Toddler Tube Skirt Tutorial

What's cuter than a toddler in a tube skirt??? This is such an easy skirt to sew--you've got to make your toddler one! Clara definitely thought she was pretty special, because once I put this outfit on her and set her against the wall to take some photos, she immediately started spinning around! It was pretty cute. Next time I'll try to get a video :)

So, do you want to make your own tube skirt with a yoga waistband??? Then let's get right to it!

Grab your fabric (hopefully you've got enough for a matching headwrap for your little cutie). Half a yard is more than enough for a skirt and headwrap for a toddler. You may or may not need a little more if you're making one for yourself. You'll also need matching thread, scissors, pins, and your sewing machine.

Once you have your fabric, measure your toddler's waist. Then, cut the fabric to that same measurement, or if your fabric is really stretchy, you can cut it an inch smaller. (My fabric is extremely stretchy and after taking the following pictures and putting it on Clara, I had to cut it about 2-3 inches smaller.) Cut the length depending on how long you'd like the skirt to be.

After cutting the body of the skirt, we'll cut the piece for the yoga waistband. It should be the same width (waist measurement) as the body of the skirt. For my 1 year old, I cut about a 6 inch long waistband, meaning that once it's folded over and sewn to the skirt it will be about 2.5 inches long. This was a decent length for a young toddler, but for an older child or adult, I would definitely make it longer--up to 10 or 11 inches long before folding in half.

Once you have your two pieces cut, fold them lengthwise (selvedge to selvedge side), right sides together, and pin the edges together. I was very liberal with my pinning in order to avoid any stretching of the fabric. After you've pinned your two pieces, sew them shut with a zigzag stitch. You should now have two tubes.

Now, take your waistband and fold it in half so that the cut edges are matched up. Keeping your skirt turned inside out, set the waistband (upside down) inside the skirt and line up the back seams. You should have three layers of cut edges matched up. Sew the waistband to the skirt using a zigzag seam. 

And, you're finished! Yay! Because you're using a knit fabric that won't fray, you don't need to hem the bottom unless you choose to (it will make it look more polished). I didn't here, but if you're going to, I recommend pressing the hem before sewing. It will keep the fabric from moving and stretching as much while you're sewing. If it looks a little stretched once you're done hemming, just spray it with water in a spray bottle and it should resume its shape.

And now don't forget to check out my tutorial for an easy headwrap so that your toddler's ensemble will be complete!