Make a new skirt out of an old t-shirt – in 10 minutes!

Do you have some old t-shirts you don’t use anymore? You could make some new skirts for your daughter – in just 10 minutes!

The 10-minute skirt

What you’ll need:

An old adult’s t-shirt
Cotton
1 inch wide elastic

Method:

1. Measure desired length of skirt for your child’s height.

2. Lay t-shirt down flat with bottom hems even, measure from the bottom the length you have chosen and add 1 and 1/2 inches for the waistband.

3. Cut the top of shirt off at your measurement.

4. Fold down top 1 and 1/2 inches and pin.

5. Sew the top seam at 1/4 inch from raw edge, leaving a 2 inch opening at the back.

6. Measure length of elastic needed for your child’s waist and cut.

7. Insert elastic into your waistband seam – use a safety pin to make it easy.

8. Sew elastic ends together – overlapping for strength.

9. Sew the opening of the seam closed.

10. Iron the new skirt and it’s ready to wear.

c12003c8ed0451ddacd1d81f03ebc5f8 — Image from Pinterest

These look too easy not to try!

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24 Comments

- - mom81879 said
  - 28 Nov 2019
    10:38 am
I remember my mum giving my daughter a tshirt for Christmas when she was two. My daughter insisted on putting it on herself and she ended up with the neck around her waist. Instant dress lol

- - mom101628 said
  - 09 Jan 2019
    10:29 pm
Can’t remember the amount of times I did this when my children were young.

- - mom94125 said
  - 01 Sep 2016
    7:55 pm
lovely idea! re-purposing can be fun and creative. cheers for sharing your great idea. too clever gal

- - PaulaR83 said
  - 05 Jul 2016
    2:11 pm
perfect project for a thrifty everyday skirt for my daughter. no doubt i will have plenty of t-shirt fabric for her, lol, ;-D

- - wendy_adhofer said
  - 16 Jun 2016
    8:39 pm
What a cool idea, so simple like the peg yet so effective. I’m picturing tie died skirts in my mind. Thanks for sharing.

- - meedee said
  - 08 May 2016
    2:12 pm
This is brilliant and a great way to make use of those old shirts.
Perfect for people like me as Im still on the learning to sew crew.

- - mom81879 said
  - 08 May 2016
    9:23 am
Great recycling idea! Not sure about tshirt material as a skirt tho :/ I’m picturing it as clinging to my legs. Or is that just me?!

- - ashblonde said
  - 03 May 2016
    11:21 am
This idea is a great for fete stalls & relatively cost free to make. Thanks!

- - mom113991 said
  - 30 Apr 2016
    10:49 pm
this looks fab! love this idea

- - Lori-Anne said
  - 30 Apr 2016
    9:52 pm
I am definitely going to make this for my daughter several times as she us growing up. Appeals to my crafty side.

- - ShazzaCS said
  - 30 Apr 2016
    4:25 pm
Great idea. I better unpack the garbage bag I’ve got ready to take to the op shop & get my sewing machine out!

- - Threelos said
  - 23 Apr 2016
    10:16 pm
Great idea! Only problem is I usually wear my t-shirts until they’re pretty old and tatty!

- - pakeko said
  - 22 Apr 2016
    8:05 pm
thanks for posting has mad me get my sewing machine out and dust it off

- - buggeritliz said
  - 22 Apr 2016
    2:48 pm
I love remodeling clothes from the op. shop. I once made many stage costumes from clothes from the op.shop 52 of them for the school play Alice in Wonderland. I had a budget of $1200 worked out to be $23 per child dressed from head to toe.

- - mom103920 said
  - 22 Apr 2016
    12:38 pm
I’ve made dolls clothes and craft items out of recycled clothes. Haven’t tried children’s clothes yet though. Thanks for the instructions Jessica.

- - serotonin said
  - 22 Apr 2016
    10:02 am
What a great way to use old shirts! Now I just need to get my sewing machine working again…

- - mom62624 said
  - 22 Apr 2016
    5:55 am
A great idea; the simplicity is wonderful and I love making something old new again, thanks for sharing!.

- - mum4107 said
  - 22 Apr 2016
    5:50 am
What a fantastic idea. It does seem easy. Thank you

- - june11 said
  - 21 Apr 2016
    11:29 pm
If you decide you don’t like a dress and the fabric is still in good condition you can use it too. That is what our Grandmas and Great Grandmas did; especially during rationing as you have to use some of your ration tickets to buy clothes, fabric and wool for knitting. I know one of them unpulled an adult jumper and knitted a smaller one for one of her children. Also undid a coat which no longer fitted Great Grandpa and made a smaller one for one of the sons.

- - mom160421 said
  - 21 Apr 2016
    10:10 pm
I like this idea, and I used to sew dresses, trousers, skirts when my daughter was a toddler, but I agree with cherz that a lot of times it’s cheaper to buy ready made clothes.