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How to Make a Tunic From an Old Gown

A dress or old gown destined for the trash can get a whole new life as a tunic. Old gowns often have attractive, distinctive elements on the shoulders or sleeves, and even if they are no longer fashionable dresses, they can be crafted into attractive tunic tops, making them appropriate for wear with jeans or with leggings for a 1980s twist.

Things You'll Need

Measuring tape
Chalk
Scissors
Iron
Needle
Thread

Instructions

- 1
  Measure from your shoulders down to a point between your hip and your knee, to the desired length of the tunic, using a tape measure. Add 1 inch to this measurement; this provides fabric for a hem and a bit of ease.
- 2
  Measure the same distance you measured in Step 1 on the gown, beginning at the shoulder seam. Mark the length with chalk. Measure from the hem of the gown up to the mark, and use that measurement to mark a line all the way around the gown.
- 3
  Cut off the bottom of the gown, using the marks you have made as a guide.
- 4
  Fold the raw edge of the gown that you have just created up twice, creating a fold that is ¼-inch deep both times.
- 5
  Iron the folds that you have made flat.
- 6
  Sew the folds flat, finishing the hem. The tunic is now ready to wear.

Sewing