How to Make DIY Teen Clothing

Teen fashions are a continual cycle of trends, style, and personal statements. Your teen is probably no different. However, if your looking to make some DIY teen clothing then here are a few steps to get you started into a whole new teen fashion statement.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sewing Patterns
• Fabric
• Threads
• Scissors
• Buttons, Zippers, and Snaps.
• Sewing Machine
• Seamstress tape
• Fashion sense

1. 
   Learning To Sew

   The first step in making teen clothing is to know your sewing machine. If you have never used a sewing machine find someone knowledgeable to teach you the basics and instruct you. Many places that sell sewing machines will offer classes to teach you how to use them.

2. 
   Teen Sewing Pattern

   Pick out a variety of sewing patterns. A simple sewing pattern for a pair of pants, a skirt, or even a shirt can be recreated a hundred different ways by your fabric choices and accessories.

3. 
   Body Measurements

   Use a seamstress tape to take in measurements of bust, waist, and hips on your teen. These measurements will decide the size of the pattern you will need to use when creating a piece of clothing.

4. 
   Fashion Drawing

   Purchase fabrics based on the recommended types of material from your clothing pattern with each piece of teen clothing intended in mind.
   
   You may find it helpful to draw out your project clothing piece before starting to cut and sew it. This will help you focus, design, and picture the finished item.

5. 
   Paper Pattern Cut

   Cut out applicable pattern pieces. Only cut out one clothing project at a time. This way there will be less confusion in getting pieces mixed up, unless you intend to use different pieces from different patterns to create one unique piece of teen clothing.

6. 
   Pattern Pin On Fabric

   Cut out pattern pieces according to the diagrams shown included with your pattern.

7. Sew your cut pieces in order of pattern instructions.

8. 
   Trim on Jeans

   Use embellishments, trims, buttons, beads, and other accessories to spruce up and change the design of older clothing items laying in your teen' s closet.
   
   A long skirt can be shortened. A jacket or jeans can be embellished. Buttons can be changed, and you can create a whole new look by redesigning the old.

9. 
   Teens

   Try on your new design and show off your completed DIY Teen clothing.

Tips & Warnings

• A serger is ideal for making teen clothing, but a sewing machine with a zigzag stitch works as well.
• Pre wash fabrics before use, they may shrink, fad, or bleed dye.
• Iron wrinkles and folds from fabric before laying out pattern and cutting.
• Try on clothing when finished and make adjustments as needed to perfectly fit your teen.
• Take older items out of teen' s closet, and redesign using ribbon and other accessories.
• Shop thrift stores for basic clothing and redesign by shortening, lengthening, or changing buttons and adding your own personal touch. This is great for those who don't sew good and recycles old clothing.
• It's important to take a body measurement and match measurements to sizes on patterns. Not all patterns will be the same size based on your measurement.
• Use caution and common sense when operating a sewing machine and working with a hot iron.

Resources

• Top 10 Teen Clothing Sites

[jenng]

on 3/18/2009 Great tips 5*