How to Sew a Ruffled Skirt for Barbie

Make a three-tiered ruffled skirt for Barbie or other fashion dolls with this easy tutorial. Just a little bit of fabric and elastic is all you need to make a beautiful long skirt with ruffles to add to Barbie’s custom wardrobe.

We love this skirt because it is full and gathered with lots of volume, yet you don’t need any interfacing or tulle to make the skirt stick out just like a ball gown.

The multiple tiers of fabric is similar to the prairie skirt trend that is so popular right now.

The elastic waist makes it easy for kids to pull the skirt on. Plus, you don’t have to worry about precise measurements for a fitted look.

This is a very forgiving sewing project with the gathered edges. Even if the seams aren’t completely straight or the fabric isn’t cut completely even, the skirt will still be beautiful!

Pair this Barbie shirt with our easy tank top shirt for Barbie to make a cute outfit!

This DIY skirt is just one of the many free sewing patterns for Barbie clothes!

DIY Tiered Skirt for Fashion Dolls

Supplies

• Cotton Fabric (approximately 9 X 13 inches)
• Matching Thread
• 1/8 inch Elastic (4 inch length)
• Sewing clips and/or pins
• Safety pin or bodkin
• Pinking Shears (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Cut out three rectangles of fabric in the following sizes:

• 7 in. X 2 1/2 in.
• 11 in. X 3 in.
• 13 in. X 3 in.

Optional: Cut out the rectangles with pinking shears, zig-zag stitch the edges, or serge the edges of the fabric to prevent fraying and give a more finished look.

This fabric will fray a lot while working with it, and the inside of the skirt won’t look pretty. However, if that doesn’t bother you, then it’s fine to just use normal sewing scissors.

Step 2

Using the smallest rectangle piece, turn over one of the long sides 1/4 inch and sew the seam near the cut edge. This will be the casing for the elastic and the top of the skirt.

Step 3

Using the middle-sized rectangle, sew a basting stitch (either on the sewing machine or by hand) along one of the long edges about 1/4 inch from the edge.

Leave a long piece of thread on either side of the rectangle to gather the fabric (don’t cut the thread close to the fabric as you usually would).

Gather the fabric by gently pulling on the thread and making puckers. Using your fingers, slide the puckered fabric down along the long edge to evenly distribute the gathers.

There is no need to tightly gather all of the fabric or to even out the gathers yet. Just gather about 50-75% of the fabric to get the process going.

Step 4

With rights sides together, place that gathered edge of the middle-sized rectangle on the unfinished long edge of the short piece. Match up the sides of the rectangles and pin or clip together.

Note: The gathered fabric will be much bigger than the other piece and will pouf out. That is fine!

Now, slightly pull on the gathers to spread them out farther. Evenly distribute the gathers along the edge and space them out until the length of the fabric matches the length of the shorter piece.

You will want to leave 1/2 inch on either side of the fabric ungathered because those will be in the seam allowance later.

Pin or clip the fabric pieces together.

Step 5

Sew the fabric together, using a 3/8 inch seam allowance. You will want to make sure that the stitched seam is below the basting stitches so that you don’t see the basting stitches.

Optional: Press the seams open with a hot iron.

Step 6

On one of the long edges of the longest rectangle, make a 1/4 inch rolling hem. Fold the fabric over 1/4 inch, then roll the fabric over again another 1/4 inch.

Sew the seam close to the folded edge.

Step 7

Sew a basting stitch and gather the fabric along the unfinished long edge, just as you did in Step 3.

Then attach the gathered edge to the unfinished edge of the middle-sized rectangle of fabric, with right sides together, just as you did in Steps 4-5.

Step 8

Cut a 4 inch piece of elastic.

Attach a small safety pin to one of the cut ends of the elastic.

Insert the safety pin into the casing on the top of the skirt fabric. Start pushing and pulling the safety pin through the casing.

When the elastic is almost pulled through on one end of the casing, clip it or pin it so that the elastic is not pulled through the casing. Leave just a little bit of elastic hanging out of the casing.

Pull the safety pin through the casing and out the other side. Again, pin or clip the elastic, with just a little bit hanging out of the casing.

Step 9

Fold the skirt in half, with the right sides together. Match the seams and cut edges and pin in place.

Sew the skirt closed with a 1/2 seam allowance.

Helpful Tip: This can be tricky to do with the elastic, because you need to make sure that the elastic doesn’t slip into the casing. I grasped the elastic and pinched together on the outside of the casing while positioning the top of the skirt underneath the presser foot. I quickly inserted the needle into the elastic and started stitching, doing a backstitch at least once through the entire casing area to really secure the elastic. I have backstitched twice over the casing just to be really sure it is secure!

Step 10

Trim some of the excess fabric off of the seam to reduce bulk.

If you would like, you could finish off the raw edges with pinking shears to tidy up the edges and prevent more fraying if you haven’t already pinked the edges, zig-zag stitched or serged them.

Turn the skirt inside out.

Helpful Tips I Learned From Making a Barbie Skirt

• Choose a solid color or small, non-directional print for best results. Large prints are too big for Barbie clothing and directional prints (such as vertical stripes) can be frustrating to work with.
• 100% quilter’s cotton is recommended as the best fabric that will hold a shape when sewing the tiers together.
• You can choose one color fabric, or several. Consider making the middle tier a different pattern, or use three different coordinating fabrics.
• Just because this DIY Barbie skirt is small and for a child’s toy, don’t think that this sewing project is easier than others. In fact, sewing doll clothes can be more challenging and frustrating because of the small size and fidgety details.

Want to save this idea for later? Be sure to Pin It to Pinterest!

If you love this skirt and sewing Barbie clothes, be sure to see our tea-length skirt with lace ruffle sewing pattern, too.

All of these free Barbie clothes patterns are part of our list of 17 Operation Christmas Child Sewing Projects.