Create the Cutest DIY Babydoll Butterfly Sleeve Dress From T-Shirts

Jess Dang
by Jess Dang
7 Materials
$10
2 Hours
Medium

Looking for a great summer dress that you can put together yourself? This DIY babydoll dress with butterfly sleeves is perfect for you! Easy to make, flattering for any size or shape, and super customizable, it’s sure to become a wardrobe staple. All you need is a few t-shirts, scissors, a sewing machine, and some basic sewing knowledge to create this simple dress. Create one in every color for yourself, or give them away as gifts to your girlfriends! Follow my step-by-step tutorial below to get started now!


Tools and Materials

Tools and Materials:

  • 2 t-shirts (one your size and one sized larger, I used a medium and XXL t-shirt)
  • Chalk
  • Tape measure
  • Scissors
  • Pins
  • Sewing machine
  • Seam ripper
Cut Out the Bust
Cut Out the Bust


Lay out the t-shirt that is your size flat on the table. Measure 28 cm down from the top and mark. This spot should hit just under your bust. If needed, adjust the length according to your size. 

Cut

Mark a line across this point and then cut the fabric.  

Make the Tiers
Make the Tiers


Take the bottom of the t-shirt you just cut. Measure the length and mark exactly halfway down the dress. For me, this part of the t-shirt measured 38 cm long, so I marked it halfway at 19 cm.

Cut Along the Line

Then cut across this line. 

Make the Middle Tiers

Next I took my XXL t-shirt and measured 19 cm up from the bottom. I marked a line across this measurement. I repeated this again with the center of the t-shirt.

Cut Again

And once more at the top of the dress, being careful to cut out the sleeves first. 

Create the Tiers
Create the Tiers


For the first tier I made, I used the bottom part of the medium shirt and the bottom part of the XXL shirt. I cut the sides of each piece and then pinned the short ends together and sewed them. This would become the bottom tier of the dress. 

Pin


Connect the Middle Parts

Next I connected the middle and top parts of the XXL t-shirt. I cut the side of the middle part. For the top part, I cut off the sides with the armholes and only ended up using one of the remaining pieces. I connected the short ends together and sewed them. This would become the middle tier of the dress. 

Cut the Side

Finally I repeated the whole process with the other top part of the XXL t-shirt to the middle part of the medium t-shirt. This created the top tier of the dress.

Sew Together


DIY Babydoll Dress

This whole process created three tiers for the ruffled dress. The top tier was 1.5 times the width of the medium t-shirt. The second tier was 2 times the width of the medium t-shirt. And the last tier was 2.5 times the width of the medium t-shirt. 

Connect the Tiers
Connect the Tiers


To make it easy to cinch the layers to fit each other, I created a loose seam at the top of each one. 

Cinch the Tiers

Then, I held one end of the thread tight and pulled the second end. This will cinch the fabric, making an easy ruffle. Make sure to hold the other end so that it doesn’t disappear into the fabric.

Match the Edges

Cinch the fabric of each tier until the top of it matches the bottom of the tier above it. 

Pin the Tiers Together

Then pin them together with the right sides facing each other.

Sew the Tiers Together

Sew it all together and you have created the body of the dress!

Sew the Body to the Top

Pin the body to the top of the dress and sew them together. 

Create the Butterfly Sleeves
Create the Butterfly Sleeves


I removed the sleeves using a seam ripper. I also used the sleeves from the other shirt for this part. 

Cut the Sleeves

I measured 9 cm up from the bottom of each part of the sleeve and marked it. Then I cut along the lines I had drawn. 

Cut Rectangles

I cut off the rough edge, leaving me with a long rectangle. 

Pin the Sleeves Together

Using two pieces, one from the medium shirt and one from the XXL shirt, I sewed them together just as I had with the pieces of the tiered part of the dress. I repeated this with the other two pieces. 

Cinch the Sleeve

Then I added a loose seam and cinched it until it fit the armhole of the dress. Make sure that the original hem of the sleeves is on the bottom and that you add the loose seam to the top raw edge of the fabric.

DIY Butterfly Sleeve


Attach the Sleeves to the Dress

I pinned the sleeves to the armhole, with the right sides facing each other, and sewed them together. 

DIY Babydoll Dress with Butterfly Sleeves


Butterfly Sleeve Dress

This adorable dress is the perfect piece for vacation or a simple weekend getaway! It’s perfect for any body type or age. How would you customize your own DIY babydoll dress with butterfly sleeves? Let me know in the comments below!

Suggested materials:
  • 2 t-shirts
  • Chalk
  • Tape measure
See all materials

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Comments
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2 of 32 comments
  • Suz13281343 Suz13281343 on Feb 27, 2022

    Loved this! So cute! Thanks for sharing!

  • Gan Gan on Mar 01, 2022

    Excellent tutorial! I always appreciate the many visuals to enhance clarification. Just excellent all around!

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