Make a Dress out of a Skirt

Make a dress in a few simple steps. It seems almost too easy and it is! This is a great way to make use of pre-loved clothes that need a new lease of life, or making something more interesting from thrift store finds.

Steps

  1. Find or buy a skirt. It can be any length you want, from dragging on the floor to a wide belt. The fabric is also up to you but it's best to buy the fabric to the season you're intending to wear the dress for.
    • Skirt waist must be elasticized if you follow these directions, or you will not be able to put garment on or take it off, without slitting the shirt at the skirt's opening.
    • Use the opportunity to combine two items that you really love but that you'd really like to change up a bit.
  2. Find an old or buy a new shirt or top such as a t-shirt or singlet top. You can match it with the same color or a different one, provided it coordinates nicely. Choose any length sleeve you want and any material you like, taking seasonal needs into account.
  3. Cut the shirt so that it ends a little below your waistline. This is where the most drastic curve of your silhouette is. Obviously, if it already sits at this length, then there is no need to cut it.
  4. Turn the shirt and skirt inside out. Pull the shirt over the top of the skirt and position it on the skirt in readiness for sewing in place. It's best to pin the two pieces in place as they'll move easily when sewing.
  5. Sew the shirt onto the skirt. While this can be done by hand, it's much easier machine sewing the two pieces together.
    • Use a sewing machine for the best sewing results, but if you don't have a sewing machine, then make sure to use a thimble when you hand sew as you're pushing through two layers of fabric.
  6. Turn the shirt right-side out and try the whole thing on. You can now add whatever little accessories you want to the dress, such as rhinestones, sequins, ribbon bows, etc. Another idea is to create waistbands from ribbon, lace or fabric.
  7. Wear your wonderful new dress in public.



Tips

  • Choose a skirt and shirt that are a bit loose fitting, so that the finished dress easily slips over your head.
  • It's great to use stuff like sequins, buttons and bows to attach to the dress to give it that edgy and creative look.

Warnings

  • Don't accidentally sew the front and back together; make sure you can still get into the dress.

Things You'll Need

  • Skirt
  • Shirt or top
  • Sewing thread and needle or sewing machine
  • Scissors
  • Flat work surface

Related Articles

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Make_a_Dress_out_of_a_Skirt&oldid=359132"