DIY: Up-cycled t-shirt skirt

See this cute little skirt? Believe it or not, it used to be one of my t-shirts. Now, it's a cutie-pitutie little skirt that Abner loves!

I've had a stack of old t-shirts languishing in my craft cupboard for months without any ideas about what to do with them. It always seems such a waste to get rid of t-shirts that are in perfectly good shape, but just don't seem to fit right. I'm proud to say I thought this pattern up all on my own and sat down the other evening to whip one up after work.

Ten whole minutes later, I had this cute little skirt on this cute little girl...

Front view:

Back/side view:

If you wish to make one for your little sweetie, here are the super simple steps...

1. Figure out how long the skirt needs to be; either measure your child or use an existing skirt as a guide.
2. Take that measurement and add approximately 1.5 inches for the waistband.
3. Measuring up from the finished hem of your previously-loved t-shirt, mark your measurement.
4. Cut the t-shirt at the line you just marked. [I found it helpful to fold the t-shirt vertically a few times before cutting. Knit material is a pain to work with, so making a shorter cut is easier than trying to stay in line for a longer cut.]
5. Fold the unfinished edge in about .5 inches and then about 1 inch again to make a channel for the elastic waistband, pinning in place as you go.
6. With the wrong side out, sew the bottom edge of the channel being sure to leave about 1 inch open in order to feed in the elastic later on.
7. Make a second line of stitching just along the top edge of the waistband channel (i.e. about 1-2 mm from the top of the skirt). For whatever reason, that stitching will ensure the elastic won't fold over down the road.
8. Measure your child around the waist and add about 1.5 inches to your measurement. Cut your elastic to length and attach a safety pin to one end and feed it through the channel. [I used 1-inch elastic for this skirt.]
9. Overlap the ends of the elastic and stitch securely together.
10. Even out the gathering on the waistband and stitch up the opening you left earlier.

That's it! You're done. Pretty easy, eh?