DIY Wrap Top with Hood – tribal fusion dancewear & festival clothing

Here’s a fun DIY to kick off a sparkly new year!

This DIY wrap top is super comfy and comes with a hood. The fit can be adjusted with the cute ties at the back, and you can make it for a tribal fusion style costume, as a dance practice wear, or festival clothing!

In this video, you’ll see how to make this DIY wrap top step by step. Let’s get started!

Click here to receive the hood pattern for free!

How to Make DIY Wrap Top with a Hood

To make this wrap top, you need:

1.5m (1.5 yards) stretch fabric – Here I’m using lightweight jersey knit, and since it’s stretchy, this is very comfy either as a dance costume or daily wear. 

Matching color thread

Hood pattern – You can download my hood pattern for free here!

A long sleeve fitted shirt to use as a template

Paper to make a pattern with – You can use proper pattern paper of course, but you can use anything like craft paper or wrapping paper.

Make a wrap top pattern

First, measure from the highest point of your shoulder to underbust. Measure over your bust to the bottom of the bra cup. 

Fold your pattern paper in half. Fold your shirt in half with front side of the shirt together, and place it against the fold of your pattern paper. Place the sleeves out of the way.

Take the shoulder to underbust measurement from earlier, and measure that length from the shoulder. Trace the shirt to that length. The arm hole is curved and a bit tricky to trace, but just trace it as best as you can. Add a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance all around except at the fold, and cut along the outline, and you have the back panel pattern.

Next, fold your shirt in half the other way this time, so you can see the front side out. Just like you did for the back panel, fold the pattern paper and align the folds of the paper and your shirt. Trace the front panel to the same length and add a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance, except for the neck line. Cut along the line but leave the neckline untouched.

Then on one side of the front panel, measure 1cm (3/8in) from the bottom, and connect this point and the neckline on the opposite side with a straight line. And cut along the line. This is your front panel pattern.

Finally, place the long fold of a sleeve against the edge of pattern paper, and trace the sleeve. For this one, I made the end of the sleeve a few cm longer and wider. It flares out from about 15cm from the end and at the end it’s 15cm wide. Add a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance all around except at the fold, and cut along the line. I skipped the seam allowance at the end of the sleeve, because I wanted to leave the end unfinished. This is your sleeve pattern.

Cut fabric

Next, place the back panel pattern on your fabric and cut along the outline. Make sure the direction of stretch is parallel to the width of the panelor the front panels, fold the fabric right sides together, and stretch is parallel to the width of the panel. Cut out right and left panels in one go.

Then fold the fabric so the direction of stretch is perpendicular to the fold this time, and place the sleeve pattern, right against the fold of the fabric. Cut along the outline. And add a notch at the fold here by making a small snip.

Repeat this step to make another one. 

Next, fold the fabric right sides together, and fold again. Place the hood pattern ( Get it for free here!) and cut along the outline. You’ll be cutting 4 panels here, 2 are going to be the outer layer, and 2 are going to be lining. I’m cutting here while adding a seam allowance, but the pattern you download from this tutorial already includes the seam allowance. 

Finally, cut out 3 strips. 2 of them are ½ m (20in) long and 12cm (4 3/4in) wide. 

For the third strip, first measure the width of the back panel, and triple the measurement and add 2cm (3/4in). That’s the length of the third strip, and the width is 12cm (4 3/4in). 

Now all we have to do is assemble! 

Assemble Your DIY Wrap Top!

First, match up the shoulder seams of the front and back panels right sides together, and sew them together using a zigzag stitch with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance or other stretch stitch of your choice. 

Then take one of the sleeve panels, and match up the notch and the shoulder seam right sides together and place a pin or clip. Then match up the corner of the sleeve with the end of the arm hole, and match up the rest. Do the same for the other side. 

Then do a zigzag stitch along the edge with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance. Repeat for the other sleeve. If they are not matching well, pull the fabric gently to match them up as you sew. 

Fold the top right sides together, and do a zigzag stitch all the way from the sleeve to the side seam for both sides.

Take 2 of the hood pieces, and place them right sides together. Sew along the curved edge with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance. Repeat with the other 2 hood pieces.

Match them up right sides together, and sew along the straight edge.

Turn it inside out, and it looks like this. The bottom edge is open. You have a nicely lined hood!

Turn the top right side out as well, and fold the back panel of the top and find the centre point of the neckline. Match this up with the back centre of the hood, right sides together, and pin the rest of the hood to the top. There’s no marks so just make sure the ends of the hood are placed at the same distance from the shoulder seams and it is placed symmetrically. 

Then do a straight stitch with a 3/8in (1cm) seam allowance, and stretch the fabric gently as you sew.

And fold the rest of the raw edges along the neck line 1cm (3/8in) from the edge and do a top stitch. Use a straight stitch all the way around, and again, stretch the fabric a little as you sew. At the hood section, place the seam allowance of the hood on the side of the back panel and continue top stitching. If you don’t add a hood, simply keep folding the edge and do a top stitch all around.

Do the same for the hem of the sleeves if you like. I left mine unfinished.

Next, take the long tie and fold it in half wrong sides together. Place it along the bottom edge of the top, and leave 1cm (3/8in) at the ends. Do a straight stitch with a a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance. 

Then take the 2 strips, fold them in half right sides together, and do a straight stitch while stretching gently. Use a 3/8in (1cm) sean allowance. Just sew one of the short edges and long edge, and keep the other short end open. I decided to sew at an angle here to make a pointy end.

Trim the corners so they’re not bulky, and turn it inside out. 

Repeat to make 2 ties.

Finally, place one of the ties and the strip at the bottom of the top right sides together, and sew with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance. Fold over the seam allowance towards the top, and do a top stitch to keep the tie nice and flat. Repeat for the other tie.

Press all seams, and your DIY wrap top is complete!

This wrap top is so cute and comfortable. The hood is nice and deep, so it doesn’t come off your head easily. It’s perfect as a lesson outfit when it’s a little chilly or as a costume too! 

You can open up the front slightly to show a decorative bra top as well. This sparkly bra top is from my upcoming course, and I’m really, really excited about sharing it with you! Learn more about the course here!

Hope you liked this DIY wrap top tutorial, and if you did, please share this post with your crafty friend who’d love to make this top! 

Again, you can get the hood pattern at the link below.

Click here to receive the hood pattern for free!

And in my next post, I’ll show you how to make this cute matching scrunch mini skirt with adjustable ties! So be sure to sign up for my newsletter above so you won’t miss it!

Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling!

P.S. Pin this image on your costume idea board!

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