How to Make a Princess Peach Dress

Princess Peach appears in numerous Super Mario video games since her debut in Super Mario Bros. on the original Nintendo Entertainment System. Peach usually plays the damsel in distress waiting to be saved by her heroic plumber, but the Princess occasionally acts as a playable character who proves that she's tougher than her feminine and frilly pink dress makes her appear. You can make a Princess Peach dress at home as long as you possess the ability to sew a straight line.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Pink fabric
• Scissors
• Iron
• Pink thread
• Sewing machine
• Elastic
• Dark pink fabric
• Pins
• Mock neck t-shirt
• Hot glue gun
• Blue bead
• Gold felt

Instructions

Skirt

1. Measure around your waist with a tape measure. Add 10 inches to this measurement. For example, if your waist measures 30 inches, your final measurement is 40 inches.

2. Measure from your waist to the floor while standing up straight. Add 4 inches to this measurement. For example, if the distance is 40 inches, your final measurement is 44 inches.

3. Cut a rectangle from a piece of pink fabric using the dimensions from Steps 1 and 2. In our example, your fabric rectangle measures 40 inches by 44 inches.

4. Fold the waistline of the rectangle under 2 inches, and press the fold with a hot iron to set the crease. The waistline is one of the sides of the rectangle created from the final measurement in Step 1.

5. Sew along the raw edge of the fold with pink thread to create a small pocket or tube along the top of the fabric.

6. Cut a length of 3/8-inch-wide elastic approximately 2 inches smaller than your waist measurement. Stretch the elastic around your waist. It should fit snugly around your waist without causing any pain or discomfort. If it's too tight, cut another piece of elastic 1 inch longer.

7. Slide the elastic into the fabric pocket. It is shorter than the pocket so it will not reach from one end to the other.

8. Sew one end of the elastic to one end of the fabric pocket. Line the end of the elastic up with the edge of the fabric at the opening of the pocket, and sew it in place.

9. Stretch the elastic through the fabric pocket until it emerges from the opposite opening. Sew the end of the elastic to the opposite end of the pocket. The fabric is now scrunched up around the elastic band. This forms a waistband on the full skirt of your Princess Peach dress.

10. Bring the ends of the fabric pocket together to fold the rectangle in half with the wrong sides of the fabric facing in.

11. Sew a seam from the waistband to the bottom of the skirt using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Turn the skirt inside out when you finish sewing.

12. Fold the bottom of the skirt under to the desired length so you will not trip on the hem of the skirt. Sew the hem in place when you are satisfied with the length.

13. Cut a strip of fabric using the final measurement from Step 1 that's 5 inches wide. Choose a fabric with a darker pink color than the fabric used for your skirt.

14. Fold each long edge of the fabric strip in 1 inch, and iron the folds to press them flat. Sew along the raw edges of the folds to hold them securely in place.

15. Sew the darker pink strip to the bottom of your Princess Peach skirt. Keep the bottom of the strip lined up with the bottom hem of the skirt to avoid making the dress longer.

16. Cut two circles from the darker pink fabric with diameters equal to the final measurement from Step 1. Fold each circle in half with the wrong sides of the fabric together.

17. Sew along the curved edge of each circle leaving a 1-inch opening near the folded side of the fabric. Turn the fabric right-side out through this small opening, and then stitch the hole closed by hand.

18. Place one half-circle on each side of the skirt's waistband while wearing the skirt. The ends of the half-circles will overlap at the front and back center of the skirt. Pin the half-circles in place, and sew them to the top edge of the skirt, taking care not to sew through the elastic.

Bodice

1. Purchase a pink mock neck T-shirt to wear as the bodice of your Princess Peach dress. This shirt should match the lighter pink fabric of your skirt.

2. Measure around your neck with a tape measure, and add 2 inches to this measurement.

3. Cut a strip of dark pink fabric measuring 4 inches wide by the final neck measurement from Step 2.

4. Bring the long edges of the fabric together to fold the fabric strip in half with the right side of the fabric facing out. Iron the strip to set the crease, and sew along the raw edge.

5. Sew the strip of fabric over the T-shirt's mock neck to create a dark pink collar for your Princess Peach dress.

6. Hot glue a large, oval-shaped blue bead or faux gemstone to an oval-shaped piece of gold felt cut slightly larger than the stone. Attach this medallion to the front center of your T-shirt to finish the bodice of your costume.

Tips & Warnings

• Tuck the bottom of the T-shirt into your skirt to wear the Princess Peach dress.

• Layer a petticoat underneath your skirt to give it a full appearance.

• Wear white elbow length gloves and a gold tiara or crown with your Princess peach dress to finish your costume.

References

• IGN: Mario's Ladies: The Princesses of Mario Galaxy
• "The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing"; Singer; 1999