How to Turn a Dress Into a Skirt & Tube Top With Sexy 90s Vibes

Wendy Herrera
by Wendy Herrera
6 Materials
$3
2 Hours
Easy

I found a long dress at the thrift store that had plenty of fabric to work with and decided to flip it into a two-piece set. Watch this tutorial to learn how to turn a dress into a skirt and top, which can be worn with or without straps.


Follow this tutorial to the very end to find out how can you even make a matching choker necklace!

Tools and materials:

  • Thrifted dress
  • Thread
  • Fabric marker
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Sewing machine
Marking out the skirt pattern

1. Make the skirt pattern

Turn the dress inside out. Using a skirt from your closet that is the size and shape you want, place it on the dress, with the hem of your skirt at the bottom of the dress.


Mark all measurements from the skirt onto the dress fabric, then draw out the shape. Add a little extra for seam allowance.

Cutting the fabric

2. Cut the skirt

Cut off the extra fabric from above the top line of the skirt, allowing for an extra inch in case you need to adjust it.

Marking the sides of the skirt

Now, draw lines for the sides of your skirt. Starting at the left outside waist mark, draw a slanted line down to the left bottom of the dress so your skirt will be slightly flared. Repeat on the other side.

Sewing the side seams of the skirt

3. Sew the skirt 

Sew along your side seam lines.

Cutting the excess fabric off the sides

Cut the excess fabric from the outside of your skirt side seams.

Sewing the skirt waistline

Fold the waistline in one inch and sew along the open edge to create a finished skirt waist.

Making the tube top pattern

4. Make the tube top

Lay a tube top from your closet on top of your remaining dress fabric, with the bottom of the tube top one inch up from the bottom of your fabric.

Marking the tube top on the dress

Mark the center and side points of the tube top on your fabric. Then, join the dots to make a straight line across the top and a straight line across the bottom, once inch above the bottom of the fabric.

Cutting the fabric

Cut the excess fabric off one inch above that line.

Marking the sides of the tube top

Now draw lines on the left and right sides of the fabric to mark the sides of your tube top.

Sewing the side seams of the top

Sew along the side seam lines and cut off the excess fabric from outside the seams.

Folding the raw edges of the tube top to hem

Fold the top and bottom of the tube top inside one inch, then sew the top and bottom hem along the open edge to finish the top.

Making the top straps

5. Make removable straps

Remove the straps from a bra and cut enough fabric to cover each bra strap with. 

DIY straps for the tube top

Use the fabric to sew a casing for the bra straps, leaving the hooks on both ends exposed. Now you can attach your tube top to a strapless bra if you want to wear your tube top with matching straps.

Choker necklace made from a bra strap

You can also use one of the straps to make a matching choker necklace.

From dress to skirt and tube top

How to turn a dress into a skirt and top

You can wear this two-piece set with or without the straps, add in a belt, tuck in the tube-top to get the illusion of a mini-dress from your converted dress to skirt, or wear your converted dress as a two-piece skirt and top.


I hope you found this tutorial helpful and let me know what you think of the transformation in the comments below!

Suggested materials:
  • Thrifted dress
  • Thread
  • Fabric marker
See all materials

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