How to Make a Cowl Neck Dress Out of a Scarf - Quick & Easy DIY
This is a tutorial on how to make a cowl neck scarf dress. Ready for an awesome upcycle? If you have an unused scarf collecting dust in your closet, this project is a great idea.
This DIY cowl neck dress is an easy DIY that anyone can do, regardless of skill. Before you know it, you’ll see how magically your scarf turns into a dress! Let’s get started.
Tools and materials:
- Scarf
- Elastic
- Dress form
- Needle
- Matching thread
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Pins
- Broach (for the belt)
1. Choose a scarf
To find the right length scarf, fold it in half to figure out the length. The length should be long enough to cover your body.
Also, make sure that the width is at least as wide as the widest point of your body (hips). Another great tip is to find a scarf that has some sort of stretch to it.
2. Cut your scarf
Fold your scarf in half and line up the bottom to make sure the two pieces are even. Then, cut along the fold to make two separate pieces.
3. Check the fit
I pinned the pieces on my dress form to map out how it would look and if I'll need to make any adjustments. If you don't have a dress form, you could do this on your own body.
I realized that creating a large fold-over in the front is really beneficial because it gives me the perfect length that I need (mid-calf), it's automatically lined on the front bust area, and you're not going to see any seams.
4. Assemble the DIY cowl neck dress
Fold the front (for your bust area) and do a blind stitch on the right side.
Note that I’m hand sewing this dress, but you can use your sewing machine, too. Either way, the results will be amazing!
Go ahead and do the back piece, too. Align the folds, so it’s symmetrical with the first stitched piece.
5. Figure out strap options
When it comes to the straps, you can literally pick anything you like. From gold chains to lace trims, the sky’s the limit here.
I used scrap ribbon just to figure out what would be the height of my neckline, armholes, and side seams. Once you figure that out, you’ll know what measurement you need for the straps. I finally settled on this lovely thick black elastic for my dress.
6. Make a matching belt (optional)
I opted to make a matching belt with the same elastic I used for the straps. Look at that! What a stunning transformation! You can do the same should you wish.
7. Sew the sides
Now that you know where your shoulder strap is and the height of the armhole, you can go ahead and stitch the sides of the dress.
Turn your dress inside out for this part and sew it the same way, using a blind stitch on the right side.
Leave little slits at the bottom. Just ensure that the right and left slit are both aligned.
8. Sew the straps
Now, sew down the straps the identical way as the rest of the dress.
Then, trim off the excess elastic.
How to make a cowl neck dress out of a scarf
There you have it; your DIY cowl neck dress is complete. What do you think of this awesome DIY?
I love how easy it is; it’s really great for all enthusiasts who want to know how to sew a cowl neck dress seamlessly!
Thank you for joining me, and I hope you got a lot of inspiration from this tutorial!
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Love this! I received so many extra-large scarves from well-meaning folks during my chemo days. What a great use for them!
Is there a rule of thumb how many inches extra you need to sit comfortably? Hoping a stretch fabric helps.