$5 Dollar Challenge Finalist: Bustle Skirt

Any little girl will be excited to twirl in Elizabeth’s affordable…and adorable….bustle skirt!

1. Find the measurements that you need for your skirt. Using a tape measure, measure around your little one’s waist. (My waist measurement for a 5 year old was 22 inches). Double this measurement. (My width is now 44 inches….45 inches is the width of most fabric, so I just used the 45 inches). To find the length you need measure the waist-to-knee measurement. Add 3 inches forthe skirt’s hem and elastic casing. (My measurement was 12+3=15 inches in length).

2. Cut a rectangle to your measurements. (Mine was 45×15 inches).

3. Folding the right-sides of the fabric together, sew the fabric into a tube.

4. Hem the bottom of the skirt. Fold and press ¼ inches, then fold and press another 4 inches to make
a neat hem. Sew all the way around the skirt to hem it.

5. Serge or zig-zag the top edge of the skirt. Then, fold and press a casing of 1 ½ inches. Sew around, leaving a 2 inch hole to thread elastic through later.

6. Trace and cut around 70-90 circles (I used a large jar lid for my circles).

7. Fold the circles into 4ths and pin the bottom row on the hem with the bottom edges of the circles touching like the picture shown. Sew your first row of “bustles” into place.

8. Pin and sew the next row of “bustles” overlapping the bottom row like the above picture shows.

9. Repeat until you reach the top of the skirt (I used 5 rows). At the top row, pin and sew the “bustles” on upside-down so that your stitching does not show on the finished skirt.

10. Measure a piece of 1-inch elastic 2 inches less than your waist measurement (mine was 20 inches) and thread elastic through the casing. Zig zag the two ends of the elastic together and then finish sewing the hole of the casing. Trim threads and you’re done!!!!