How to Turn a Dress Into a Skirt and Top in 4 Simple Steps
I have an off-shoulder dress with an elastic waist that I don’t wear anymore. So, I’ve created this tutorial to show you how to turn a dress into a two-piece skirt and top set.
If you don’t have a dress sitting around to use, you can pick one up at a thrift store. This DIY skirt and top are really quite simple, so let’s just get started!
Tools and materials:
- Off-shoulder elastic-waist dress
- 1-inch-wide sewing elastic
- Scissors
- Sewing pins
- Thread
- Sewing machine
1. Make the top
Cut the dress about 1½ inches below the elastic waistband.
Turn up the bottom twice and sew the hem. That’s your top!
2. Finish the top edge of the skirt
Trim the top of the dress bottom piece to make sure the edge is even all around.
Turn in the top edge just enough to sew it in place.
3. Make an elastic waistband
With the skirt inside out, mark 3½ inches from the top edge all the way around the skirt.
Now, fold and pin the top edge of the skirt down to the 3½-inch mark.
Position your 1-inch waistband elastic just above the skirt top-edge seam. Notice that there is extra fabric above the waistband elastic.
Mark about a quarter-inch above the elastic all around the waist. Then sew the casing first on the upper line you just marked, and then right along the stitch line you created in Step 2.
Remember to leave a gap on the lower row of stitches to insert the elastic.
Here is the finished casing.
Insert the elastic in the casing. Attach the ends, trim off excess elastic, and sew the gap in the casing closed.
4. Line the skirt
Cut your lining fabric to fit the skirt and pin it to the inside of the skirt with the top of the lining
With the wrong sides together, attach the lining to the small seam allowance at the bottom of the waistband so that the top raw edge of the lining is hidden under the seam allowance.
Hem the lining so it is shorter than the skirt.
How to turn a dress into a skirt and top
Here’s the finished dress to skirt and top makeover and it couldn’t have been much simpler to make. Try it yourself and enjoy wearing this two-piece set all summer!
Leave me a comment to let me know how it turned out for you.
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Great idea. You look so cute, love it!