How to Add a Ruffle to a Skirt

Change the length and style of your skirt with ruffles! Add one or several ruffles! Make them in different colors or use lace!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A Sewing Machine
• Thread
• Fabric
• A Skirt
• Straight Pins
• Pen (optional)

1. Decide the width of your ruffle and add 2 inches.

2. Measure around the bottom of the skirt and multiply by 2 1/2 or 3. This will be the length for your ruffle. Be sure to cut perpendicular to the grain of the fabric. You may cut one strip to this length, or stitch together shorter strips to make this length. Stitch the ends together with a 1/2 inch seam to form a circle.

3. Hem the bottom at 5/8 of an inch. You may add lace to the hemmed edge if you wish.

4. Lay the circle of fabric flat and mark the folds at unhemmed edge of the strip with straight pins or a pen. Fold in half and mark the folds again. Repeat until you have made eight marks.

5. Baste stitch the unhemmed edge of the ruffle at 5/8 and 3/8 from the edge and then gather the fabric. Now it looks like a ruffle!

6. Now mark the bottom of the skirt eight times the same as you did with the top of the ruffle.

7. Match the marks on the skirt and ruffle together and pin in place with right sides facing. Loosen or tighten the gathering if needed.

8. Don't forget to switch your sewing machine back from the baste stitch! Sew the ruffle onto the skirt, 5/8 of an inch from the hem.

9. Repeat all steps for multiple ruffles.

10. Wear and look great!