Learn how to sew a skirt with an elastic waistband for girls. It’s a simple sewing project that can be done in a matter of just 30 minutes. Perfect for beginner sewers, this is a great way to create your own fashion that is beautiful and fun. My girls loved that I made them each their own unique elastic waistband skirt to help show off their own personalities. I am sure I have even more skirt making in my future.
Since you can easily choose your own fabric, you can make as many different skirts as you want. Why stop at one when you can make as many more?! Just follow along with the simple skirt sewing tutorial below and you’ll be done before you even realize it. If you’ve ever doubted your ability to sew clothing before, this is the perfect starter project for you. The simple sewing tutorial below gives step by step photos so that you can read and follow along visually as well.
What You’ll Need For This Skirt Tutorial:
- Fabric (cotton – I bought 2/3 yard and it was plenty for both girls at 5 and 6 years old)
- 1” elastic
- Thread
- Hem gauge
- Chopstick or turning tool
- Scissors
- Pins or clips
- Safety pin
- Sewing machine
- Iron/ironing board
- Optional: Rotary cutter and mat
How To Sew A Skirt With Elastic Waistband For Girls
Wash, dry, and iron fabric is the first step in how to sew a skirt with an elastic waistband for girls. I always do this step first to ensure the end product doesn’t pull on the stitches during the first wash and dry.
Measure the length of the girl you’re making the skirt for. You’ll want to measure from where her skirt will comfortably sit on her lower waist down to where you want the skirt to reach (I chose to go to her knee). Then add 2” for seam allowances. For example, my daughter’s length was 11” from her waist to her knee. I added 2”, resulting in a length of 13”.
Square up the edges of your fabric to ensure you have straight edges. Then cut your fabric to match the length from step 2. We will keep the entire width of the skirt at the bolt width, usually around 44”. So your final rectangle should be your step 2 length by the bolt width (mine was 13” x 44”).
Place your fabric on your ironing board, wrong side facing up. Along one 44” edge, fold up the fabric ½” and press well.
Now, starting at one edge of the ½” fold, begin pinning your trim to the raw edge of the fold (see photo). I have taken photos of the right and wrong side of the trim I used – make sure you’re pinning the right edge face down on the fold.
When you reach the other end, just snip off the excess trim even with the edge of the fabric.
Next in how to sew a skirt with an elastic waistband for girls, you will need to stitch the trim onto the fabric directly on top of the already finished seam of the trim. Backstitch at the beginning and end of your seam and remove pins as you go.
Now fold the fabric in half so the short ends are touching and right sides are together. Make sure the hemmed edges with the trim match up exactly (even if the top raw edges are off slightly). You’ll want the trim to be even when the skirt is finished. Pin or clip along the short raw edges to hold.
Stitch a straight seam down the shorter raw edges with ½” seam allowance. If you don’t want raw edges inside the skirt, you can stitch a zig zag on the raw edge side of the straight seam you already sewed (see photos). Don’t zig zag through the trim. This will minimize fraying.
Your skirt is now in a tube shape! We just have to create the waistband. You’ll want to iron your seam flat (to one side) and trim off any excess trim. On the raw edge that is left, fold up the edge ¼” and press well. You’ll need to do this on the edge of your ironing board since it’s already sewn in a tube.
Now go back around and fold the edge in again 1.25” and press well. This will create a casing and tuck in any raw edges. If you want to pin or clip to hold, you can…but the fold should hold itself if you press well.
Starting close to the back seam, stitch very close to the folded edge. See photo for start and stop places, as well as to see where to stitch. Leave a 3” opening to insert elastic.
Next in how to sew a skirt with an elastic waistband for girls, we will put to use the elastic. Measure your elastic around your girl’s waist. You’ll want to stretch it a little but keep it where it’s comfortable on her waist. You also need to allow for the elastic to overlap about an inch. For example, my daughter’s length ended up being 21” when stretched and allowing for overlap. This will vary depending on your girl’s size.
Insert a safety pin on one end of the elastic.
Insert the elastic into the opening you left in the waistband. Feed the elastic through until the other end goes just into the opening. Now, you’ll want to pin that end of the elastic to hold it as you stretch the elastic through the waistband. Continue feeding the elastic through the waistband, stretching as you go, until it comes out the opening.
Overlap the two ends of the elastic by about an inch and pin together to hold. Stitch with a zig zag stitch next to each raw edge of elastic – this will keep the elastic flat and hold it together stronger to withstand stretching from putting the skirt on and pulling it off.
Tuck the elastic into the opening and pin a couple of times (through the elastic and the fabric) to hold. Stitch along where your previous seam was to close the hole. Be sure to backstitch over your previous seam at the beginning and ending of your hole.
Flip the skirt right side out and you’re finished! Here are our girls wearing the two skirts with an elastic waistband that we made!
We did two different fabrics. Feel free to make several of these cute skirts in as many patterns as you want. It is so fun to make your own clothes! We hope you enjoyed this sewing tutorial and come back to us for all your sewing project needs.
If you liked how to sew a skirt with elastic waistband for girls, make sure to pin it to your favorite Pinterest board or share it with friends on social media. If you decide to make this simple project on your own, make certain that you take a picture afterward and tag us on social media as we love seeing the fabrics and color choices that people use!
How To Sew A Skirt With Elastic Waistband For Girls
Learn How To Sew A Skirt With Elastic Waistband For Girls. This is a fun and simple project to get you started on making your own clothes. Making your own clothes is such a fun thing to do and can save you loads of money in the long run.
Materials
Tools
Instructions
- Wash, dry, and iron fabric.
Measure the length of the girl you’re making the skirt for. You can measure from the lower waist to whatever length you want. (I chose to go to her knee). Then add 2” for seam allowances. - Cut your fabric to match the length from step 2. We will keep the entire width of the skirt at the bolt width, usually around 44”.
- Place your fabric on your ironing board, wrong side facing up.
- Along one 44” edge, fold up the fabric ½” and press well.
- Now, starting at one edge of the ½” fold, begin pinning your trim to the raw edge of the fold (see photo). When you reach the other end, just snip off the excess trim even with the edge of the fabric.
- Stitch the trim onto the fabric directly on top of the already finished seam of the trim.
- Backstitch at the beginning and end of your seam and remove pins as you go.
- Now fold the fabric in half so the short ends are touching and right sides are together.
- Pin or clip along the short raw edges to hold.
- Stitch a straight seam down the shorter raw edges with ½” seam allowance.
- You’ll want to iron your seam flat (to one side) and trim off any excess trim.
- On the raw edge that is left, fold up the edge ¼” and press well.
- Now go back around and fold the edge in again 1.25” and press well.
- Starting close to the back seam, stitch very close to the folded edge. See photo for start and stop places, as well as to see where to stitch.
- Leave a 3” opening to insert elastic.
- Measure your elastic around your girl’s waist.
- Insert a safety pin on one end of the elastic.
- Insert the elastic into the opening you left in the waistband. Feed the elastic through until the other end goes just into the opening.
- Pin that end of the elastic to hold it as you stretch the elastic through the waistband.
- Continue feeding the elastic through the waistband until it comes out the opening.
- Overlap the two ends of the elastic by about an inch and pin together to hold.
- Stitch with a zig zag stitch next to each raw edge of elastic
- Tuck the elastic into the opening and pin a couple of times (through the elastic and the fabric) to hold.
- Stitch along where your previous seam was to close the hole, backstitching the ends.
- Flip the skirt right side out and you’re finished!
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