Looking for a quick and easy sewing project that’s perfect for beginners (even kids!)? Or maybe you have some leftover fabric from a project and don’t know what to do with it? Let me show you how I turned some leftover fabric from a dress I made into a super simple elastic waist skirt. The fabric I used is from my own design, Bubble Dots, available through Spoonflower! I’ll also include a photo of the dress I made and link to the blog post about that project, in case you’re curious.
The beauty of this easy elastic waist skirt is that there’s no need for a pattern. We are using one rectangular piece of fabric. It can be made to suit any size. Just measure your fabric and go! It's a great project for beginners and even kids because there's no pattern needed, and you can make it as short or long as you like! Simply adjust the length to suit your style.
I used a lightweight cotton twill because I wanted a fuller look, but you could also use a lighter drapey fabric such as cotton lawn, viscose or a lightweight linen or linen blend.
What You’ll Need
Fabric
Elastic
Thread
Safety pin
Sewing machine
Optional: Overlocker
Steps
Cut Your Fabric. Cut one rectangular piece of fabric. I wanted an above the knee skirt and had just enough fabric leftover. My rectangle was 55cm x 145cm. Since I want a big hem at the bottom of the skirt (I love the look and it adds a bit more structure to a stiffer fabric), I kept the selvedge at the top to give me a bit more length, as it'll be hidden with the waistband. If you are making for a child, you can halve the width. If making for a plus size or don't have enough fabric width wise, simply cut two rectangles.
Rectangular piece of fabric cut and ready to go
Overlock or Zig-Zag the Edges. Finish the raw edges of the fabric by either overlocking or using a zig-zag stitch on your sewing machine on the edge of the fabric to prevent it from fraying.
Sew the Side Seam. Fold the fabric in half, right sides together, so that the two raw side edges line up. Sew along the edge, about 1cm from the raw edge. Press the seam open. If you have two rectangular pieces, put them right sides together and sew both sides.
Sewing the seam with a 1cm seam allowance Create the Waist Casing. Fold the top edge of your fabric with wrong sides together. I'm using 2cm width elastic so folded it over by about 3cm (adjust this based on the size of your elastic).
I used 2cm width elastic Sew the Waist Casing. Before you start sewing, you need to leave a gap where you don't sew so you can thread the elastic through. I sewed down 2.5cm but to be honest a bit more space would have been better as it was a bit tricky to feed the elastic through. You need to make sure you have enough room to thread the elastic through the casing before you start sewing.
I like to use a hot hemmer to make sure I get the fold width accurate Insert the Elastic. Cut your elastic to your waist measurement minus around 7cm for a snug fit. Attach a safety pin to one end of the elastic and thread it through the waistband casing. Once through, overlap the elastic ends and sew them together using a zig-zag stitch.
Finish the Waistband. After securing the elastic, sew up the gap in the waistband casing.
Hem the Skirt. Fold up the bottom edge of your skirt (wrong sides together) and iron it to make your hem. I love a chunky hem for this type of skirt, so I went with a 5cm fold. Sew it in place, 1cm from the overlocked edge i.e. 4cm from the bottom of the skirt.
You now have a super simple, stylish elastic waist skirt! This project is perfect for beginners or kids just starting to sew. I love that it’s quick, easy, and adaptable to any size without needing a pattern.
If you want to grab the fabric I used in this project, it’s available on my Spoonflower shop. And don’t forget to take a peek at the dress I made with the same fabric in my other blog post Crafting Comfort: TAL Hoodie Dress.
Happy sewing!
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