Up-cycled Denim Ruffled Skirt tutorial…

I don’t like sewing clothes—have I mentioned this??  I am sure I have!!  I do love sewing clothes from a blog tutorial or refashions, but if it is a big chain fabric store bought pattern—I am not a fan!!  But I love making stuff for my kids—so I just improvise!!

I took an old pair of my toddler’s jeans that had a hole in the knee, cut them off, and added ruffles to make a skirt—and it turned out adorable!!  I have taught this a few times as a sewing class and the girls love it!!

Here’s what you need:

• Old pair of pants you don’t mind cutting up!! (I like denim but any structured non-knit pant will work)
• muslin fabric for the underskirt
• three, 4-5 inch x 45 inch(standard bolt length) strips of fabric***If you are wanting a more ruffle/pleated look or are making this for an adult, you will need to double the amount)
• sewing machine
• serger**you can turn over the edges instead if you don’t have a serger**

1. Lay out your jeans and measure from the outside of the side pocket down the side of the pant leg until you reach the same point across from where the crotch of the pants are.  Mark with a fabric pen and then measure that same amount from the other side and mark with a fabric pen.  Next cut from that outside marked point to the center of the pants and then to the other side so you end up with no crotch in the pants anymore and it looks like a super mini skirt.  **Make sure you watch that you are not cutting the back pockets off in the process.  If you have lower pockets in the back, than adjust your measurements lower so all of the back pockets will still show once the skirt is finished.**

2. Next take your muslin fabric and measure around the bottom of your denim skirt.  Pin to the skirt, right sides together leaving enough extra fabric to create a quarter inch seam down the length of the skirt.  Sew to the denim fabric, then sew down the side seam of the muslin.

3.  Take your 4 inch strips and serge the raw edges on both sides so they won’t fray.  If you don’t have a serger, just turn your edges under and sew a quarter inch seam.  Sew the short ends together with a 1/4 inch seam so your strip is now a continuous circle or loop.
4.  Slide your circle strip around the muslin skirt and fold over every few inches all the way around and pin it to form “pleats.” 

5,  Sew the strips with pinned pleats on the muslin skirt.  Repeat with the two other strips. Trim bottom of the muslin skirt and either serge or turn under edge and sew a 1/4 inch seam.

And that is it!!  These are quick and easy to make and look so cute too!!