Easy DIY T-shirt Dress Tutorial

Two pink and floral homemade T-Shirt dresses displayed on a table.

Summer Time…and the sewing is easy!

Want an easy way to make a summer dress for that grand in your life? Or an easy way to have matching dresses for several grands? This Easy DIY T-shirt Dress Tutorial will help you make a dress in an hour if you are an experienced sewer. What? You heard me right. Cool, huh?

How to Make a T-Shirt Dress

Pre-wash your t-shirt and fabric so it doesn’t shrink later (Note that this step was not included in my 1 hour sewing time I mentioned above).

Floral fabric laying next to a ruler with a pair of fabric scissors nearby.

Measuring fabric length

Try the T-shirt on your grand and mark and measure from where you want to sew on the ruffled fabric skirt to where you want the bottom edge of the skirt to be on the child. Divide this number by two and add on one inch to that measurement. You will be cutting two sets of fabric strips in this measurement.

Note: If your first measurement is larger than 14 inches you will need the amount of fabrics for the larger dress mentioned in the supply list.

Refold the fabric with finished edges together.

A hand pulling two strings to gather floral patterned fabric together.

Cutting fabric strips

Cut two strips (use your determined measurement- mine was 7.5 inch strips) from the fabric that you want to be closest to the t-shirt, from selvage to selvage (finished edges). Use a yard stick to lay across the fabric from side to side after making your measurement marks so the strips are even all the way across the fabric.

Note: Cut 3 strips for a larger dress

With right sides together, sew two ends of each strip together, one after another until they make one long loop.

Gathering the fabric

Set the sewing machine on the setting for the longest stitch it can sew to make basting stitches. Sew a seam with the basting stitches 4/8 inch from the edge around the top edge of the fabric loop without backstitching on either end or overlapping the stitching. Sew a second seam around the fabric loop, starting and ending at the same place, that is ⅜ inch from the edge.

You will use these two seams to gently gather the top edge of the loop. Hold the two ends of the thread from the seams you just sewed and gently pull, then scoot the gathers down the threads. Gather until the loop is the same size as the bottom of the T-shirt where it will be sewn. Even out the gathers all along the loop.

Someone sewing several layers of floral fabric together on a sewing machine.

Repeat...

Cut three 7 inch strips from the second coordinating fabric in the same fashion.

Note: Cut 4 or 5 strips for a larger dress.

Sew these fabric strips together in the same fashion as the first set.

A zigzag stitch along the edge of several layers of floral fabric.

How to Hem the Fabric

Make a hem in the second piece of fabric by ironing up ¼ inch on the bottom side. Then iron this up ¼ inch again. Stitch this down, close to the folded edge, all the way around the bottom of the skirt.

Gather the top edge of this second fabric loop (as described above) until it is the same size as the bottom edge of the first fabric loop.

How to Put the T-Shirt Dress Together

With right sides together, pin the bottom edge of the first fabric loop to the top edge of the second fabric loop. Set the machine stitching back to a regular stitch and sew a 4/8 inch seam. Zig-zag the raw edge of this seam so it does not ravel.

Straight pins holding gathered floral fabric to a pink tshirt edge before sewing together a t-shirt dress.

Sewing the skirt to the T-shirt

Then with right sides together, pin the top of the first loop to the bottom of the T-shirt where you marked where you want it sewn. Sew a ½ inch seam. If needed, trim off some of the T-shirt. Zig-zag the edge of this seam so it does not ravel.

Boom, you are done!

You can add other decorations to the T-shirt or top of the skirt if you want. I left mine simple because the fabric was so bright and cheerful.

The final zigag stitching along the edge of two layers of fabric sewn together to make a t-shirt dress.

The Easy DIY T-shirt Dresses were a hit!

The kids loved them (well, the baby was pretty indifferent- ha).

I will say that if I do this project again I may add a third ruffle and move the placement of the skirt up higher on the dress (more at the waist). I will also experiment with some decorative fabric flowers along the skirt line.

A pink t-shirt sewn to two floral layers of fabric made into a skirt, to make a t-shirt dress.

Making a T-Shirt Dress for Adults

These can be made for adults as well and are so comfy. Also, this would make a great learn to sew project for the grands to make for themselves with your help. How fun!!

Please let me know how yours turn out- upload a picture!