See This Amazing Transformation: Stunning DIY Dress From a Tablecloth
So, it's a bit of a peculiar DIY sewing project, but it's the best upcycle anyone could think of! I will be making a DIY dress from an old velvet tablecloth. Yes, that's right, you're about to see a genius transformation that will inspire you to do the same with your unused tablecloth. Tablecloths are seriously just one big piece of fabric with hemmed edges. So, it's so easy to repurpose them into something like an upcycled DIY dress. Let me show you how you can do this with my exclusive DIY dress tutorial. Make sure your fabric has a two-way stretch so that there's no need to install a zipper.
Tools and materials:
- Large velvet or any other stretch fabric or tablecloth
- Sewing Machine
- Measuring tape
- Ruler
- Pins
- Matching thread
Take your measurements
Measure the circumference of your over-bust, bust, waist, hips, and knees. Then, measure the length of your over-bust line to the bust line, waistline, hip line, knee line, and lastly, your dress length.
Make the pattern
Fold your fabric and use the measurements mentioned above to create the pattern for the dress. Remember that all your circumference measurements should be divided by 4 before drawing them on the folded fabric.
In the image above, you can see the illustration of my measurements. In the illustration, you'll notice I left more length at the knee; that's because you need more wiggle-room, so keep that in mind, too.
Cut out the pattern
Now, cut out the pattern piece, and use the cut-out pattern to create the back piece.
Make sure the fabric is laid without any creases; remember you want it as symmetrical as possible.
Sew the side seams
So, This is something vital to remember. Whenever you're sewing horizontal seam, use a zigzag stitch. If it's vertical, use a straight stitch. For the purpose of this DIY dress tutorial, I will be using a straight stitch.
Try on the dress and modify
So, I tried on the dress, and I realized that for me, I was not too fond of the mermaid tail effect at the bottom. So, I basically cut it off and transformed it into a knee-length dress instead.
Hem the edges
Once you're happy with the whole look, go ahead and hem the edges with a zigzag stitch.
Make the sleeves
I measured the length of my arm and cut out 2 fabrics accordingly. The sleeves are as wide as they are long. So, you should have two square fabric pieces.
To add more width to the sleeves' bottom, I cut out two triangles that I added to the squares. The triangles should have the same length as the squares. So, go ahead and cut out two square pieces, fold them in half, and cut a diagonal line across, as shown.
Attach the right sides of the triangle to the edge of the sleeve and sew.
Then fold the piece together, right sides facing, and sew to create a tube. I used a zigzag stitch here, too.
Hem the bottom and top parts of the sleeves, using a zigzag stitch.
Cut out a piece of elastic that fits snugly around your upper arm and attach it to the top sleeve. Stretch the elastic out evenly as you sew inside the top of the sleeve with a zigzag stitch.
Voila! This is a fine example of chic and sassy. No one would ever know this lovely DIY dress was ever a tablecloth! This is a great way to upcycle old items, and if you don't have a tablecloth, feel free to buy some fabric and make the same. You can choose to wear this lovely dress with either the sleeves or without- the choice is yours! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that you now let your creative juices flow with this easy DIY dress tutorial.
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Is that you, Scarlett O'Hara? Your dress turned out better than hers! Stunning repurpose!
really cute!