Primark hack – How to customise a top with pom-poms & splits

Today’s blog post is a super-fast DIY project to add a little personality to an off-the-peg high street top. Yes, I’m doing a Primark hack, and I don’t care who knows it! It’s such a quick project that I did it just half an hour before heading out to a party wearing the top. AND I had time to photograph it for you..! Now, that’s quick, eh? Read on to find out how I added a little pizzazz (or should I say pom-poms?) to my new cotton top.I picked up this heart print top from Primark for £6 only a couple of weeks ago. It’s one of those oversize tops in breezy cotton so it’s great on hot days, plus it’ll look fab under a cardi for winter too, so I couldn’t resist it. This same top is also available in floral prints, geometric patterns and plenty of different colours, so have a look next time you’re in Primark and grab a couple to play around with at home. I bought the top in a too-small size 8. This is because I didn’t want the top to be ‘too’ blousey and wanted it to sit better on my shoulders. I know that the design is supposed to be oversize, but I preferred how the size 8 fit me and I wanted to add some on-trend side-splits so it didn’t matter if it was a little tight over the hips.While I was out shopping, I also picked up some mini pom-pom trim from the haberdashery. I got 1.5m just in case, but actually 1 metre was more than enough. This cost me £1.65 in total for the trim, and some other colours were even lower in price so I might pop back for a bright yellow soon! I was very excited to turn a standard high street top into something a little more unique so I hurried home to start sewing. Adding splits and pom-poms works well on any cotton or lightweight top, because you don’t have to worry about the stretch of the fabric. Here’s how to do this make-it-your-own project…Step 1. Put on the top and decide where you would like the side splits to come up to. Mark it with a pin, then fold in half down the centre to check that the splits go up to the same point on both sides.

Step 2. Carefully unpick the seam up to this point. I was rather impatient and cut straight through the fabric but if you unpick it, you’ll have a seam allowance on each side which makes turning back a hem easier!

Step 3. Turn the raw edges of the split under and pin in place before stitching with matching thread. Repeat on the other side.

Step 4. Cut the pom-pom trim to the width of the front of the top, adding a little extra ribbon at each end to turn under.

Step 5. Fold the ribbon end inwards and pin to the bottom edge of the top. Pin the pom-pom trim all the way along the top and fold the end of the trim under again. Step 6. Stitch a straight line along the edge of the top to join the pom-pom trim to the top. Repeat on the back of the top.

And there you have it! A customised top that no-one else will have! And you don’t have to stick with high-street tops for this project, you could embellish a charity shop find or a top that you pick up at the car boot sale. Keep an eye out for pom-pom trim whenever you go to the market, a haberdashery shop or find similar trims online on Etsy UK. I’ve shared this project, along with loads of other simple sewing hacks on the Oxfam Fashion Blog. I’m very proud to volunteer as a writer and DIY contributor so please check out my profile on the Oxfam website and follow the links to find all my other thrifty makeover projects (including the easiest-ever Halloween costume, woo!).