How to Make a Pettiskirt

Co-authored by Hannah Madden

Last Updated: October 25, 2021 References Tested

A pettiskirt is a cute, bouncy skirt that almost looks like a tutu but has a little more flounce to it. Finding the perfect pettiskirt for you or your child can be tough, and making one lets you customize the colors, size, and fit. You can make your own pettiskirt in just a few hours using a sewing machine, chiffon, Spandex, and elastic.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:
Ruffling the Chiffon

1
Cut a 108 in (270 cm) wide piece of chiffon into different sized strips. Spread your length of chiffon out flat on a table or the floor, and use heavy books to weigh down the edges. Cut out six 2 by 46 in (5.1 by 116.8 cm) strips, twelve 4 by 54 in (10 by 137 cm) strips, and three 6 by 60 in (15 by 152 cm) strips.^{[1]
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- You’ll need a lot of layers of chiffon so you can build up the ruffles in your pettiskirt.
- You can use one single color of chiffon, like blue or pink, or you can cut pieces out of 3 different colors for a rainbow skirt.
- If you don’t have chiffon, you can also use tulle.
2
Ruffle each piece of 2 by 46 in (5.1 by 116.8 cm) chiffon. Put cotton thread the same color as the chiffon into your sewing machine. Attach a ruffing foot to your sewing machine and start by feeding one piece of 2 by 46 in (5.1 by 116.8 cm) chiffon lengthwise into the sewing machine, using a 4:1 gathering ratio and a straight stitch. As you reach the end of the first piece, feed the second piece right behind it to connect them with thread. Keep going until all of your 2 by 46 in (5.1 by 116.8 cm) pieces are ruffled together in one line.^{[2]
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- Make sure you can’t see the loose threads that connect the pieces by overlapping each piece of chiffon by about 0.25 inches (0.64 cm).
- You’ll end up with one long strip of ruffled chiffon connected by your ruffler.
3
Sew the 2 by 46 in (5.1 by 116.8 cm) strips on top of the 4 by 54 in (10 by 137 cm) strips. Grab your ruffled line of strips and layer them on top of the 4 by 54 in (10 by 137 cm) strips lengthwise in a straight line, overlapping the ruffled strips about halfway. Using the same cotton thread and a straight stitch, sew the ruffle onto all of the 4 by 54 in (10 by 137 cm) strips in one straight line.^{[3]
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- You’ll be left with a layer of ruffles on the top and a straight length of chiffon on the bottom.
4
Sew the 6 by 60 in (15 by 152 cm) strips to the bottom with a ruffle foot. To connect the last layer of chiffon, line the 6 by 60 in (15 by 152 cm) strips up underneath the 4 by 54 in (10 by 137 cm) strips lengthwise, overlapping them about ⁰⁄₂₅ in (0 cm). With your ruffling foot, feed the strips into the machine to ruffle the bottom layer and attach it to the skirt at the same time using a straight stitch and a 4:1 gathering ratio.^{[4]
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- Now you’ll have all 3 layers of your skirt attached, but they’ll all be in a straight line instead of a circle.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:
Adding a Waistband

1
Measure your waist, then add 2 in (5.1 cm). Grab a cloth measuring tape and use it to measure the waist of whoever is going to be wearing the skirt. Write that measurement down, then add 2 in (5.1 cm) to it to account for a seam allowance.^{[5]
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- You’ll use this measurement a few times, so make sure you keep it handy.
2
Cut a strip of Spandex as long as your waist plus 2 in (5.1 cm).. Grab a length of Spandex that’s the same color as the chiffon you used for your skirt. Cut out a strip using the measurement you just took of your waist plus 2 in (5.1 cm).^{[6]
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- You can also use satin, although it won’t be as comfortable or easy to stitch.
3
Iron 2 strips of interface onto the top and bottom of the Spandex. Cut two lengths of interface as long as your Spandex, then spread them out on the back of the Spandex, one strip on top and one strip on the bottom. Run an iron over the interface 10 to 15 times to stick it to the fabric and make it easier to sew through.^{[7]
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- Interface helps to make your fabric more rigid so you can hold it upright as you sew.
4
Fold the Spandex in half, then sew the sides together. Fold the Spandex in half lengthwise so that the 2 pieces of interface meet on the inside of the fabric. Sew the sides of the Spandex together to make a circle, but leave about 1 in (2.5 cm) open in the middle of the side.^{[8]
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- You have to leave an opening so you can get your elastic through at the very end.
5
Pin the waistband and skirt together in a circle. Position your chiffon ruffles together in a circle so they’re about as big as your Spandex waist with the wrong sides facing each other. Use sewing pins to attach the Spandex circle to the chiffon circle with about 1 in (2.5 cm) overlapping.^{[9]
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- For a cleaner look, align the seam of the waistband with the seam of the chiffon ruffle.
6
Sew the waistband to the skirt with a straight stitch. Use a straight stitch on the sewing machine or by hand to attach the lower part of the Spandex to your ruffled skirt. Make sure the stitches are really tight to keep all of the weight attached to the waistband.^{[10]
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7
Cut a piece of elastic as long as your waist. Check the first measurement that you took of you or your child’s waist before you added 2 inches (5.1 cm). Use sharp scissors to cut a piece of 2 in (5.1 cm) wide elastic using that measurement.^{[11]
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- The elastic will cinch the waistband in, making it the perfect size.
8
Attach the piece of elastic to the top of the waistband. Turn the skirt right side out so the ruffles face outwards. Thread the elastic through the opening you left in the side of the Spandex waist, then sew the ends of the elastic together to attach them.^{[12]
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- To make your waistband adjustable, sew 2 strips of 6 in (15 cm) long ribbon to the ends of the elastic before threading it through. Then, don’t sew the elastic to the fabric and use the ribbon to make the waist looser or tighter as needed.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I use tulle or organza instead of chiffon?

Community Answer

If you want to make a pettiskirt you can use tulle. Tulle is actual better than chiffon in this case.