Toddler Skirt from Pants and T-Shirt

By contributing writer Jackie

Upcycling T-shirts and other clothing is something I enjoy. So when my toddler daughter needed another skirt to add to her wardrobe, I looked through the outgrown clothing pile. The result was this cute toddler skirt made from outgrown pants and a hand-me-down T-shirt.

By using an existing waistband I eliminated the need for elastic like I used in my other T-shirt skirt tutorial. This means there is only one seam you will have to sew to make this skirt.

Toddler Skirt Tutorial

Supplies Needed

Pair of Pants (See instruction 1.)
T-Shirt (See instruction 1.)
Scissors
Thread
Pins
Sewing Machine

Instructions

1. Choose a pair of pants that are too short for your child but that still fit at the waist. Choose a T-shirt that is a few sizes larger than what your child wears.

This project is a great opportunity to use thrift store or hand-me-down T-shirts. I used an old baseball team T-shirt that was at least three sizes bigger than what my daughter wears.

2. Cut the pants off approximately 2-3 inches from the top.

You can make the waistband longer if you wish by cutting the pants off just above the legs. This would be necessary if you used a pair of pants with a zipper.

3. Cut off the T-shirt bottom at the desired length you want your skirt to be. Don’t forget to factor in the waistband.

I cut the T-shirt just below the lettering which ended up being 12 inches.

Be sure to save the scraps for other projects like my T-shirt rag rug tutorial or my T-shirt wreath tutorial.

4. At the top of the T-shirt, mark the center of the front and back and the two sides with pins.

5. Place the waistband of the pants over the T-shirt so that right sides are together and the top of the waistband is pointing downward on the T-shirt.

6. Use the 4 pins from step 4 to pin the T-shirt and waistband together at the side seams and middles of the front and back.

7. Stretch the pants waistband in between the pins so that it is even with the T-shirt fabric. Use lots of pins to keep the T-shirt and waistband together.

Here’s another view of how the T-shirt and waistband should be pinned together. The key is to use lots of pins.

Note: If you prefer to sew gathering stitches at the top of the T-shirt that is another method you could use to get the T-shirt and pants waistband to fit together properly.