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How to Cut the Neckband of a Shirt to Make a Pattern

If you have an old worn-out shirt with a collar that you really like, you can use the old collar to make a pattern for a new one. This works best for the collar of a button-down shirt or blouse, whether it’s a pointed collar, a rounded Peter Pan collar or an unusual shape. (For T-shirt neckbands, it’s easiest to buy a new ribbed knit collar from a fabric store.) You can use the old shirt collar as a pattern by placing it directly on the fabric and cutting around it or by placing it on a piece of paper and tracing around it. Either way, you’ll need to add 5/8 inch around all the edges of each part of the collar for seam allowance.

Things You'll Need

Old shirt with a collar
Scissors
Iron (optional)
Measuring tape or ruler
Large paper or piece of fabric
Pencil or straight pins

Instructions

- 1
  Cut the collar off the shirt just below the neckband.
- 2
  Iron the collar flat if needed.
- 3
  Cut the upper part of the collar (the decorative part) from the lower part of the collar (the neckband that attaches it to the shirt) along the seam.
- 4
  Lay the upper part of the collar on a large piece of paper or the right side of a piece of fabric.
- 5
  Measure 5/8 inch from the edge of the collar to mark the cutting line for the collar pattern. Use a pencil to mark this distance on the paper, or use a pin to mark it on the fabric.
- 6
  Repeat step 5 all the way around the collar, so that the pencil or pin markings for the collar pattern are 5/8 inch larger than the old collar all the way around.
- 7
  Cut out the paper pattern or fabric.
- 8
  Repeat steps 4 through 7 for the neckband (or lower part of the collar).

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