Create the Cutest DIY Babydoll Butterfly Sleeve Dress From T-Shirts
![Jess Dang](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/media/profile/2020/08/13/49418289_1.jpg?size=91x91)
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:
- 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
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.
Mark a line across this point and then cut the fabric.
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.
Then cut across this line.
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.
And once more at the top of the dress, being careful to cut out the sleeves first.
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.
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.
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.
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.
To make it easy to cinch the layers to fit each other, I created a loose seam at the top of each one.
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.
Cinch the fabric of each tier until the top of it matches the bottom of the tier above it.
Then pin them together with the right sides facing each other.
Sew it all together and you have created the body of the dress!
Pin the body to the top of the dress and sew them together.
I removed the sleeves using a seam ripper. I also used the sleeves from the other shirt for this part.
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.
I cut off the rough edge, leaving me with a long rectangle.
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.
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.
I pinned the sleeves to the armhole, with the right sides facing each other, and sewed them together.
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!
Enjoyed the project?
Suggested materials:
- 2 t-shirts
- Chalk
- Tape measure
- Scissors
- Pins
- Sewing machine
- Seam ripper
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Loved this! So cute! Thanks for sharing!
Excellent tutorial! I always appreciate the many visuals to enhance clarification. Just excellent all around!