How to Turn Old Curtains Into a Cute Off-Shoulder Dress
Don’t throw your old curtains away! Turn them into an off-the-shoulder puff sleeve dress! In this DIY, I will show you how to upcycle curtains with a step-by-step guide. It’s really possible to make some exciting DIY fashion garments inexpensively. Keep reading to get inspired!
Tools and materials:
- Curtains (or fabric)
- Ruler or measuring tape
- Scissors
- Needle
- Thread
- Sewing machine
- Pins
- Elastic
1. Make the pattern
Alright! Let’s start with the pattern. You’ll need;
- 2 skirt pieces measuring your desired length x 25.5” x 2
- 2 top pieces measuring your desired length (mine is 11” long) x 10” wide - fold these in two.
- The sleeves should be your desired length x and width, mine measures 18” x 13” - fold these in two, too.
Tip: Get your bust, hip, and waist measurements to customize the size.
Align the folded tops with the corner of the folded sleeves. Trace out the desired armhole shape and cut.
2. Create skirt gathers
Sew a straight stitch on the top edge of one skirt piece. Then, pull the thread to create gathers. The gathers should be the same as the width of the top. Do this on the other piece, too.
3. Assemble the dress
Pin the top and bottom, right sides facing, and sew. Repeat on both pieces.
4. Attach the sleeves
Pin the sleeves to either side of the top (by the armholes) and sew.
5. Sew the sides
Place both pieces right sides facing, align the edges, and pin the side seams, from the sleeves to the bottom of the dress.
Sew to secure.
6. Hem the dress
Fold the bottom edges of the dress and hem.
7. Make an elastic casing
Fold the edge of the shoulder part and pin. This will be the tunnel for the elastic.
Tip: The casing should be a bit bigger than the elastic itself.
Sew the edge and leave an opening to pass the elastic through.
Now, feed the elastic through the casing with the help of a safety pin.
When complete, tie three tight knots and cut off the excess.
Then, close the opening.
Repeat the same process on the bottom part of the sleeves; fold the edge over, pin, and leave an opening to pass the elastic through.
Sew the edges and feed through the elastic.
Turning curtains into a dress
Here’s the final result! What do you think of this beautiful off-the-shoulder puff sleeve dress (that was once upon a time a curtain)? You can also make a lovely belt with the excess fabric you have (as pictured above).
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to upcycle curtains and that you consider making this for your next DIY fashion project. Thanks for joining me!
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Nice job! Looks beautiful!