How to Make a Little Girl's Dress From a Sheet

Your little girl can pick her favorite fabric and get a one-of-a-kind dress in as little as one afternoon.

Children outgrow their clothing at an astonishing pace. One day they're in diapers, the next their T-shirts have become midriff tops and their shorts won't button. One way of keeping your child in nice clothing is to make it yourself. One length of fabric or a bed sheet is all you'll need to make a girl's dress, and soon you'll have an ideal, custom made outfit that can be made in as many sizes as your growing child requires.

Things You'll Need

• Bedsheet (exact yardage depends on size of child)
• Sewing needle
• Thread
• Elastic

Instructions

Instructions

1. Cut out three pieces of the bedsheet. The first, main piece should be the length of the child's chest to knee, plus three and a half inches. The other pieces can be any desired length; a benchmark for shortsleeves is seven by sixteen inches per sleeve.

2. Sew the right sides of the main panel together, finished sides against each other. Create a hem at the bottom of the skirt by folding one-quarter inch in, ironing over it, folding another quarter inch and sewing it securely.

3. To make the ruffles, iron one-quarter inch of the top (chest portion) of the dress piece. Your ruffles can be any length, but a good mid-range would be about three inches. Fold this amount of fabric over the original quarter inch. Sew securely along the bottom of the fold. Just above that stitching, sew another secure line. The gap between the two lines should be a few millimeters larger than the width of the elastic. Cut the elastic to the measurement of the child's chest and thread it through the casing. Once threaded, overlap the ends of the elastic and sew thoroughly.

4. To make the sleeves, fold the finished sides of the fabric together and sew one-quarter inch from the edge on both pieces of material. Turn right side out, and sew another line one-quarter inch from the edge. Like the chest piece, stitch another line above this one, leaving width enough for elastic. The elastic should be cut to the measurement of the child's arm. Again, thread the elastic and overlap the ends, sewing securely.

5. Pin the sleeve to the dress, positioning the elastic so that it fits over the shoulder of the child. Sew the sleeve securely along the inside of the dress, doing your best to hide the seam. Repeat with the other sleeve.

Tips & Warnings

• Feel free to decorate the exterior of the dress with ribbons, bows or beads.

References

• Craftiness Is Not Optional: Ice Cream Social Dress