Sew a Simple Skirt, 2 ways

The project I probably sew the most is a Simple Skirt.
Cause who can resist such simple cuteness?!
Skirts are fast, easy, bouncy, and my girls love to wear them all year long.

I’ve shared a detailed tutorial for the Simple Skirt before….but now you get to see it in action!
Hooray!

We’ve got a new MADE EVERYDAY episode with step-by-step video for a single layer skirt AND a double-layered skirt, for any age and size.

You know you want to make one [or five] right now.

In the episode I’ll even share tips for the best type of elastic!
Is it woven, braid, or knit….??
Come find out.
Plus I’ll share my record for fastest simple skirt ever (in Dana’s world that is).


Just hit the play button below.  This might be my favorite episode so far.
Enjoy!

MADE EVERYDAY with Dana is a fresh new sewing show, where we create cool things using everyday items.
To watch other episodes:
Click here to see my videos, or….
• Subscribe to my YouTube channel so you’re updated as soon as the episode goes live.

Happy skirting!

  1. 1) Rhian Pugh

    It’s magic! You make it look so simple.

  2. 2) Leigh Anne

    Awesome! I ready to sew some up now 😉

  3. I am actually making a skirt like this for my daught today!
    Great fun video, Dana!
    Thank you!

  4. 4) Marilyn

    I can’t wait to get started on making skirts for my four granddaughters. Great video! Thanks so much.

  5. Thanks Dana. I will also be making some of those skirts for my little granddaughters. It is still summer and warm here in Australia so the girls will be wearing skirts for some time yet. I love your videos as they are so very easy to follow and would be great for those learning to sew.

  6. Dana, great job!! Do you have someone filming you or do you do everything yourself?? You are amazing!
    I have made many many skirts, but I found myself watching until the end!
    ~Michelle

    • 7) Dana

      Thanks Michelle!
      Yes. We hired a production company to produce the videos for us. As much as I love that stuff, I knew it would never get done in the midst of busy mom life if I was in charge 🙂

  7. 8) Ashla

    This is pure genius, now I really want to try one for myself! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    I do have one question. For the double layered skirt, does it make the waist bulky?

    • 9) Dana

      If you stick with lightweight cottons, poly-cotton broadcloths, etc it works great. Heavier fabrics can make it bulky. But there is another method for dealing with heavier fabrics so you don’t have double layers of fabric at the waistband….you sew the two skirt layers together at the waist (with right sides of the fabric together, then flip them right side out and sew the waistband in place—still leaving a small opening to get elastic in and out—then you thread the elastic into the casing through the skirt layers (if that makes sense). Some other readers have mentioned this same method in the comments below as well. It’s a great method, but not as simple to show/explain in the short time frame video I was going for. And to be honest, I still prefer sewing double-layer skirts the way I described in the video! 🙂

  8. 10) Jenny

    I made my daughter a skirt from your tutorial like a year ago but I had to watch the video because you are just so cute! I love your enthusiasm and how you make it look so easy. I will have to try making a double one.

  9. Thank you! I’m starting my adventure with a sewing machine and I truly love this video! I”ll make one for my daughter surely. BTW I love your workroom <3

  10. 12) Kathleen

    Excellent! I have been sewing for years, but still watched your video. Great job.

  11. 13) Ashley

    I love love love these videos and have been wondering when the next one would come out! Thank you!

  12. 14) Penny

    Another great video, Dana! I’ve been making your skirts for years, too, but love watching your video – love the pretty, happy, colors of the yellow dotted back wall, the blue of your sweater – just so fun! The background music – just great!
    For the double skirt, I still take the long length skirt, sew wrong side to right side of short length at waist 1/4″ seam, then flip over so both right sides are “good” and then sew a casing seam through both layers. Love these skirts!!! Have a great day.

    • 15) Dana

      yes! That’s a great method for the double-layer skirt and perfect with bulkier fabrics. I tried to keep it simple in the video for time-frame purposes but anyone looking for another method should try this out too!

  13. So, so cute! I just love your video series. You are the perfect hostess :). I just wish I had a little girl to sew for now! Don’t think the boys can quite rock the simple skirt. 😉

  14. I learn something new everyday!! I never paid attention to store bought bias tape, how it has a tiny larger edge on one side! This is definitely gonna help me out lol!! Love these skirts!! Thanks!!!

  15. Video is really good thanks. Totally agree with you. Skirt is the simplest. Ive been making lots lots of skirts for my daughter and daughters of friends. Its such fun and quick, im making all kinds of skirts now so much that friends ask me is that the only thing you make :). Its so simple and satisfying i keep making them. Your video is of super quality and you make looks so easy the way you stitch.

  16. 19) Melani X.

    No wonder I don’t finish them so fast; I’ve been measuring and pinning every silly seam this whole time! Totally using your “good enough” method and just folding over and ironing from now on since I’m used to what the proper allowance looks like. Now time to get sewing; it’ll be warm enough here in Texas tomorrow for my girl to wear one! Thanks Dana!

    • 20) Dana

      I always love the “good enough” method :). Thanks for watching Melani

  17. 21) Torrie

    I love your videos. You make things look so easy! Looks like I’ve got some skirts to sew.

  18. 22) Gayle Martin

    How about a simple skirt to or just below the knee for an adult older woman? Just modify your instructions for the girl’s version? Or would that be too full and childish looking? Thanks for your help.

    • 23) Dana

      yes! You can definitely make this skirt for an adult. It works for any age, any size.
      I would try making the dimensions 2x the waistsize or less. Maybe even 1.5 times so it’s less bulky around your hips. But make sure the fabric is wide enough to get over hips!

  19. Another great video! I have a question about elastic. I love the woven elastic for skirts, but for leggings, do you suggest another kind? I feel that my elastic cinches too tight for the leggings to be comfortable. You might know, but for those trendy leggings all over etsy these days, what time of elastic are they using? Thanks!

    • 25) Dana

      I use Knit elastic for most of my elastic-waistband projects. I also like cotton knit elastic because it’s soft and stretchy, but it’s hard to find in widths larger than a 1/2 inch….but that might work great for baby leggings.

  20. I just love you!!!! Thank you soooo much!!!

  21. 27) Julie C

    Thanks for a great video !! The first item that I made from your website was the simple skirt and with the same material (white with small black polka dots).

  22. 28) Sally

    Ha! I just made one of your Simple Skirts today for my youngest daughter and then came to see you had made a video. Love your videos Dana, you are gorgeous.

    Totally unrelated to sewing, but I love your yellow circles on the back wall. Have you done that yourself with cut-outs??

    • 29) Dana

      Thanks Sally.
      Yes! I cut the large yellow circles out and sewed them together. I might have to leave them up all the time. They make me so happy 🙂

  23. Amazing videos! I just want to make skirts now! Congrats and a big thank you!

  24. My 8 year old daughter made a very similar skirt to your double layer skirt. You can read about it on Random Crafting Adventures.

    As Penny mentions above, you can simplify this double layer skirt slightly by turning the two layers inside out and sewing the layers together, then you flip the layers back out the right way and sew a stitch line 1.25″ from the edge to form the casing. The casing is then between the two layers of fabric (with the raw hem caught inside the casing), instead of the casing being both layers turned over. It works brilliantly, and isn’t too bulky. I got the idea from this tutorial on Ikatbag.

    • 32) Dana

      yes! That’s a great method for the double-layer skirt and perfect with bulkier fabrics. I tried to keep it simple in the video for time-frame purposes but anyone looking for another method should try this out too!

      • Thanks so much Dana. I made a new double layer skirt today, and tried to clearly document the method for making the waistband elastic casing with the raw edges sewing inside the fabric layers. You can read about it here.

  25. Love these videos! You are such a great fun, happy person for this! I also love your blog! Thanks for sharing!

  26. 35) Terri Miller

    LOVE your videos! Thank you so much. So fun and easy to follow.
    My favorite blog! Thanks Dana!

  27. 36) Kat T

    “No need to pin, just start sewing” – I like your style

  28. I made a double-layer skirt today for my daughter, and it turned out darling. My only complaint is that I broke 2 needles at the very end while sewing the elastic together. Gah!

    • 38) Dana

      ah man. Hate that. Good thing needles are cheap and fast to change out!

  29. No pin, just start sewing. So how I roll too! I love the trick of adding the bias tape to the hemline—and doing it before you sew the skirt together so you don’t have to tuck in the ends of the tape and sew over it and try to make it look good (which I’m totally bad at!) Thanks for the fun videos–I love the yellow dots background by the way.

  30. I made one, horray!! and my 4 yo was so excited she put it on immediately. She was so happy! So am I. And then politely she took it off and went running around the house! Never to be associated with the skirt again. Oh well. lol

    • 41) Dana

      hahaha. I’m sure she’ll come back to it. My kids always (well, almost always :)) do. I’m glad you had fun sewing!
      Give it away as a gift if she never wears it again 🙂

  31. 42) Lyndal

    love the video – so want to make some right now! would it be wrong to wake my daughter to measure her waist and knee length – its 10pm hmmm might just choose the fabric and wait till morning 🙂

    • 43) Dana

      I may or may not have been known to do that very thing….quietly, in my daughter’s bedroom while she’s sleeping….
      I won’t tell anyone if you do 🙂

  32. 44) Elizabeth

    “Ironing is actually kind’ve peaceful…I guess I shouldn’t hate it so much.” bahahahaha! You’re too cute! Love, love, love this video! Thank you so much! You made me want to give garment sewing a shot again. I look forward to future videos!!

    • 45) Dana

      Thanks Elizabeth 🙂

  33. LOVE the video. And you’re so personable and cute. Can’t wait to make some skirts for my girls this summer!

  34. 47) Sara

    I love this tutorial!! Believe it or not, I have made 4 skirts in the last few days! I simple and 3 double. My daughter absolutely loves them! Thank you Dana!

  35. I love your video tutorials!
    I started making your skirts with the Market Skirt and I’ve also made a double layered one. Can’t wait for your next video!

  36. 49) Rebecca

    Dana – I absolutely love that you make sewing look so easy and fun, and your projects are relevant for today’s sewers. Shirts, pillows, skirts – those are things even beginners and less-than-crafty people can make and use! Your enthusiasm for sewing is contagious and it has truly inspired to get out my machine and fabric stash and get to work. Thank you so much! By the way, love, love, love the videos… It shows how truly simple and quick these projects are! Your videos have a wonderfully fresh and fun vibe and makes watching them pure joy! Keep up the good work!

  37. Dana, I have made 4 of these skirts for my 3 year old and she loves them! Thank you for the amazing tutorial!

  38. 51) Chandra

    Hi Dana! Thank you sooo much! I have been struggling with making skirts for my daughter. You made it so simple, easy and fun! I made a skirt for her last night and it fits and doesn’t look all wonky and crazy. Thanks again. I think I’ll tackle shorts for the boys next.

  39. 52) Lindsey

    Thank you so much for the free tutorial! I just made three skirts–two single and one double–for my nieces and they are just adorable. I can’t wait to see them on the girls!

  40. 53) nouf abbasi

    i tried it for my sis and it look beautiful

  41. 54) Nuki

    Dana, u are so positive and really useful tutorials for me, as a beginner. good luck!

  42. 55) Liz Moss

    I never thought I would be able to make anything with my sewing machine. Much less something for my kids to actually wear outside the house! I just made a single layer skirt for my oldest daughter and I looks great. I got a “I love you Mommy” and a big hug. I know feel like I can conquer my sewing machine. Next up the KID shorts.

  43. 57) Leah Ford

    I have watched numerous videos now on making a circle skirt but yours is absolutely he best! I am new to sewing and need to make a circle skirt for an event I am attending but have a question. I read through the comments both here and on YouTube and didn’t see this question brought up, and hope I didn’t miss it and am bothering you with something you already addressed. As I said I am making this for myself, a full figured woman. My question is since my hips are slightly larger than my waist will this give me the full swirly circle skirt affect I am looking for or will it lay weird? I am going for that very 50’s housewife kind of June Cleaver skirt only slightly shorter. I hope I have not been too confusing in my question and really hope you are able to help me. I appreciate your time and assistance. Thanks!

  44. 58) Maxine Sharp

    Hey Dana!
    I love your videos! Just wanted to know what foot and what stitch am I using through out the steps? The last video I saw was a zig zag stitch because it was a headband. So I didnt know if I need to switch my foot and or stitch for the skirt?

    • 59) Dana

      Just use a standard presser foot. And use a straight stitch when sewing with woven fabric.
      A zigzag foot is better when sewing with knits….so the stitches can “stretch” with your fabric.

  45. 60) nina cartier

    Great video as always! I whipped up matching mama/kiddo skirts today and we were styling! I added inseam pockets, too. Thanks so much!

    • 61) Dana

      Oh fun! Awesome! Seam pockets are great!

  46. 62) Mary Carlton

    Hello,
    Love you videos, thank you for posting the. This may sound elementary, but I’m not sure what the elastic size should be. I understand that we double the material according to waist size, but do we leave the elastic the size of the waist, or do we add like an 1-2 inches seam allowance? Thank you.

  47. 63) Melody

    I’d love to watch this video but there’s just a big white gasp where it’s supposed to be?

  48. 64) Poppy

    This is a great project!!!
    I made the easiest one for world book day in march and it was greatly admired:
    WHERE DID YOU BUY IT?!
    IT LOOKS GREAT!!!!!
    HOW DID YOU GET THE PATTERN?!
    It seems that your skills in designing projects have not been in vain!
    From poppy aged11

  49. 65) Karin

    Hi There! Thank you for an awesome tutorial. I am wanting to make a full length for my daughter and she wants it to twirl. Can this be done with more of a knit/bouncy fabric instead of the cotton you’ve used in the video? I’m a newb. Thanks!!

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