Easy Skirts From Clothing, Ties, and Inner Tubes

I have never tried to alter clothing until now.  I understand why everyone here loves to do this.  It is much easier to alter  clothes than to start from scratch.  I will be making more of these because it was fun to design my own. 

Step 1: Things I Used

I used basic sewing notations and a sewing machine.  I sewed some things by hand because my machine won't sew some things.  I used old jeans, a formal gown, a shirt, old 80's fabric, a dress, neck ties, inner tubes, snaps, and old buttons. 

Step 2: Formal Gown to a Dressy Top

All I did for the formal gown is cut off the top of the gown and hemmed the bottom to make a dressy blouse. It was so quick and easy. The only sewing was to hand sew the bottom hem.  It has a zipper in the back and it was fun to make.

Step 3: Blouse to a Cropped Vest

All I did was cut off several inches of the bottom of this shirt and hemmed it to make a cropped vest.  I tucked  the tip from a necktie in one pocket to give it a little color. 

Step 4: Jeans to a Pencil Skirt

I used a skirt that fit my daughter for a pattern. 

I cut out what people cut to make shorts. 

Then I trimmed off the stitches on the sides and removed the crotch, making top  front and back pieces.

Then cut a front and back from the rest of the jeans for the bottom parts of the skirt.

Stiched the bottom part of the pockets because they had to be trimmed. 

Stitched the back top to the bottom back right sides together. 

Cut the inner tube so it was a single long piece. 

Pinned the top front to the bottom front right sides together with the inner tube between the two layers.  When you turn the skirt to the right side the trim will extend past the sewn area so it will be seen.

Sewed the top front to the bottom front.

Placed the front of the skirt to the back making sure the waist bands matched at the side seam. 

Marked where the side split would be.

Sewed the front to the back up to the side split on one side. 

Hand stitched the side split.

Then I hemmed the bottom.

Then turned the skirt right side out cut the slits for the trim.

Hand stiched the trim around the pocket. 

Step 5: Apron Skirt

 Apron skirts are a great way to maximize your wardrobe. For the apron skirt I used inner tubes on an angle and sewed them to the apron. The apron attaches to a skirt with snaps. To make a skirt apron, you use a skirt that has a good fit as a pattern and cut only the skirt front out allowing extra for hemming the sides and bottom. Applique what ever pockets or design that you choose and sew a hem around the sides and bottom. I used snaps from other clothing and sewed the snaps to the apron and skirt. I think it would be a lot easier to use Velcro though.

What is nice about apron skirts is you can make several in a day.  You can also place snaps or Velcro anywhere and attach embellishments where you like.  It makes it fun to change embellishments on a garment. 

Step 6: Skirt From 1980's Fabric

I used some 80's fabric for this skirt and an old dress I could not wear anymore and added a tie. 

I used a skirt that fit as a pattern and cut the front out of the print and the back out of the green dress. 

I cut out an apron for the front and used the green pockets from the dress and and made the edges rounded and sewed them on the apron and put a tie tip in one of the pockets and added a couple of buttons. 

I cut out the skirt back so that I could use the zipper with out having to go to all the trouble sewing a zipper in.  I saved so much time. 


After I cut everything out, I hemmed the apron sides and sewed on the pockets.  


With right sides together I sewed the apron to the front of the printed skirt. 


Then with right sides together I sewed the front to the back at the sides.


Then I hemmed it. 

Step 7: The Collection

Here is the collection that I made.  It took a couple of days but only because I had no instructions and I was learning how to do this the first time.  I hope this information will save you some time when you make your new clothes.  Thanks for stopping by and your comments and rating are welcomed.  I have entered a contest and would really appreciate your vote if you think this entry is worthy.