One of my daughters requested a ballet skirt to play dress up. We have a lot of leotards at our house, but not as many ballet skirts (we’ve found leotards at garage sale over the years for very little).
Supplies:
Sheer fabric, 45″ wide and length to whatever you chose for size
1″ wide elastic for waist
Matching thread
Tools:
Sewing Machine
Iron
Sewing pins
Scissors
Tape measure to measure child’s waist
Large safety pin
This was no more than a piece of fabric with a narrow hem at one end, and a casing for elastic at the waist, made my folding the fabric down (and ironing) at 1/4″, and again at 1 1/4″. I left a little opening after sewing the waistband to feed the elastic through with a safety pin. I then sewed the elastic together, and sewed the opening shut. Before ironing and hemming the end, I sewed the piece together lengthwise, using a French seam to keep it from unraveling.
Time:
About 45 minutes. This is probably a much faster project, but I had to stop and start a few times while taking care of my family.
Cost:
The fabric was a scrap that was handed down to me and was just the perfect amount to make this. The elastic was purchased in bulk from Wawak (it comes on a huge roll) and cost me around $0.36. I just went over to Wawak’s site and they currently have rolls of elastic on sale for 25% off. 36 yards of 1″ elastic is currently on sale for $13.88, which would bring the price down even lower (note: they have other widths as well).
My youngest children have all loved this ballet class dvd for children
For older girls, there are several videos on You Tube that you can use.
I’ve made doll skirts the same way. http://deweystreehouse.blogspot.ca/2012/09/when-life-hands-you-handmade-green.html
That is so pretty. I am sure the little girl that gets that for Christmas is going to just love it. Children just love to play dress up.
In my day care I have boys and girls. They like to play dress up too. It is a real favorite game here. Every year after Halloween I buy costumes ate greatly marked down prices. Like ‘princess dresses’ and fireman and police man, and once in a while a super hero. I have Superman and Batman. These are hours of play time for the kids and did not cost much.
I got a princess dress for my grand daughter. I took the Halloween stuff off the costume, added some shoes, a crown I made, and some costume jewelry. She was thrilled and wore that dress almost all year. Sadly grew out of it, but she has kept it for her daughter she told me.
This is very pretty!
What pretty fabric! I found a ballet skirt at the used store with the tags still on it and everything earlier in the year for cheap that I’m going to give my daughter for Christmas, but it’s black. I’m betting she’d prefer this one being the little pink fiend she is *laugh*.
That basic skirt pattern formed Halloween costumes for the first several years of my Granddaughter’s life, and several for my daughters’ too. Made from black fabric with a shawl added, it’s a witch. In a old white sheet, it’s the beginning of a bride costume–just a net veil is the only other thing needed, along with a few silk flowers. You can, fuss it up with a fabric belt from something shiny if you have the time, or with the sew on pearls if you want. It wasn’t until my granddaughter decided to be a Princess Jasmine that I actually bought a pattern for a costume, with harem pants and a crop top!! She later was a can can dancer–that one actually took some real sewing!! And even more fun when you can pass them down to younger cousins. We had plenty of those. I so much enjoyed sewing for my girls and their dolls and even for a nephew or too eventually. When I discovered Wonder-Under, I even cut out pieces of the pants fabric design and ironed them onto the contrasting shirt to make matched outfits!!
Brandy both this ballet skirt and the pencil bag are lovely. I love the bird fabric for the pencil bag. It is so pretty! 🙂
So pretty and such a great idea!
How SWEET! Lucky little girl. This year I made gifts of Amish Granola, cellophane wrapped oatmeal cookies tied with twine with a chocolate truffle and a sprig off my rosemary bush, and a hand knotted bead necklace. Oh, and copies of my new book for homemakers Home For Good which just came out on Amazon. I still need to make one more gift.
PS. i sent my granddaughters a link to your pencil case project and now they are excited to make one themselves. Thanks so much, Brandy, for all the inspiration.
I can’t sew, but that is pretty.
I absolutely adore all of the sewing projects you do for your kiddos! I know you’ve mentioned it, but I was wondering how you manage to get fabric so cheaply? What strategies do you use? I’ve started making my own clothes and the prices from places like Joann’s barely make this a money-saving venture. I’d love some advice. 🙂 Thanks for all you do!