Make a Beautiful Apron Dress With This Easy Tutorial

Sew Aldo
by Sew Aldo
6 Materials
$10
1 Hour
Easy

Who doesn’t love a good upcycle? It can be so fun to take something that’s designed to be a certain way and turn it into something completely different and new. In this tutorial, I’ll take you through the steps of how to refashion a maxi wrap skirt into a super cute apron cottagecore dress! This is a fun and easy project, so grab that skirt and follow along.

Tools and materials:

  • Maxi wrap skirt
  • Sewing pins
  • Measuring tape
  • Scissors
  • Sewing machine
  • Sewing clips
Apron dress
Trim the skirt


The first thing you have to do is trim the skirt to your desired length. The material that you cut off is the material that you’ll use for the front bodice and straps of the dress. So using your measuring tape, place a pin at the point where you want the skirt to end. Then take that measurement and place pins in a horizontal line so that you have an even hemline. Trim off the excess material, adding ½” hem allowance, and hem the bottom end by folding it and serging or sewing the edge. 

Apron dress pattern
Take in the skirt


The beauty of a wrap skirt is how easy it is to take in the waistline. All you need to do is move the button. So try it on, and determine where you need to move the button to, then put a pin in place. Once you’re satisfied with the location, go ahead and remove the button, then reattach it where you want it. If your skirt has an inner button, move that as well. 

DIY apron dress
Determine the length of the bodice


Take the excess material you have and line it up with the skirt. Then place it on your bust to make sure the size fits you. Cut it down to that measurement, and fold the side seams and sew them with a straight stitch. 

Cottagecore apron dress
Add your darts


The original hemline will be your new neckline. Now you’re going to go ahead and add darts. To figure out the placement of your darts, put the panel on your chest area, and place a pin at the apex. The width of the darts will vary. I did 2” for mine. 

Apron style dress
Make your straps


Now it’s time to make the straps. Cut out two strips that are 3” wide and about 24” long. You’ll also need to cut out and attach interfacing for the straps. Then take your straps and fold them in half lengthwise, right sides together, and sew along the edges. Once they’re sewn, use a pin to pull out the edges.

How to make an apron dress
Attach the straps


Pin the straps on the dress where you want them to go and try the dress on to make sure it fits. You can choose to leave straps straight in the back, or you can choose to criss-cross them. Once you’ve adjusted the fit of your straps, go ahead and sew the ends of them in place. I chose to do a box stitch in the front to make them more stable.

Women’s apron dress
Add the finishing touches


You can leave your dress as is, or you can add some buttons to the straps for an extra touch of personality. I had these button covers I’d been saving for a while and this was the perfect opportunity to use them. 

Completed apron dress


And just like that, your dress is complete! I love the way this dress turned out. I think it’s so cute and I’m so excited to wear it. It was such a satisfying experience to make a dress out of a skirt I no longer wore, and I’m so thrilled I got to finally use those buttons I had saved. What do you think? Are you more of a fan of the original wrap skirt or the new apron dress? Let me know in the comments! 

Suggested materials:
  • Maxi wrap skirt
  • Sewing pins
  • Measuring tape
See all materials

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