How to Make a Skirt or Tunic Out of Pillowcases

Next time you're at a thrift store or yard sale, keep your eyes open for vintage sheet sets and you may just find your next perfect skirt or top in a pillowcase. This sewing project is do-able for even the most novice sewer as it involves very little work. Pillowcases with bold patters and wide borders around the open end work best for most body types.

Things You'll Need

• Scissors
• Sewing pins
• Sewing machine
• Safety pin

Instructions

Making a Skirt

1. Turn the pillowcase inside out and remove the seam from the short sewn end of the pillowcase. This edge will become the waistband of your skirt. Leave the open end alone as this is ready to be the bottom of the skirt.

2. Hold the pillowcase up to your waist to determine the length you'd like the skirt to be. Trim off the excess fabric from the rough edge of the skirt. Leave enough extra fabric to sew the waistband.

3. Fold 3/4-inch of fabric over and pin along the rough edge in a straight line. Use a sewing machine to sew this part working your way around the entire circle. This will be the casing where you'll put the elastic through.

4. Use 1/2-inch elastic for your waistband. Trim the length of the elastic to 2 to 3 inches shorter than your actual waist measurement. Attach a safety pin to the elastic and thread it through the casing. Once it's through one end, sew the elastic to the fabric seam. Finish threading the safety pin through the other end and sew that end to the fabric seam and other end of the elastic.

5. Flip the pillow case so the correct side of the fabric is now on the outside. Try on your new skirt and see if it fits. If the elastic isn't tight enough around your waist, remove one of the elastic seams, cut off one inch and reattach it.

Making a Tunic

1. Turn the pillowcase inside out and cut a large hole for your head in the short edge of the pillowcase. Place pins on the edges of the holes to prevent the seam you've cut from ripping further.

2. Place the pillowcase over your head and mark the long sides with pins for where you want the arm holes to go. Remove the pillowcase and cut holes in between the pin markings. The arm holes should start at the top corners of the pillowcase to remove the square corners and give the tunic a softer look.

3. Sew a 1/4-inch seam along the edges of all three holes. For added shape to your tunic top you can add darts to the body or buttons at the front of the neck hold for embellishment.

4. Add length to the tunic top by removing the original pillowcase seam and letting it out an inch or two. Re-sew the hem to the desired length.