Easy Little Girl’s Skirt Tutorial

This easy little girl’s skirt tutorial will walk you through each step and have you making skirts in no time!

I absolutely love handmade things! In my dream world I would make all my children’s and my own clothing. However in real life I simply don’t have the time to do all of that! That said I do still try to make hand made items for my family when I can. Sewing fun items for my little girls is especially fun. This easy little girl’s skirt tutorial is very quick and simple!

This past weekend my husband and the boys went on a camping trip. So the girl’s and I had a bit of time to do some fun things together. On Saturday morning I took them into town. Our first stop was the local bakery for cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate. Next we went to the Farmer’s Market and then the toy strore. Finally we went to the fabric shop and I let each of the girls pick fabric for a skirt. It is always fun to see what they choose!

When we got home I washed and dried the fabric while we ate a simple picnic lunch in the yard. Then I started working on the skirts. Making both skirts only took a couple of hours.

How Do I Make a Little Girl’s Skirt?

1. Gather your supplies
2. Take Measurements
3. Cut your fabric
4. Sew the seams
5. Sew a hem
6. Make a waistband casing for eleastic
7. Add elastic and stitch closed

With a few supplies and a bit of time, you can make an adorable skirt for a little girl you love!

Supplies & Tools Needed

• 1 yd cotton print fabric
• 1 yd of 1/2 – 5/8 ” elastic
• matching spool of thread
• sewing scissors
• sewing machine
• iron and ironing board
• tape measure
• straight pins and a large safety pin

Measuring for the Skirt

For this easy little girl’s skirt you just need 2 measurements, you don’t even need a pattern!

The first measurement you need is from your little girl’s waist to the length you want her skirt. Add two inches to this. This is the height of your skirt panels.

The second measurement you need is around her waist. This should not be measured over her clothing or the skirt will end up too loose. This measurement will be used to calculate both the width of the skirt panel and the elastic length so write it down to remember it.

To figure the width of the skirt panel I simply doubled the waist measurement. This worked perfectly for both my girls( ages 8 and 5) using 45″ wide fabric. For an older girl with a with a wider waist you would simple need more fabric and you would cut 2 panels the total of which was double her waist measurement and you would have 2 side seams instead of 1 in the back.

Cutting & Sewing the Skirt

I laid the fabric out while folded and cut to the length of my panel; for example my for my older daughter I cut it at 20″ long and left it the whole 45″ wide. My younger daughter skirt panel was 17″ long and 42″ wide. For these skirts I used just on skirt panel with a seam in the back.

Now, with the panel folded in half, right sides of the fabric together stitch the seam along the edge using 1/2 inch seam allowance.

To hem the bottom fold up the edge twice and iron flat. Then stitch along the hem with the sewing machine. I like to use a fancy zig-zag stitch but a straight stitch is also fine.

Adding the Waistband

The waist band is the most complicated part, but even that isn’t hard. Start by folding down a narrow edge and ironing it all around. Then fold over an edge wider than the elastic you are using and iron it down. Now pin everything into place if desired. Using a straight stitch sew as close to the lower edge as possible leaving a 1-2 inch gap where you don’t sew.

Now you are ready to add the elastic. Measure the length of elastic you need by circling it aroung your daughter’s waist. It should be snug but comfortable. Add a little bit extra for sewing together.

Pin one end of the elastic to the skirt near the opening. Attach the other end to a safety pin and start pushing it through the opening. Work the safety pin all the way around the waist and bring it back out the opening. Overlap both ends of the elastic and carefully sew together being careful not to catch any fabric.

Tuck the elastic completely into the waistband and stitch the opening closed. The skirt is now complete!

You Made and Easy Little Girl’s Skirt!

I hope you have enjoyed this easy little girl’s skirt tutorial! Once you have completed this basic skirt you are ready to embellish the next one with a ruffle, pockets, and more. You can even use this same method to make an adult skirt!

Let me know in the comments if you make this skirt!