How to Make a Waist Smaller on a Skirt by Sewing a Bow on the Back

Alter clothes yourself and save money on a new wardrobe.

Losing weight is a reason to celebrate, so do not mourn the loss of your favorite skirt. Instead, make the waist smaller and save your skirt from the donation bin. Pleats add interest to a garment and take up extra fabric, making it an ideal tailoring technique for taking in the waist. However, pleating skirts or pants usually occurs before the waist is secured so the waist does not have an obvious bunching. You can pleat an existing waistband to take up the extra fabric and then hide the folds with a bow.

Things You'll Need

• Pins
• Needle
• Thread

Instructions

1. Put on the skirt. Ask an assistant to pinch the excess fabric at the waist into two small pleats, one on either side of your spine.

2. Fold the excess fabric away from the center of the skirt to create a flat-box pleat and pin the pleats in place.

3. Walk around for a few minutes and sit down in the skirt to make sure you are satisfied with the new size of the waist. Adjust the pleats as necessary. Take off the skirt.

4. Measure the distance from the center of one pleat to the center of the next. Use this measurement to purchase or make a bow that is at least twice as wide. The final size of the bow is your preference.

5. Hold the ears of the bow over the two pleats, orienting the center knot between the pleats. Pin in place.

6. Sew one bow ear to each pleat. Press the needle and thread through the back of the bow ear, the skirt pleat and the waist of the skirt to secure. Use a diagonal whip stitch and complete five to 10 loops to secure.