Midi Skirt to Skater Dress Upcycle

6 Materials

2 Hours

Easy

My nana gave me a midi skirt. I loved the fabric and color but the design wasn’t really my style. I decided to upcycle the skirt and make a cute skater dress. These dresses are so popular so I thought it would be perfect to make one in time for spring.

Skater dress

Tools and materials:

Midi skirt
Pins
Chalk
Scissors
Sewing machine
Needle and thread

How to make a skater dress

Take in the sides

First, with the skirt inside out, I pulled it up to where I would wear it as a dress. It was really baggy around the waist and I wanted to bring it in a little to make it more fitted.

Pin along the sides

I then went ahead and pinned along each side of the dress. I recommend doing this step in front of the mirror.

How to sew a skater dress

Once I was happy with the fit, I marked a line down both sides using chalk.

Easy skater dress

I then went ahead and sewed along the lines on each side. After sewing, I tried on the dress to make sure I was happy with the fit.

Cut the excess fabric

Next, I grabbed a pair of scissors and cut off the excess fabric on each side.

Measure for straps

Make straps

I then moved on to work on the straps. I tried on the dress and measured how long I wanted the straps to be. My strap measurement was 18 inches.

Cut the straps

To make the sleeves I used a piece of scrap fabric left over from the skirt. First, I cut off the hem and then I cut through the side seam to get a straight edge.

Casual skater dress

Next, I measured and marked a strip 18 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. I wanted the straps to be quite thin but you can always make them thicker if you want.

Fold in half

I cut out two straps and then folded them in half right sides together and pinned them along the long edge. I went ahead and sewed where I had pinned.

DIY skater dress

I cut off the excess fabric to get neat straps.

Turn right side out

I went ahead and turned the straps right side out.

Simple skater dress

Attach the straps

I paced the straps where I wanted them to be and then measured to check that the straps were symmetrical. From the side seam to each strap was 5 inches.

Hand sew the straps

I then went ahead and hand sewed on the straps. I hand sewed so that I would have more control but you can use a machine if you want to.

Sew a skater dress

I am really happy with how this dress turned out! It is the perfect piece for spring! Let me know what you thought about this upcycle in the comments below!

Suggested materials:

Midi skirt
Pins
Chalk

See all materials