Ever wanted to add a collar to your ensemble without permanently altering your top? Removable shirt collars are a simple and quick way to do it. Removable collars can help add a pop of color or a print to your shirt, help dress up a basic tee, or just keep your neck warm!
There are a few different styles you can go with, too, like angled collars, peter pan collars, and more, plus you can play around with the design for your closures and how you attach the collar to your top! Trims are perfect for this project, too, because it’s so easy to embellish them. You could use a piece of embroidery or ribbon to tie your collar on—there’s lots of room to experiment! That’s what’s so appealing about removable collars; they’re wonderful to work with and make since the design is so versatile and open-ended.
To help give you some ideas, we’ve put together a quick tutorial for how to sew an angled collar as well as a peter pan collar. Removable collars look especially cute tied with a bow, so get ready for ribbons!
The Materials List will be separated into three lists, one for each of the three collar types that this tutorial goes over, so you can have an easier time planning out your own project!
Materials List
Nautical Collar
1/4 YDs Optic White Mercerized Cotton Shirting
1/2 YDs Navy Corded Crochet Trim – 3.5″
1/2 YDs White Water Jet Loom Interlining and Fusible
1/2 YDs 1/4″ Light Navy Single Face Satin Ribbon
22 Egg Shell 250m Gutermann Sew All Thread
Pattern Pieces #4 and #5 from Vogue Pattern #V8927
Striped Peter Pan Collar
1/4 YDs Black/Multicolored Striped Floral Cotton Poplin
1/4 YDs Optic White Mercerized Cotton Shirting
1/2 YDs 1/2″ Misty Turquoise Single Face Satin Ribbon
1/4 YDs White Water Jet Loom Interlining and Fusible
Peter Pan Collar Pattern by Mood Peter Pan Collar Pattern by Mood
10 Black 250m Gutermann Sew All Thread
Cherry Blossom Peter Pan Collar
1/4 YDs Italian Ivory Solid Cotton Shirting
1/2 YDs 1″ Metallic Rose Floral Lace Trim
1/4 YDs White Water Jet Loom Interlining and Fusible
Peter Pan Collar Pattern by Mood Peter Pan Collar Pattern by Mood
323 Old Rose 100m Gutermann Sew All Thread
Notions
Iron and Ironing Board
8″ Fiskars All-Purpose Scissors
Nautical Collar
The first to go over is the Nautical style collar! Since this is a piece from a brand-name pattern, this tutorial will focus on how to go about embellishing with the navy crochet trim.
When you cut out your fabric and interlining, you’ll need two cuts of the collar and the collar stand, as well as one cut of interlining for each of those pieces. Iron your interlining to each of the cuts, and grab your navy trim. The navy trim should be layered between one collar cut and one collar stand cut, with the interlining sides facing OUT, and when placing the trim between your two pieces, line the straight edge side of the trim at the points of the top side of the collar piece. Do not turn and pin the trim to go with the curve!! You want it to be straight to get the look in the final photo!
Pin the layers together, making sure the collar stand piece is longer than the actual collar (this should NOT be gathered!). and sew the plain seam. Trim along the seam you just sewed.
You’re going to do the same with the other pieces, minus the trim layer!
This next step is similar to when you’re making a pillow; pin your two halves right side together. You’re going to sew along these lines:
We need the three unmarked spots left open so that we can turn the collar right-side-out and also have a place to attach our ribbon closures! Once you sew these seams, clip along all the edges carefully, trim any excess threads needed, and turn your collar right-side-out. Don’t cut your seams!
From here, press your collar flat so it’s easier to work with. You’ll need to make sure all the corners are filled out (use a clean, thin dowl or paint brush handle!).
Now take your 1/2 of ribbon and cut it in half, and trim the other end so that they’re the same length. Pin the ribbon into the open edges of the collar stand, and then go ahead and top stitch a border around your collar stand piece.
After that is done, flip your collar stand up and iron it down. Tie your bow, and you’re all done!
Striped Peter Pan Collar
Next up is our striped collar! These steps are a bit simpler. For the pattern, we drew one up ourselves. Click here to download the pattern! Print out the pattern and cut out the paper along the lines, seam allowance is included!
Cut out your two fabrics, one collar pattern piece in the striped fabric and one in the white, and then one cut of interlining. Iron the interlining to wrong side of the striped fabric.
Pin your pieces right sides together and sew along the borders, making sure to leave openings like in the picture below here:
The opening in the collar is so you can turn it right-side-out, and the openings at the tips are for adding your ribbon!
Make sure to clip along the curved edges and trim an lingering threads, then turn the collar right-side-out. Fill out the shape using a clean dowl or other thin tool, and then press it flat wit your iron.
Next, take your 1/2 yard of ribbon and cut it in half, and trim the other ends.
Go ahead and pin the ribbon into the openings you left behind with the shiny side of the ribbon facing out. Using black thread, top-stitch around the entire border, making sure to back-stitch over where you inserted the ribbon.
And then you’re all done!
Cherry Blossom Peter Pan Collar
And lastly, is the cherry blossom peter pan collar!
This collar has the same steps as the striped collar, but with a few added steps beforehand as well as skipping any top-stitching.
This trim is an embroidery trim which means in order to attach it, it must be hand-sewn, and since it’s such a loose trim design, I highly suggest pinning your trim down onto your already-cut fabric pieces in the way that you want it to lay for the final product, like so:
Do this for both sides before starting to sew. It’s best to get the trim to lay as symmetrically as possible.
Sewing down just the leaves and flowers is enough to keep it flat and stable. Don’t pull your threads too tight, because you want them to lay flat, and make sure to tie a knot before starting each leaf or flower and after you’ve completed it. It’s also important to use like-colored thread (the thread listed above in the materials list matches the pink of the embroidery thread very well).
After this step, continue as you would for the striped peter pan color, EXCEPT for top-stitching the final border. This collar does not need to be top-stitched! Make sure to iron the backside of this collar, not on the front–it’s safest to keep from ironing the embroidered trim!
And there you have it! Three simple and quick removable collar designs. See how you can change little things and make a completely different design? What designs do you think you’d like to try? Are there any trims that you’d love to see on a removable collar?
