How to Turn a Onesie into a T-Shirt (and Other Play-Friendly Clothing Ideas for Babies)

This is a sponsored post brought to you by Garanimals. Be sure to see below for a tutorial on how to turn a onesie into a t-shirt (no sewing required!).

When I was pregnant with Jack, I loved buying baby clothes. Baby jeans! Little button-up, collared shirts! Baby shoes! Hats! I wanted them all. I even bought him the sweetest little wool newborn pajamas, complete with a gazillion miniature buttons because OMG THEY WERE PRECIOUS.

Of course, then I actually had the baby. Baby jeans looked uncomfortable. Little button-up, collared shirts seemed stiff and were a pain to get on the actual baby. Baby shoes? Hahahaha. Hats? Not a chance. And those precious little pajamas with all the buttons? Well, you can just forget about that. As soon as I realized how many times I had to remove the baby’s clothing to change diapers and how it’s basically impossible to dress a wiggly newborn anyway, those little buttons looked as if they had been sent by the devil himself. 

Jack never wore the pajamas.

What I learned is that babies and toddlers are active little beings. They ruin their clothes, they are always on the move, and most of the time? It’s just not worth it to dress a baby in non-functional clothes. Functional play clothes are the way to go with little ones.

If you’re new to the parenting game, here are 5 tips for dressing kids comfortably – on a budget. I’ve also got a SUPER simple no-sew way to turn a onesie into a t-shirt to extend the life of all those onesies your baby is going to outgrow in no time!

1. Buy lots of leggings. Babies and leggings go together like peanut butter and jelly. Leggings are stretchy, they’re comfy, and they stretch – which means they’ll fit longer than jeans or other non-stretchy pants.

2. Use layers. I always went with the less is more policy, and added layers as needed. 

3. Skip the baby shoes. Yes, they’re cute…but they won’t stay on. Trust me on this.

4. Baby leg warmers are great for babies…and toddlers, too. These are even easier than leggings, as you don’t need to remove them to change a diaper. 

5. Buy Garanimals play clothes. My kids wore tons of Garanimals clothing as babies, and they still do (in fact, I bought Claire some Garanimals shorts today!). Available at Walmart, Garanimals makes quality and budget-friendly clothing for babies, toddlers, and young children.

They are the kinds of clothes my kids mostly wear – leggings, cotton shorts, t-shirts, onesies, and just generally comfy, kid-friendly clothing – from newborn to size 5T.

Their clothes are all mix-and-match and only a few dollars apiece, making it easy to dress your kids for the thing they do best – play!

Garanimals also makes clothing for kids once they outgrow a 5T with their brand 365Kids.
6. (bonus tip!) Keep your outgrown clothes in use by turning onesies into t-shirts. And here’s a super simple way to do just that – no sewing involved.

If you’re handy with a needle and thread, I imagine it’s pretty easy to turn your child’s old onesies into shirts. But for the rest of us? The ones who find themselves tangled in string and bleeding from careless needle pokes? Sewing isn’t always an option.

How to turn a onesie into a t-shirt (NO SEWING required!)

What you need:

• Onesie
• Scissors
• Permanent Adhesive Fabric Tape

Cut off the bottom of the onesie, just above the legs.

Turn the shirt inside out and fold up the bottom to determine how much of a hem you’ll want to have.

Lay down the adhesive tape along the inside of the hem. Peel off the backing and press the bottom of the shirt onto the tape, covering all of the sticky edges.

And that’s it. Seriously. That is all. The tape costs just a few dollars and will do a bunch of shirts. You can wash the “new” shirts in cold water (you’ll see instructions for washing on the back of your tape package).

I’d love to know what your favorite play clothes are for babies and kiddos! Tell us below.

You can buy Garanimals clothing here.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Garanimals. The opinions and text are all mine.