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How to Make Elastic Waist Skirts

An elastic waist allows a skirt to be easily slipped on and off and gives you room to gain or lose weight without creating an uncomfortable fit. Even if you are unfamiliar with the construction, you can put together your own elastic waist skirt according to your liking. The process involves making a narrow casing around the waist of the skirt and then passing the elastic through to create the waistband. You can use this simple method to make skirts for all ages in a variety of colors and fabrics.

Things You'll Need

Fabric
Sewing machine
Iron
1/2-inch wide elastic
Safety pin

Instructions

- 1
  Cut two rectangles of fabric to the length and width that you want your skirt. Add 1 inch to the waist measurement for seams. Add 2 inches to the length of the rectangle to allow for a hem at the bottom and elastic casing at the top. Make sure to add the additional inches to your measurements before cutting into the fabric so that your pieces will be the correct size.
- 2
  Place the fabric rectangle on top of each other with the nice or patterned sides facing each other. Make a vertical seam along each of the sides with a sewing machine . Make each of the seams 1/2 inch wide when sewing the sides closed.
- 3
  Fold the bottom edges of the fabric up by 1/4 inch, then fold it up again by 1/4 inch. The raw edges of the fabric should now be concealed within the double fold. Press the folded edge with an iron to hold the fabric securely. Repeat the same process with the top edge, but make the folds 3/4 inch each.
- 4
  Sew the bottom folded edge in place using a straight stitch all the way around the fabric to make the bottom hem. Do the same to the top edge but leave a 2-inch long opening so you can fit the elastic in after. Make the stitches as close to the open edge of the folds as possible.
- 5
  Wrap a piece of 1/2-inch wide elastic around your waist and trim it so the ends overlap by 2 inches. The elastic should fit snugly on your waist but not so tight that it feels uncomfortable.
- 6
  Pin a safety pin onto one end of the elastic and push the pin through one side of the opening in the top edge of the fabric. Use your fingers to work the pin through the inside of the sewn top edge until it comes out the other opening. Hold the loose end of the elastic with one hand so it doesn't accidentally get pulled into the waistband.
- 7
  Remove the pin from the elastic and overlap the ends by 2 inches. Sew the elastic together over the overlapped area by making a long rectangle. This method of sewing the elastic closed will provide avery secure hold and prevent the elastic from opening inside the waist.
- 8
  Tuck the elastic inside the folded edge and finish sewing the opening closed. Make sure you don't sew the elastic as you sew the opening or the elastic will get stuck in place. Turn the fabric right side out so the seams are on the inside and press all of the edges flat.

Sewing