How do you make a pillowcase dress?

To make a pillowcase dress, cut the top off of a pretty pillowcase, cut armholes in the sides, hem the raw edges and create an adjustable drawstring neckline. The required supplies are a pillowcase, a measuring tape, straight pins, a sewing machine, thread, fabric shears, a bobby pin, a clothes iron and cloth ribbon. This one-hour project produces a girl's dress up to size 4T.

1. Measure and pin the hem

   Measure the child from the middle of her shoulder down to where you want to place the hem. Add 1 inch to this number. Lay the pillowcase on a flat surface with the opening at the bottom. Place the tape measure at the bottom, and extend the tape up to the number of inches you just measured. Mark the spot with a line of straight pins.

2. Cut the top off

   Cut the pillowcase straight across the pin line, and set the excess fabric aside.

3. Fold the dress, and cut the armholes

   Fold the pillowcase vertically so the fold is on the left. To form the armholes, cut a J-shaped segment from the top right side. Make the J about 1 1/2 inches deep and 3 inches long. Prevent fraying around the armholes by sewing the raw edges by hand or with a sewing machine.

4. Create the drawstring casing

   Turn the dress inside out. Fold the top front and back down 1/4 inch, and iron the fold. Fold it down another 5/8 inch, iron the fabric again and stitch the folds in place.

5. Insert the ribbon

   Cut two 3-foot lengths of ribbon. Thread one piece through a bobby pin, and push it through the front neck casing. Thread the other piece of ribbon through the rear casing. Tie the ribbons into bows at the shoulders.