Re-purposing old shirts into skirts!!! And the reason they are so fast to make?  Well, because I grabbed 4 shirts from the thrift store and kept the original hem and side seams and just added a quick waistband.  And for about $2 per shirt…..that’s much cheaper than $15 a skirt!  (Or, make them at no cost by digging in your own closet.  Surely there’s something in there you don’t wear anymore!)

Do you have 10 minutes?  Well, let’s whip up a simple skirt!

Supplies:
•Old Women’s or Men’s Knit Shirt (the bigger/wider the shirt, the fuller the skirt)
•1 inch elastic
•matching thread

**We used women’s side medium and size large shirts to make these skirts for a 7 year old, and they were just right. (But all shirts measure differently…..so keep that in mind!)  Also, you could use this concept to make skirts for teens or even grown women…..if you just find a shirt large enough.  Shop around the extra large sizes and even in the men’s section.  It may just be the exact amount of fabric you need to make a simple skirt!  (A good general rule for how big around a skirt should be is 1.5 – 2 times the measurement of the waist.  SO if the waist measures 20 inches, find a shirt that is 30-40 inches around.  However, if all you have is 25 inches around, go for it!  It’ll just be a straighter skirt, and that’s okay!)

Lay the shirt in front of you and make sure the bottom hem along the front and the back are lined up evenly.  You will be using the shirt hem as your new skirt hem.


Determine the length of skirt you want and then add 1 1/2 inches.  Measure up from the bottom of the shirt and cut off at your needed measurement.  (Since I was making these skirts for my tall 7 year old, I just cut the shirts off right below the sleeves of each shirt.)  
**If you’re making skirts for a tiny baby girl and the width of the shirt is just too wide, a good general rule for a skirt width is 1.5 – 2 times the size of the waist.  So, if your baby’s waist is 12 inches, a good width for the skirt all the way around (and before inserting the elastic) is 18 – 24 inches.  If your shirt is too wide, cut off the excess from one side and create a new seam along that side.

Turn the skirt inside out and fold down the top raw edge, 1 1/2 inches.  Pin in place.

Create a seam that is 1 1/4 inch from the top folded edge (which would be 1/4 inch from the bottom raw edge).  Leave a 2 inch opening along the back side of the skirt, for the elastic.

Cut a piece of elastic that is the same length as the waist you’re sewing for.  Insert the elastic (using a safety pin at one end) and thread it through the casing you made in the last step.

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Make sure the elastic isn’t twisted at all and then overlap the ends by 1 inch and sew the ends in place with a zig-zag stitch.

Maneuver the elastic back into the skirt casing and sew the opening of the skirt closed.

Distribute the elastic into the skirt evenly.  Then, place a steam iron along the waistband of the skirt flattening the gathers along the waistband.  Ironing will help give the skirt a more professional look…..so don’t skip it!

And that’s it.

Enjoy your super speedy new skirts!

via  makeit-loveit