How to Make a Skirt at Home

Skirts are a versatile wardrobe essential that work with all kinds of outfits. Pattern catalogs offer a variety of skirts you can make at home, including mini skirts, skirts for the office, long, flowing skirts, poodle skirts and cheerleader skirts. You can even make a long skirt from fancy fabric and wear it with a jacket instead of an evening dress. You can also find skirts with pockets, decorative elements and pointed or diagonal edges, such as handkerchief hems. Most skirts are easy to sew, especially those with few pieces. Skirts with elastic waistbands are generally easiest of all, since they don’t require a zipper and they don’t have to be exactly the right size to fit.

Things You'll Need

• Skirt pattern
• Fabric
• Matching thread
• Zipper or elastic
• Scissors
• Iron
• Ironing board
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine

Instructions

1. Choose a pattern for the type of skirt you want to make.

2. Buy fabric for the skirt, following the guidelines on the pattern envelope for how much fabric you need and what type to use. Cotton and denim work well for casual skirts, while poly-blends and wool work well for the office and fancy fabrics such as satin work well for evening skirts.

3. Buy any other notions you need that are listed on the pattern such as elastic, a zipper, buttons, trim or matching thread.

4. Cut out the pattern pieces for the skirt. Since most patterns have several size options, make sure to use the cutting line for the size you need.

5. Smooth out the patterns. You may even want to iron them with a cool (low-temperature) iron to get out the all the wrinkles and make the patterns more accurate.

6. Follow the cutting guide in the pattern directions to pin the patterns to the fabric and cut out the pieces.

7. Follow the directions that came with the pattern to sew the pieces of the skirt together. Try on the skirt before adding a zipper or the elastic to make sure it fits. Adjust the skirt as needed.

8. Try on the skirt before hemming it to make sure it’s the right length. Trim the skirt if needed, and complete the hem.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use any short skirt pattern with several sections to make a cheerleader skirt by using contrasting colors for alternating sections. Many fabric stores sell iron-on poodle appliqués for poodle skirts.

• Use caution when working with scissors, pins, irons and sewing machines.