How to Sew a Skirt in 9 Steps

Sewing a skirt is an easy DIY project for both beginners and experienced sewers. For new sewers, making a simple skirt requires only three basic seams, so it’s a great project for practicing rudimentary sewing techniques. But as an experienced sewer, you still have opportunities for creativity when sewing an easy skirt pattern. By experimenting with different styles, stitches, and materials, you can turn a simple skirt project into a complex design. Consider adding intricate ruffles to an elegant maxi skirt or cutting a unique silhouette for a pleated midi skirt.

You can create a comfy winter or summer skirt with this DIY skirt tutorial. Follow these step-by-step instructions to sew a simple elastic waist skirt:

1. 1. Gather your materials. To create a skirt without sewing pattern pieces, you’ll need a pair of scissors, pins, a sewing machine, a soft measuring tape, fabric, thread, and a roll of wide elastic casing that’s one inch thick.
2. 2. Measure yourself. You need to take three measurements for your skirt. First, wrap the measuring tape around the smallest portion of your waist to get an accurate waist measurement. Lower the measuring tape a few inches and position it around your hip bones to measure your hips. The last measurement you’ll need is the skirt length, which is the distance from your waistline to your desired hemline. After determining your hemline, add two inches to this number to compensate for the elastic casing.
3. 3. Select your skirt fabric. Play with colors and patterns when selecting your fabric, choosing a material that suits your style and the season. If you’re a beginner sewer, consider selecting an easier fabric to work with, such as cotton, polyester, or muslin. Heavy or silky fabrics are more tedious to sew since they tend to bunch and slip through the machine. As a general rule, gather extra fabric in case you make a mistake or want to practice a few stitches.
4. 4. Cut the fabric. Lay your pieces of fabric on a sturdy, flat surface. Before cutting your material, ensure your scissors are sharp to prevent them from fraying the fabric. Cut two rectangular pieces from the fabric, using your hemline as the length and your hip measurement as the width.
5. 5. Arrange and pin your fabric pieces. Place your two fabric pieces together, so the right sides of the fabric (the exterior of the finished garment) face each other, and the wrong sides (the interior of the skirt) are on the outside. Measure and mark a seam allowance of half an inch, adding pins along the stitch line to secure the fabric in place. Always place the pins perpendicular to the stitch line, so you can easily remove them before they pass under the sewing needle.
   
6. 6. Sew and iron the side seams. Set your sewing machine to a straight stitch and guide the fabric through the machine, removing the pins as you sew each side seam. After finishing both seams, use a serger or zigzag stitch to prevent the raw edges from fraying. Set your iron temperature according to your fabric, and press the seams flat.
7. 7. Sew the hemline. Using the same half-inch seam allowance, fold the bottom of your skirt over and iron it flat. Place pins every few inches along the fold to secure the hemline. Set your machine to a straight stitch, and guide the bottom of the skirt under the needle, sewing the stitches for the hemline.
8. 8. Create a casing for the elastic waistband. After you finish sewing the side seams and hemline, you can focus on making the waistband of your skirt. Fold a half-inch of the skirt’s top edge over and iron it flat. To finish creating the casing for your elastic band, fold the edge of the waistband a second time—only this time, fold over two inches instead of a half-inch.
9. 9. Cut and insert the elastic casing. The elastic band should be the same length as your hip circumference, so cut the elastic according to this measurement. After measuring and cutting, slide the end of the elastic through the folded edge to create the skirt’s waistband.
   
10. 10. Seal the casing shut. The final step for this sewing project is closing the elastic waistband. Before sealing the casing, secure the elastic band in place with a safety pin. Using a straight stitch, sew the ends of the casing shut and finish the top of the skirt.

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