Dollar Store Craft: Candy Corn T-shirt Skirt

How cute is Maggie in her candy corn skirt (and candy corn clippie), made from t-shirts from the dollar store? We already had the orange adult t-shirt, so the skirt cost me $2, 45 minutes, and a bit of elastic. And it was very easy to make.

One of the great things about sewing with t-shirts is that knit fabric doesn't fray. You don't have to serge or finish your inside edges, or hem the outside if you don't want to.
I used a skirt that currently fits to get an idea of how big to make the t-shirt skirt.
I cut a strip off the bottom of each t-shirt, adding 1/2 inch seam allowance for each seam, plus 1 inch for a waistband. I kept the hem on the bottom of the orange shirt, but trimmed off the others.
Since my strips were already tubes and already in descending width, I just needed to sew them together. This is another great thing about using t-shirts, especially since I had them in different sizes. Otherwise, piece together your strips into a tube the width you need.

To make a gathering stitch, use the longest stitch length you have and leave long thread tails. Do this along the top of the bottom layer (orange) and then pin it to the bottom of the middle layer (yellow) right sides together. While pinning, match the side seams (if any) and the centers of the front and back. Do this before gathering so your gathers will be evenly spaced. Then pull the gathering stitches up by pulling on the bobbin threads, until the fabric layers are the same width. Add additional pins to keep the gathers evenly spaced, then sew. I run the gathering stitches about 1/8 inch from the top, then sew the seam at about 1/4 inch so I can yank out the gathering stitches after sewing the seam. You can see more pictures and description of gathering in my bubble skirt tutu tutorial.
Repeat the gathering steps for the top and middle layers. Sew gathering stitches into the top of the middle layer and pin it to the bottom of the top layer (right sides together!) Pull up the gathers, pin again, then sew.

Finally, add an elastic waistband. With the skirt inside out, fold the top down 1/2 inch and tuck the end under. Stitch right along the bottom edge of the fold almost all the way around. Thread 1/4 inch elastic through the casing by attaching a safety pin to one end. Try the skirt on and pin the elastic where it fits well. Sew the elastic together, trim off excess and finish the casing. Hem the bottom of the skirt if desired.

Maggie LOVES this skirt and wouldn't take it off for me to take a picture. I had to finish the elastic after her bath - then she put it back on and wore it to bed over her pajamas!
This was really easy, quick, and inexpensive to make. So much so I made three more skirts in different sizes using the same t-shirts. Yes, I got 4 skirts out of three $1 t-shirts and a $1 pack of elastic.
And I got to make one in a teeny tiny size for this teeny tiny doll, my 2 month old niece Kyli. I literally used the t-shirt sleeves to make this one! Isn't she precious?
Here are Madeline and Colette trying on their new skirts.
Linked at: Craftaholics and Sew Much Ado.