How to Make a Short Dress From a Long One

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You can turn an outdated dress into a trendy fashion essential with a few simple pins and tucks. Adjust the length of a long dress according to your preferences to a demure knee-length style or a racy mini dress. No special sewing techniques are necessary to complete the transformation and no cutting takes place, so you can even readjust the dress later by removing a few simple stitches if your preferences change.

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Turn a floor-length dress into a knee-length dress in 30 minutes.

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Things You'll Need

  • Straight Pins

  • Dress Form

  • Long Dress

  • Sewing Needle Or Machine

  • Thread

Step 1

Turn the dress inside out and place it on a dress form. If you do not have a dress form, ask a friend of a similar size to put on the dress.

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Step 2

Grab a small piece of fabric at the bottom of the skirt. Pull it upward and on a slight angle to the midsection of the dress. Pin the end in place.

Step 3

Take another piece of the bottom of the dress and pull it upward at a different angle. Move it to approximately 4 inches lower than the first piece, pinning it in place.

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Step 4

Pull another piece of bottom hemline fabric upward. Pin it in place about 2 inches higher than the first piece. Continue in this somewhat random pattern until the entire bottom hemline has been pinned higher up on the dress.

Step 5

Take the dress off the dress form and turn it right side out. Check to see if the dress is short enough and is draped how you would like. To adjust the length or draping, turn the dress inside out and put it back on the form. Adjust the position of the fabric by removing one pin at a time to reposition the hemline.

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Step 6

Remove the dress and lay it inside out on a flat surface. Use a sewing needle or sewing machine to stitch the pinned areas of the dress. Use a straight stitch and sew approximately 1/2 inch of fabric on either side of the sewing pins.

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