How to Make Girls Clothes Out of Old T-shirts

Lay the T-shirt that fits your girl's body flat on the work surface. This will be the bodice of the dress. Measure the width of the shirt at the bottom and record the measurement. Measure the length of the shirt from collar to the bottom of the shirt and record the measurement.

Multiply the width of the shirt by four. This will give you the width of fabric you will need to make a gathered skirt. Divide the length of the shirt by two. This provides you a suggested length for the skirt. If desired, you can make the skirt longer.

Lay one of the remaining T-shirts out flat. Cut from the bottom of the shirt, as close to one of the side seams as possible, up to the top of the shirt. You can cut around the sleeve if you wish to leave it intact for another purpose. Open the newly cut shirt like a book and lay it out flat. You now have a length of fabric that maintains the original hem of the shirt.

Measure the width of fabric you need for your skirt on the cut T-shirt. If you do not have enough fabric, cut open another T-shirt in the same manner. Continue until you have enough T-shirts to equal four times the width of the bodice shirt. Measure and cut the T-shirt(s) that will form the skirt to the desired length.

Place the T-shirts that will form the skirt next to each other so the right sides and bottom hems are together. Sew a 1/2-inch seam in a straight stitch to join the shirts along the cut edge. Make sure to backstitch to strengthen the seam. Zigzag stitch or serge along the edge of the seam to prevent fraying. Continue until you have a long strip of T-shirts.

Lay the wrong side of the T-shirts on the work surface. Fold the strip in half on itself so the right sides are touching. Sew a 1/2-inch seam in a straight stitch to join the strip as a circle. Backstitch, then zigzag stitch or serge along the edge.

Do a gather stitch around the top of the skirt. To do this, set your sewing machine's stitch length to a long stitch. Starting at a seam, stitch 1/2-inch from the cut edge of the skirt until you reach the other side of the seam you started on. Do not run over the seam or backstitch. Leave a 4-inch tail. Stitch another row 1/4-inch from the cut edge. Do not run over the seam or backstitch. Leave a 4-inch tail. Tie the two tails together on one side, then gently push the fabric up to the knot so it gathers in ruffles. Gather the skirt until it equals the width of the bodice when you lay it flat.

Turn the skirt inside out. Set the bodice shirt inside the skirt until the bottom of the bodice is level with the cut and gathered edge of the skirt. Pin the bodice to the skirt, then sew. Pull the bodice gently as you sew so the gathers will match up with the bodice. Sew a double seam to prevent tearing, then zigzag or serge along the edge. Flip the skirt down and press the seam.