You will need:

1 inch elastic

Safety pin

Fabric scissors

Measuring tape

Fabric of your choice (1/2 yard is usually enough for a toddler or child sized skirt, or 1 yard for an adult size. If you’re new to sewing, cotton is the easiest to work with!)

Thread

Directions:

I promise this skirt is the easiest thing to make! It’s a great project for a beginner. I made my first skirt a few years ago and have made many of them over the years. I decided to make this skirt for my daughter and would say it’s probably an equivalent to a 2T-4T. She can wear it for years because of the style and it can be easily thrown in the wash and worn over and over again.

First, you will need to cut your fabric into a big rectangle. Add 2 inches to whatever skirt length you want your final skirt to be. I wanted this skirt to be 12 inches long when finished, so I cut my fabric at 14 inches and the width was however long the fabric was when I bought it (36 inches). I think any length from 9-12 inches is great for a toddler! I cut the elastic at 19 inches to fit her waist.

Fold the rectangle in half with the short sides together and the pretty side of the fabric on the inside. Then, sew the short side together (I used a 1/4 inch seam allowance).

If you have a serger you can serge the ends so they don’t fray. My sewing machine has a stitch I like to use that’s similar to serging, so I used that. If you don’t have a fancy stitch like the one I used, you can just use a zig zag stitch and that works perfectly! Sew down the short end with the zig zag stitch.

Next, fold the bottom of the skirt over by 1/4 inch and iron it down. Then fold it another 1/4 inch down and iron it down again. This will hide the raw edge of the fabric and make a clean edge. Ironing may take some time, but be patient because you don’t want the end of the skirt to be crooked or messy! It will look much more professional if you take your time ironing. Also. be sure to press the edge that you sewed down on one side so it lays flat.

Next, iron the top of the skirt. Start by folding 1/4 inch of the fabric down again just like we did on the bottom. Then, fold it again about 1 and 1/8 inches down so we have enough space to put the elastic inside – but not too much space so your elastic can’t get twisted inside. Iron it in place. Again, take your time and make sure everything is nice and straight.

Now it’s time to sew the hem of your skirt! Make sure your sewing machine is set back to a straight stitch. I like to start at the seam and go all the way around.

When you’re ready to stitch the top of your skirt, make sure to leave a 1 inch opening so you can put your elastic through. You can mark where you needed to stop with a pin in case you forget. The photo above on the right shows where I started sewing (right pin) and went all the way around and stopped where the pin on the left is.

Almost done! Put the safety pin on one end of your elastic and feed it through the opening of the skirt. This is where it really starts to look like a cute skirt and not just a big rectangle of fabric! Be sure not to pull too much so you lose the other end of your elastic inside the casing.

Once you have finished pulling the elastic all the way through, pull the skirt back. Then, bring the ends of the elastic together and make sure it’s not twisted. Finish by sewing the elastic together with a zig zag stitch. Push the elastic back inside and adjust the top of the skirt so all the bunched up areas are as even as you can get them.

Last step! Go back to where the opening was (where we put the elastic inside) and do a straight stitch to close the opening.

All done! Making a monogrammed matching shirt is optional, but you know I love matching so I had to make one for my girl!

Here’s my sweet daughter wearing the new outfit I made her today! I just love how it looks on her!

If you decide to make a skirt, please tag me on Instagram (@sharonnicole) and use the hashtag #sharonnicolesewing. I would love to see your creations! You could even make one for yourself and your daughter to match! The possibilities are endless! Have fun sewing!

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One Response to Elastic Skirt Tutorial

  1. Cindy says:

    This is so cute and Chloe is absolutely precious!! What a talented mama you are!! <3 Thanks for a great tutorial!

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