Last updated on March 17th, 2024 at 01:56 am
How do you dress up a pretty standard, comfy mom uniform? Is there any pizzazz to add to around-the-house sweats? Or is there any way, aside from the obvious sight of a rambunctious toddler in your arms, to announce to the public one of your very favorite roles?
…enter the oversized Mama sweatshirt.
Cute, easy to assemble, and wrapping around you like the hug you always need.
Here’s how I made it:
Gather your DIY mama sweater supplies
We’re going to start with a sweatshirt you already like or possibly own. I prefer it to be one solid, neutral color, like white or cream, to show off the stylish array of colors in your MAMA letters. For the pioneer version of this tutorial, feel free to make your own sweatshirt!
I went with a staple brand I could count on to give me that soft roominess I was searching for: Hanes. I ordered a large cream pullover from Amazon.
Next, I gathered the fabric for my letters. Not much is needed to create each letter, and I wanted a simple way to get a variety of colors. I ordered a cotton fabric pack from Amazon as well. It comes in generously sized squares (more than I needed for this project) in six colors. Be sure to pick colors that go well together.
Finally, I’d need my laptop and pencil for tracing the design, scissors for cutting the letters out, and a needle and thread for sewing the letters on.
Mama sweatshirt materials needed:
- Oversized pullover (I bought this cotton/polyester Hanes sweater in cream)
- Cotton fabric squares in atleast four different colors
- Laptop or tablet
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Needle
- Thread
Directions for the mama sweatshirt
1. Selecting colors for the letters
To see which colors combination I liked the best, I lined up four different-colored squares of fabric, changing them out until I arrived at the palette of my dreams.
2. Tracing the letters
Next up was the task of tacing each letter out of each color.
One could print out and trace a pattern, but I prefer an even lazier method.
I find that most lightweight fabrics, like cotton, are transparent enough to see through when afixed to a laptop screen.
I created and sized the letters in PowerPoint, typing up “ma” (you only need these two, because they repeat) in the Cooper Black font at size 350. It’s attached as a Google Slide here if you’d like to use my pattern, though I noticed the font changes slightly.
To trace the letters, I clipped on my first fabric square and set to outlining the letter m. To do this with accuracy, you need to be sure the fabric is stretched tightly onto the screen and held there securely. Your lines will likely wobble if the fabric is wrinkling and bunching. Keep it taut.
I traced one letter in each color and then cut them out. Note: Using the letters cut out as-is will create a rustic, homespun effect. The letters will fray at the edges because they haven’t been “finished.” I personally like to keep it this way to signal that it’s been handmade!
3. Positioning the letters
Before sewing on the letters, you’ll need to be sure they’re positioned just right.
Trust me on this– it’s no fun ripping up your stitches and attaching a whole letter all over again just because it wasn’t spaced evenly.
Lay out the letters on the sweater, first determining by eye that there is an even amount of space between each letter and between the whole word and the sides of the sweater.
Double-check even spacing by measuring the amount of room between the first letter and the right side and the last letter and the left side.
When you achieve a good, even spacing, pin your letters to the front of the sweatshirt. (Be sure to pin down the “a” with a pin jabbing horizontally through the top of the a– my first a sewed up wonkily without this top held down securely.)
Straight stitch your letters to the sweatshirt
Once your letters are pinned down, it’s time to get them sewed on!
4. Straight stitching the mama letters onto your sweatshirt by hand
Originally, I thought I was going to machine stitch these babies on. But when I went to do this, and realized how many loops and curves I’d have to circumnavigate. It would be like trying to steer a cargo ship into a bird bath. I decided old-fashioned hand stitching would be the best way forward.
If you’re not familiar with sewing by hand, let me encourage you to try!
You’ll need a long embroidery needle and some neutral-colored thread. (I used some cream-colored thread I had on my sewing machine.) Prepare your needle and thread by cutting a length of thread (about an arm’s length to start out) and poking it through the needle’s eye. Once threaded, leave a generous amount of thread hanging off one end of the needle. This is your tail. You want to keep the tail at all times to prevent the needle from unthreading.
Knot the other end of the thread. This is what will hold your stitching in place. Be sure the knot is big enough to stop the thread from gliding through the other side of the fabric– usually, I’ll do two or three knots on top of each other to create one, unmovable mega knot.
You’re ready to get stitchin’!
5. Knot all stitches to finish
To hold the stitching in place, it’s important to turn the piece over to its backside and knot the extra thread before finishing. In fact, I double knot just to be sure! Pictured bove is what the back (inside) of my sweater looked like as I was knotting it.
It’s alright if you have to do this multiple times, either because you’re starting a stitch over, messed up, or ran out of thread. Just remember: Each time you end any stitching, knot it up to secure its hold.
6. Flaunt your new cozy mama sweater!
Okay, this step is optional, but the most rewarding. Enjoy your finished product!
Cultivating a handmade, personalized mom wardrobe
Alright– so not every piece in my wardrobe is handmade, embellished, or particularly meaningful.
But I’m working on it.
This mama sweatshirt is the perfect combination of comfort and smile-inducing style. I hope you found this tutorial helpful! Readers, let me know in the comments or on socials if you try this one out!
Other no-fuss craft tutorials on the blog include:
Chain stitching a baby name on a knit sweater
Embroidering a name on a swaddle
Throwing a DIY ice cream birthday party
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