How To Make A Skirt With Hidden Pockets

February 15, 2014






I love wearing skirts during the spring and summer time. The only problem I really have is that some of them don't have pockets! I mean, I could carry a bag but sometimes I want to put small things in my pocket without having to dig for them in my bag. Keep reading to learn how to make this easy skirt!

What you'll need:

  • Opaque fabric
  • Thread
  • Elastic
  • Pins
  • Sewing machine
  • Scissors
  • Chalk



1. Cut out two rectangular pieces of equal size.
  • The length: determine how long you want your skirt to be and add in about an additional 3 to 3.5 inches. The extra fabric will account for seam allowances and the waistband area. For example, I wanted my skirt to be 15 inches long so I would then cut my rectangles to have a length of 18 to 18.5 inches. If your waistband elastic is very wide or thin (my measurements are based off a 1 inch wide elastic), adjust the measurement accordingly.
  • The width: this part is all up to you. The wider you make your skirt, the fuller the skirt will be. You can always use an existing skirt you have as a guide. I say a good measurement would be between 25 to 30 inches.


2. Pocket time! Fold the extra fabric you have twice to get a total of four layers of fabric. Align your thumb along the bottom edge of the fabric (I used a glove as a reference) and trace around your hand. Start tracing from your thumb area and then around your fingers; once you hit your wrist, draw a line straight down from there. The shape you end up should be like the one shown below. Cut on the lines and you should get four identical pieces.

While tracing, have your fingers spread out slightly!


3. Place your pocket piece along the edge of the rectangular piece like how it is shown below. The distance between the pocket piece and the top edge should be more than two times the width of your elastic band. For example, my waistband was 1 inch wide; my pocket piece would start around 2.5 to 3 inches from the top. Sew the pocket to the rectangle along where the pins are placed below.

Both of my fabric sides are the same. If yours are different, the wrong side of the pocket piece should be facing up and the right side of the rectangle piece should be facing up according to the picture below.



4. Repeat step 3 for the remaining two pocket pieces on the other rectangular piece.

5. Flip the pocket pieces over so that they stick outwards (it will look like two little arms sticking out). As of now, you should have two large pieces, each with two pocket pieces sewn on each side. Take one of the layers and lay it on top of the other, aligning all the edges together. The right sides should be facing the inside/touching (i.e. the stitches made in steps 3 and 4 are facing the outside). Sew the edges of the pocket layers together (as shown by the pins below) and sew together ONLY the area above the pocket and below the pocket.


6. It's time to work on the waistband! To make a casing, you would want to fold the fabric down about half an inch. Fold the fabric down a second time, this time folding it down about [your elastic width + 0.5 inches]. For example, I would first fold the top edge of the rectangle piece down half an inch; my second fold would then be folded down around 1.5 inches. Straight stitch the fold down all around the skirt to make a small case for the elastic to go through. Stop sewing once once you have about 2 inches left over.


7. Cut out a strip of elastic that is your waist measurement. Attach a safety pin to one end and loop it through the entire casing. Once the two ends meet, sew them together tightly.


8. Sew the remaining part of the casing shut.

9. To keep the elastic from moving, sew along the midpoint of the elastic all around the waistband once OR sew along the top and bottom edges of the elastic, each once around. Make sure you stretch your elastic while you do to ensure that your fabric doesn't bunch up.

Edit: an easier alternative is to just sew down the two sides of the elastic right above where the pockets are to the skirt.

10. Finish the skirt by hemming the bottom!

You Might Also Like

5 comments

  1. i love your sewing tutorials! I've been wanting to try hidden pockets for a while now, hope i can get some time to try this out soon!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wish I knew how to sew so I could make this adorable skirt! I think everything is better with pockets :)

    -Sharon
    The Tiny Heart

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The easiest alternative is to use fabric glue! Always works :)

      Delete
  3. Hi Joyce, I absolutely love this skirt, too many things don't come with pockets! Can I ask what material you used here please? I love the colour of it and the way it hangs. Thank you for sharing this!

    ReplyDelete