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    Home » Sewing

    Summer T-Shirt Maxi Dress Pattern

    Updated: May 27, 2021 by Melissa Mortenson · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 31 Comments

    Upcycle a T-shirt into a girls maxi dress with this sewing tutorial. A free pattern for a t-shirt maxi dress on polkadotchair.com

    Turn a t-shirt into a summer maxi dress with this fun DIY Maxi Dress Pattern.  A great DIY upcycle fashion project!

    Upcycle a T-shirt into a girls maxi dress with this sewing tutorial. A free pattern for a t-shirt maxi dress on polkadotchair.com

    Many years ago, I got an idea to make a girl’s maxi dress from a t-shirt. When she was younger, she loved to wear this dress... and had requested another one but this time with JUST fabric on the bottom. 

    Table of Contents
    • What Fabric to Use for the Skirt
    •  
    • How to Turn a T-Shirt into a Maxi Dress
    • Supplies
    • Dress Sizing
    • Instructions

    She’s all grown up now, but this t-shirt maxi dress lives on and has been passed down to cousins and friends. I love that my friends are appreciative of my kid’s handmade hand-me-down dresses. The tutorial is a few years old but has managed to stand the test of time.

    What Fabric to Use for the Skirt

    This maxi dress is made from Voile. I love the light, airy fabric, which is perfect for summer. Voile fabric is a lightweight cotton fabric. It has a higher thread count than most cotton fabrics which gives it its signature sheen. It has a beautiful drape and is perfect to use for apparel sewing.

    Upcycle a T-shirt into a girls maxi dress with this sewing tutorial. A free pattern for a t-shirt maxi dress on polkadotchair.com
    Upcycle a T-shirt into a girls maxi dress with this sewing tutorial. A free pattern for a t-shirt maxi dress on polkadotchair.com

     

    How to Turn a T-Shirt into a Maxi Dress

    Ready to get started?

    Supplies

    • T-shirt.  It needs to fit snugly but not tight- if you’re not sure of the size, go down a size. Mine is from Old Navy.
    • 2 yards of Voile Fabric- You could also use Velveteen- but try to stick to something light and airy; otherwise, the dress will get heavy- if you want to make it for a taller than a size 10, you’ll need more yardage
    • ½ yard of Voile Fabric for the waistbant

    Dress Sizing

    The measurements for this dress will make approx a size 10- but you can adjust them easily to make other sizes.

    Seam allowances are ½″

    Instructions

    Step One:

    On your t-shirt make a mark approx 2″-3″ down from the bottom of the armholes.

    Upcycle a T-shirt into a girls maxi dress with this sewing tutorial. A free pattern for a t-shirt maxi dress on polkadotchair.com

    Cut off the bottom of the t-shirt.  You don’t need it, so you can save it for another project if you like.

    Step Two:

    Take the waist measurement of your model (or whomever you’re making this dress for).  Then double it- My daughter has a 25″ waist… in her case, each piece would be 50″ wide- and the Voile is 54″ wide… I decided to “go with” the extra fabric- and not cut off the extra 4″.

    To figure the length, measure down from just under their armpits to the floor-  Add about 1″ for hem and seam allowance.  It turns out that 36″ was the perfect length to use on my daughter- if yours is taller or shorter, adjust here.

    You’ll want 2 pieces of fabric that are double the waist measurement by your height measurement.

    >In my case they were 2 pieces 54″ wide by 36″ long.

    Stitch the 2 pieces together along the 36″ sides. Press seams open.

    Step Three:

    Upcycle a T-shirt into a girls maxi dress with this sewing tutorial. A free pattern for a t-shirt maxi dress on polkadotchair.com

    Run 2 rows of gathering stitches along the top edge, pull up on stitches to gather the skirt.

    Fit the skirt into the t-shirt, right sides together- adjust gathers so that the skirt portion fits into the t-shirt portion.

    Upcycle a T-shirt into a girls maxi dress with this sewing tutorial. A free pattern for a t-shirt maxi dress on polkadotchair.com

    Stitch skirt portion to t-shirt portion, being careful not to pull on the t-shirt as you sew (you don’t want it to stretch out too much)

    Step Four:

    Upcycle a T-shirt into a girls maxi dress with this sewing tutorial. A free pattern for a t-shirt maxi dress on polkadotchair.com

    Turn right side out, and press well.

    Upcycle a T-shirt into a girls maxi dress with this sewing tutorial. A free pattern for a t-shirt maxi dress on polkadotchair.com

    Step Five:

    To make the sash.

    Cut a piece of fabric 6″ wide by 54″. (it was 54″ wide since it was a Voile fabric).

    Fold in half, miter corners. Stitch together leaving a 2″ opening in the center.

    Upcycle a T-shirt into a girls maxi dress with this sewing tutorial. A free pattern for a t-shirt maxi dress on polkadotchair.com

    Turn right side out- slip stitch opening closed.  Press.

    You May Also Like:

    How to Make a Dress from Two T-Shirts 

    Summer Dress Patterns for Girls

    How to Make a Pillowcase Dress

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    About Author

    Melissa Mortenson

    Melissa Mortenson is a blogger, designer, and content creator. She is the Polka Dot Chair blog founder and has been sharing fresh and creative ideas with readers since 2008. She is the author of “Project Teen, Handmade Gifts your Teen will Actually Love.” Her work and designs have been featured on HuffPost, TODAY, Pioneer Woman, HGTV, BuzzFeed, Better Homes & Gardens, and many other established publications. Her first fabric line, “Derby Style,” debuted in January 2015 through Riley Blake Designs.  Additional fabric collections have followed it in subsequent years. A mom of 3, she considers herself lucky to be living in Kentucky.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lil' Luna says

      May 09, 2012 at 1:52 pm

      So cute, Melissa! LOVE it! 🙂

      Reply
      • Rebecca McGuire says

        August 13, 2012 at 9:49 pm

        I made two of them using ruffle cloth. So easy and sweet!! If I knew how to put the pictures on here I would.

        Reply
        • melissa says

          August 16, 2012 at 2:52 pm

          Cute! Did you post photos on your blog or flickr acct? I’d love to see them and add them to my pinterest page.

          Reply
    2. Katy Cameron says

      May 09, 2012 at 5:09 pm

      Very cute!

      Reply
    3. The Cantelmo Family says

      May 09, 2012 at 10:12 pm

      I LOVE this dress!!!

      Reply
    4. Gayle says

      May 11, 2012 at 10:50 pm

      Very cute, beautiful dress and model.

      Reply
    5. The Craft-Arty Kid says

      May 12, 2012 at 5:51 am

      Very cute, and a great tutorial

      Reply
    6. Louise Ambrosi says

      May 20, 2012 at 3:39 am

      I love this – it would be perfect for my 7 year old daughter, so I’m going to have a go! Just need to get the right fabric first. Thanks for a great idea!

      Reply
    7. PinkPorcupine says

      May 25, 2012 at 1:34 am

      I made one!

      Reply
    8. Anna says

      May 26, 2012 at 9:31 pm

      Love it! I’m going to make one for my grand daughter. She requested a ruffle on the bottom. I’ll send you a pic after. Laura

      Reply
    9. Jackman Clan says

      May 31, 2012 at 6:10 pm

      http://reidgirlshandmade.blogspot.com/2012/05/blog-post.html

      Hi, I finished the maxi dress for my grand daughter. you can see it on my craft blog. thanks for the tutorial!

      Reply
    10. laurareid says

      June 02, 2012 at 12:11 am

      I made one. You can see it at reidgirlshandmade.blogspot.com
      I included a link back to your tutorial.
      Thanks for the idea. It was fun to make. Laura

      Reply
    11. Rose says

      August 03, 2012 at 5:17 pm

      This is super cute! I want to use it to make a dress for myself from a t-shirt that fits my shoulders but is too short for my comfort.

      Reply
    12. Charity says

      September 10, 2012 at 10:14 pm

      So adorable. Love this tutorial!! I referenced you on my blog. Hope that’s ok. ☺http://tayfamilynews.blogspot.ca/2012/09/project-monday-asian-silk.html?m=1 I made this dress last summer and kinda wish I would have seen all of these tutorials out there to help me out. So many great versions. My daughter would love one like this too!

      Reply
    13. Morgen McMahon says

      February 13, 2013 at 2:33 pm

      What a great tutorial. Your girl is beautiful – she looks just like you!

      Reply
      • Melissa Mortenson says

        February 15, 2013 at 9:57 am

        Oh thanks. I think she’s beautiful, but I’m biased. But I think she gets her good looks from her Dad 🙂

        Reply
    14. Alison Haley says

      April 24, 2013 at 12:00 am

      would knit be too heavy for a size 6 dress in your opinion?

      Reply
      • Melissa Mortenson says

        April 30, 2013 at 4:54 pm

        No I don’t think so, I would just not make the skirt as gathered. Less full.

        Reply
    15. cute party dresses says

      June 09, 2013 at 10:02 am

      Hi there mates, how is all, and what you would like to
      say regarding this paragraph, in my view its genuinely awesome in support of
      me.

      Reply
    16. Camila says

      October 02, 2013 at 2:56 pm

      I just loooooove it!!!!! So sweet and cute! I’m featuring this tomorrow on my weekly round up!!! Hope you have a wonderful week!

      Hugs
      Cami @ TitiCrafty.com
      Sunday Bewitch Me & Titi {Link Party}

      Reply
    17. RoseMary says

      May 04, 2014 at 1:42 pm

      I want to do this for the two youngest granddaughters. but we are in the middle of moving and my sewing in packed up.
      I would be sewing instead of packing, if it was out. thank you for the pattern
      Hope to make it soon

      Reply
    18. iphone mirror screen protector says

      January 08, 2015 at 5:27 pm

      Hi, i feel that i noticed you visited my blog so i got here to return the prefer?.I’m
      attempting to to find issues to improve my site!I guess
      its adequate to make use of some of your concepts!!

      Reply
    19. shirt maker says

      May 03, 2015 at 10:14 am

      This website was… how do I say it? Relevant!!
      Finally I’ve found something that helped me. Appreciate it!

      Reply
    20. April says

      June 12, 2016 at 3:15 pm

      This is so cute.Im going to try this one day

      https://aprilandolivia.wordpress.com

      Reply
    21. Tamara says

      April 20, 2017 at 10:59 am

      Tried it. Love it!!! I’ll be making more of these for sure.

      Reply
    22. Crystal says

      April 23, 2017 at 1:24 am

      Love this. Thanks so much. I thought for colder months you cold use a long sleeved top too. Also if a top gets stained around the tummy area but is still nice it’s a smart idea. Thanks.

      Reply
    23. Amanda says

      August 28, 2018 at 1:27 am

      Cute dress! I am so inspired by your work. I want to make this dress for my daughter. Thanks a lot for sharing the great tutorial.

      Reply
    24. Becky says

      October 27, 2018 at 9:25 pm

      Made a Christmas version of this dress, turned out super cute.

      Reply

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    Hello! It’s nice to meet you.

    I’m Melissa. I like to design things, like fabric, printables, and projects.

    I’m also a Mom and a Maker. I am like most of you, just trying to do my best every day. Some days I succeed, many days I fail.  I find joy in creating, if you do too, then I hope that you find something here bring a little “happy” to your life.  Find out more about me here.

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