I seem to have a growing collection of pretty scarves, wraps, and shawls that I pick up during the fall and winter months but simply don't wear. It doesn't help that I'm living in Turkey and can pick them up at the weekly bazaar for less than $1 each. I often love the patterns at the time but they end up sitting in the back of my dresser drawer most of the year. So I've come up with a way to combine them with crochet to make nice lightweight summer skirts. If you have some scarves laying around in your closet, I recommend this project. It will definitely give them some life again.What you need:
1. an old shawl, scarf, or wrap
2. yarn and a crochet hook
3. a needle and thread or sewing machine
Here's how to get started:
- Grab an old shawl, wrap, or scarf and fold it in half
- Sew the ends together
- Crochet the waist line. You can use any crochet edging pattern you would like (there are dozens of diagrams on Pinterest), but make sure it fits your waist.
- If desired, you can also crochet a bottom section to give your skirt some ruffle or frill. This will be longer than the top section and you can use the bottom of your skirt to measure it.
- Sew on the waist line and bottom edging (if used). I recommend pinning on the sections as you will likely have a lot of extra fabric on the top section. This is what creates the ruffled look of the skirt.
- Try on, and if you find your skirt is too loose, you can crochet a single set of chains (a little longer than your waist) to act as a draw string. You can weave this through the outside or inside of your pattern, depending on how you want it to look.
- Enjoy!
Mine definitely needs some ironing but I think you get the general idea. The same concept of crocheting a waistline can also easily be applied to maxi skirts or other skirts you may have that no longer fit. It is a great way to salvage them. Note though that if you cut the fabric, you may have to hem the ends to keep it from fraying.
