How to Make a Pillow Case Dress With or For Your Tween

Christmas dress made from velvet

Here is a neat sewing craft that you can do with your tween. My daughter wanted to make a Christmas dress and we did this together in our spare time just in time for Christmas.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric
• Needle
• Thread
• Sewing marching (optional)
• Fabric ribbon

Instructions

1. Choose your fabric. Choose a soft fabric that will allow you to gather it without being bulky. At the same time, it cannot be too stretchy, as you will want it to maintain its shape well.

2. 

   Measure and cut a square of fabric to make sure it will go around her body. Measure for length also.

3. 

   Fold the fabric in half width wise. Sew the fabric down the seam (You have created the pillow case base at this point. If you have a pillowcase you would like to use for the dress and if she will fit in a standard pillow case you can skip steps 1-3) If you used the pillow case as the base cut off a thin strip at the top removing the top seam and leaving a tube to work with.

4. 

   Turn the seam to the center to the dress so that it will go down the back.

5. 

   Measure the tweens armhole using a piece of paper. Cut out the armhole at each side. Sew the raw edge of the armhole.

6. 

   Fold over and sew a one inch pocket at the front and back of the dress top.

7. 

   Cut 2 lengths of fabric ribbon or fabric strips and using a safety pin and the ribbon, thread the ribbon through the front and back pockets tie the ribbons together at the shoulder.

8. 

   Add fabric trim if you wish and your dress will be complete.

Tips & Warnings

• This project can be completed in one hour with a sewing machine

• You can skip steps 1-3 if you have a pillowcase with in the fabric you want.