As belly dancers, we can never have enough hip scarves, and today I’m very excited to share with you this new ruched hip scarf I made!
It’s extra long, so it feels like a half skirt, which feels nice as you dance in it. And I love the ruched design.
It’s an easy, beginner-friendly project, and let me show you how to make this fun hip scarf to wear in your lessons! Let’s get started!
Click here to join my free course Belly Dance Costume Making 101!
To make this DIY ruched hip scarf, you need:
About 70cm (28in) of stretch fabric – you can use jersey knit or spandex fabric. Make sure it’s at least 2 way stretch.
Matching color thread
How to Make DIY Ruched Hip Scarf
Take measurements
First, to make sure your finished hip scarf fits you well, take these 2 measurements:
- Belt line – this is where you want the waistband of the hip scarf to sit. Measure the circumference.
- Hip line – this is the fullest part of your hips. Measure the circumference.
Draw & Cut
For this project, I decided to skip pattern making and draw directly onto my fabric. But if you’re unsure, make a pattern first following the instructions, then cut your fabric.
First, fold your fabric right sides together in half. Make sure the direction of stretch is perpendicular to the fold.
Then fold it again. I’ve folded like this to cut the front and back panels in one go, but if your fabric doesn’t fold like this neatly, simply cut one panel at a time.
On the side with 2 folded layers, pick a point at the top, and from there, measure a quarter of your belt line measurement minus 3cm (1 1/4in). Make a mark there.
Back to the point on the fold, measure down 5cm (2in), and measure the same length again from this point.
Back on the fold, measure down 7.5cm (3in) from the last point, and measure a quarter of your hip line measurement minus 1cm (3/8in).
Back on the fold, measure down 20cm (8in) from the last point, and measure a quarter of your hip measurement minus 1cm (3/8in) again.
Connect all these points, and smooth out the hip area.
And cut along the lines except for the bottom line.
Now pin or clip the top 2 layers together along the side seam. And repeat for the bottom 2 layers.
Then open up the layers carefully, and straighten the fabric.
On one side, extend the side seam line by 35cm (13 3/4in). If you want a longer hip scarf, you can extend this further.
Now connect the ends of the side seams with a nice, curved line like this. Start out straight for the first couple of centimeters, then draw a gentle S curve and a straight line again towards the other side. And cut along the lines.
From the leftover fabric, cut a long strip like this that is 4cm (1 1/2in) wide and about 1m (39in) long.
Sew your ruched hip scarf!
Let’s start assembling this hip scarf. First, for each of the panels, fold 2.5cm (1in) from the top edge and do a zigzag stitch.
And for the bottom edge, fold 1cm (3/8in) from the edge and do a zigzag stitch. Do this for both panels. And press the seams flat at a low heat setting.
Next, place the panels right sides together and align the side edges. At the shorter edge, do a straight stitch with a 2cm (3/4in) seam allowance. Stretch gently as you sew.
At the longer edge, do a zigzag stitch with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance.
And press the seam open at the shorter edge.
On the wrong side, sew down the seam allowance about 2mm (1/8in) from the edge. Use a straight stitch and again, stretch gently as you sew. This makes channels for the drawstring.
Now take the long strip, and fold it right sides together lengthwise. And do a narrow zigzag stitch with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance.
Trim the seam allowance down to about half, and turn it inside out. I’m using a small safety pin to do this. Attach it at the end, and guide it through the tube.
Fold in the ends towards the wrong side, and do a straight stitch, and you have a nice matching strap.
Turn the hip scarf right sides out, take the safety pin again and attach it to the end of the strap. And guide it through one of the channels from the bottom of the hip scarf.
Then take it through the other channel from the top.
And tie a little knot at each end of the strap so it won’t slip out easily. This drawstring allows you to gather this side of the hip scarf and create the ruching.
And your ruched hip scarf is complete! It’s stretchy, comfy and pretty, and the extra length and the ruching design make it fun to wear! Use fabric with great prints or textures like lace, and make your own ruched hip scarf to show off at your next lesson!
Enter Contest & win a Sparkly Belly course!
Now we have a Sparkly Belly costume contest happening from today! Simply take a photo of your creation inspired by a Sparkly Belly tutorial, and share on social media for a chance to win a prize!
To enter, by midnight May 26 (pacific),
Step 1. Upload a picture of your creation inspired by Sparkly Belly on Facebook or Instagram with #sparklybelly
Step 2. Include in the description of the post which tutorial/course was used to create it, and publish the post
Step 3. Sign up for newsletter (https://www.sparklybelly.com/newsletter)
(Official rules here.)
2 winners from each platform will be selected randomly!
Each winner can select a course from 3 options: Swirly Belt, Bra Fitting Ultimate guide, or Turkish Vest 🙂
Winners will be announced on Friday, May 28 inside the Sparkly Belly newsletter 🙂 Good luck!
This hip scarf would be a great one to make in one day, and you can enter the contest! The deadline is next Wednesday, May 26.
Hope you liked this DIY ruched hip scarf tutorial, and if you did, please share this tutorial with your dancer friends!
And if you want to try making more fun belly dance costuming bits, check out my free email course, Belly Dance Costume Making 101!
Click here to join my free course Belly Dance Costume Making 101!
Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling!
P.S. Pin this image on your hip scarf board 😉
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