I wanted to show you what my girls will be wearing for Thanksgiving this year and the funny, awesome way it all came together.
Happiest little accident ever.
And total tender mercy.
I was digging through my stash looking for inspiration when I pulled out this torn, king size fitted sheet. We had this on our bed for years before it finally wore a hole in the center. This sheet was huge (and because it was fitted), never really fit well on my shelf. Since I was drawing a blank on the Thanksgiving outfits, I decided I’d at least clean up the stash a bit and cut the sheet into smaller pieces so that it would store better. I grabbed my scissors, cut the sheet into quarters, and then went to cut off the elastic that ran around the entire thing.
And I stopped dead in my tracks … and just started at the elastic … and wondered if it was a mistake to cut it all off … what if I needed that elastic later ….?
While I was thinking, my daughter the genius picked up one of the ragged pieces and said, “Look Mom! It’s just like a skirt!”
Light bulb.
And from that happy little (divine) accident, I wound up with skirts for my girls in less than ten minutes.
Want to know how?
Seriously … it was that simple.
And if you use bias tape or some type of binding on the bottom, you can skip the hemming part all together – score!
So since I didn’t spend all that time prewashing, trimming, measuring, sewing, adding elastic, etc., I had lots of time to work on the details.
**And quick picture disclaimer — my girls kept bugging me to wear their new skirts so I let them play around while I finished up projects. Consequently, these don’t look freshly pressed anymore. Sorry for the wrinkles. **
You could so do ANYTHING with this basic skirt, but I figured the best thing to add to a happy little accident was a happy little tree … or at least the happy little leaves from the happy little trees.
{Sorry – I can’t stop thinking of these as “The Bob Ross Skirts” and smile every time I see them.}
I grabbed the fat quarter bundle I won a few months ago …
… and cut a bunch of 3.5” x 3.5” blocks with leafs cut out of the centers. I cut my blocks and shapes using my Silhouette, but this is easy-peasy to trace and cut using sewing shears or a craft knife. The blocks were sewn together with a 1/4” seam allowance …
… and the top and bottom edges were pressed under for a clean finish. The whole strip was sewn to the bottom edge of the skirt.
I hand-cranked my sewing machine around each leaf cutout, but you could sew this by hand, too.
I love the creamy flannel poking through the cut-outs. Yummy.
And don’t think the leaf shapes and scraps went to waste. I just made another skirt.
I stitched the scraps together to make a long, 1” wide strip. Then I ironed the strip in half and then in half again to make my own faux bias tape to finish the bottom edge. The leaves were stitched in place with a lot of hand-cranking as well.
Not bad for a fitted sheet and some fabric scraps, huh?
It’s all in the details:
peek-a-boo cut-outs
or sweet appliqué with a simple border.
And how fun would it be to dress up this skirt for Christmas?
Mitten appliqués? Little trees with button ornaments? Ric Rak candy canes? Reindeer?
Or for Valentine’s Day? Or any day?
How much fun could you have with an old fitted sheet?
Thrilled to be featured on:
Linking up to:
Skip To My Lou, Craft-O-Maniac, C.R.A.F.T. * Stories of AtoZ, Tip Junkie, Sugar Bee, Today’s Creative Blog, Sassy Sites, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia * Someday Crafts, Lil Luna, We Are That Family, Blue Cricket Designs, The Thrifty Home, * House of Hepworths, *Tidy Mom, Whipperberry, Kojo Designs, Chic On A Shoestring, Momma’s Kinda Crafty, *Tatertots & Jello, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors * I Heart Naptime, Under The Table and Dreaming
39 Comments
Simply amazing results. Love them!
Those are awesome! Great job and great idea! Must get to work on making some…
Stephanie
Um thank you! I have a fitted sheet left over from another project, and I haven't had a clue what to do with it! Thanks. I need a new skirt in the worst way, and I can handle 10 minutes. I love applique, so this would be a fun project.
Just a quick note to let you know that a link to this post will be placed on CraftCrave today [16 Nov 02:00am GMT]. Thanks, Maria
Great idea. I've got a ripped king sized fitted sheet that I was just going to throw away. I guess I better keep it instead. Thanks for the great idea.
Love the skirts!! But really… you can just stick fabric onto the sticky Silhouette sheet and send it through?? I had NO idea you could do that. Any tricks you could share for that? Thank you so much!!
Wow…hello! Your blog is wonderful. I stumbled upon it just today. These skirts are are really beautiful. I love them. And I love the premise of your space here, "Rock what ya got", and "No money, no shopping, no problem"…You inspire me. And I'm not just saying that.
@Lauren,
I tried to email you back, but no email was listed. So … about cutting fabric on the Silhouette — yes! It works great! You do need to iron interfacing on the back of your fabric to make it stiff enough to go through the machine. You can buy interfacing from Silhouette for $8/yd. or do what I did and grab some at the fabric store for $2/yd. Works just as well. I'm soooo excited to try cutting more shapes for a Christmas version of this skirt using presents and trees.
Thank you for the response. I do actually have some of that interfacing from when I bought my machine, I just hoped maybe you had a cheap solution to cutting the fabric that didn't involve buying the interfacing. Love the skirts!!
And I just updated my profile so there is an email address listed, thanks for the heads up!!
You are so clever! I love these!
Nike – you continue to amaze me with your creativity. These skirts are absolutely adorable. The leaf and cut out details really make the skirts unique. Great job!
I will definitely have to make myself one of these from scratch (no sheets on hand). I just LOVE the look of the cut outs! Sadly, no Cricut, so lots of hand cutting in my future. Worth it though for such a sweet little item for my closet!
Going beyond clothing….This would make really cute Christmas Stockings or tree skirt. How about using a flat sheet and making a table cloth or a table topper with the fitted skirt. The ideas could keep going and going. How much fun!
Adorable I love them. They are so cute, creative and perfect for Thanksgiving.
Pure genius!
So creative and cute. I use old sheets as a source of fabric all the time and always feel wasteful cutting the elastic off a fitted sheet. I wish I had a little girl to make one for. Maybe I need one for myself?
They look so beautiful, like from a children's boutique! No one would ever guess you made them from a sheet! I'm imagining how soft and comfy they must be for your girls (and warm too).
This is so cute and clever! Kudos!
Pinning it for future reference.
I know I have an old fitted sheet with a hole in the midde. I must go dig that out.
I would love to feature this on Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle. Feel free to stop by and check it out. Thanks!
Those skirts are amazing! They look like something from a boutique! You did good!
Firstly, thanks for the link to the tender mercies talk in this post. I really needed to re-read it today.
Secondly, are you seriously apologizing for wrinkles? Girl, you know your readers are more real than that! I'm amazed you iron at all with 6 kids. I don't…at all…my hubby usually goes to church with a slightly wrinkled dress shirt, and so far no disciplinary action has been undertaken 😉 (And no, I'm not insinuating that all of your readers are ironing drop-outs like me, I just mean that you should never have to apologize for your blog content). This isn't an issue of Better Homes and Gardens – thank goodness. That mag always inspires a kind of envy/insufficiency feeling in me. But skirts from sheets; that I can do. Maybe. If the baby is asleep and the sewing machine is working!
You are amazingly creative! I'm always amazed.
I get all of your posts by email and I'm often too lazy to click over to your actual blog to comment even though I love everything you come up with. But this was too darling and too clever and I had to get my lazy butt over here and tell you 🙂 Great Job!!
So creative!! My daughter is quite picky, but I'd love to try it out. You are amazing.
That is a happy accident. Smart girl you have there. If I ever get new sheets I may have to up-cycle the old into a skirt. It just looks so comfy!
Great, great idea. And I hate how fitted sheets always seem to get holes in the middle that are impossible to mend without sacrificing comfort. These skirts are genius, though! Only, I think any savings would be offset by the fact that I now seriously, seriously, think I may need a Silhouette machine. Uh oh…:)
I cleaned out my MIL's linen closet a month or so back and there are a bunch of sheet without matching tops or vice versa…. some of them will work for such things… the others… probably not… because the elastic is too far gone.
You are a lady after my own heart! I've been re-making things for… well, forever! Would you believe I made a quilt outta old sweat socks (the old ones that the guys worn in the 70's/80's with stripes at the top)!
It just goes to show, that you are a great inspiration for your girls too.
Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do with out! Have a wonderful Thanks Giving!
You should pat yourself on the back they are so lovely and your girls will look so stylish without spending a penny except for the thread LOL. you are so crafty.
Very, Very Cleaver…I will have to cut up some of my sheets and make skirts for my Granddaughters.
Wow!
So very, very clever.
This is such a creative, adorable project! I just found you through Tip Junkie and I love the premise of your blog. These skirts are better than anything you could buy in the store. You inspire me. I'm adding you to my Bloglovin' feed.
such a great idea!
What a totally stinkin' cute idea! I'll be implementing both ideas. There were twin sheet sets on clearance at Target when their back-to-school was winding down, so I have a set for about $3.00 to cut up. That's a lot of little skirts! Love the scrappy border and cutouts, too. What a great, free!! way to dress them up.
Love the skirts!! Wish my sheets were ready to recycle 🙂
i love the all dress very much what a color combination and lovely floral design.its very useful for girls
skirts for girls
These skirts are way too cute! My family and I pack shoe boxes for needy children that are distributed through Operation Christmas Child. I plan on making some of these for the shoe boxes.
I just found this post on pinterest and these are genius! Seriously.. I love them. Its a little worrying now that I look forward to our fitted sheets breaking so I can make some seriously cute skirts like this.
Love it
~ Zoe
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This technique i think will short up a fitted sheet lolz. but nice try with colour ful designs. i really think that this idea will sure pick by a little kids also , and also a good idea about a Beauty Salon Towels convert into a bathrobes.