of stitches, making sure it was separated from the doily.

Then I pushed the point of my scissors into the hole and slowly and carefully cut around the shirt, just above the second stitching line.

I decided to trim the lower unstitched part of the doily away completely as well.

I finished off the edge with a row of tight, wide zigzag stitches, as I did at the neckline.

I was considering whether to bind the raw edge of the neck with one of my vintage borders or some bias binding.

Once I’d finished the sewing however, I decided I really liked the deconstructed look of the neckline as it was.

If you want a neater look to yours, you may want to add an edging or binding now.

5. Optional finishing touch

I decided at the last minute to chop off the sleeves just past the shoulders.

I also cropped the length and left all the cut edges raw, to give the whole top a very casual, distressed look.

DIY boho cut-out top

When I first tried on the finished top, I’ll admit I was very unsure about it. I thought it was going to be far too demure for me!