There are many ways to add an interesting feature to a simple skirt, but what’s more romantic than a little drape or a swag? 🙂
Creating perfectly draped fabric can be tricky, but in this tutorial, I’ll show you a super-easy way to add drape to a belly dance skirt. Let’s get started!
Resources mentioned in the video:
Detachable side swag (Aurora Convertible Skirt)
Built-in drape (Advanced Circle Skirt)
FREE course (Belly Dance Costume Making 101)
To add drape, you need:
Lightweight fabric – this can be any type of lightweight fabric like chiffon, satin, lace, mesh, stretch or non-stretch. But use fabric that drapes nicely on its own. You need about 80cm x 80cm (32in x 32in).
Matching color thread
2 hair ties
How to Add Drape to Belly Dance Skirts
Cut & fold the fabric
First cut the fabric into a 80cm x 80cm (32in x 32in) square.
Then if you fabric frays, treat all raw edges using matching color thread.
Next, make a fold at 10cm (4in) from the edge towards the wrong side.
Then flip and fold again the same amount.
Continue flipping and folding, so you have an accordion fold.
And put a tie at about 15cm (6in) from the end. Make it loose, just enough to gather the ends without losing the folds. Repeat on the other end.
How to make a swag
Now place it so the right side of the fabric is facing up. The top fold should be facing towards you, and the top edge is facing away from you.
Then hold one end of the top fold with your left hand, and hold the bottom edge of the fabric with your right hand.
Pull the fabric out slowly by about 10cm (4in) with your right hand, so the corner of the fabric is still on the left side of the elastic. Make sure the top part of the fabric is not moving.
Repeat for the other side.
Hold the top fold again, and pull out the folds in the middle slightly with your right hand, so these folds become looser.
Again, the top fold is not pulled out at all here. The folds get looser as you go towards the bottom. You can hold it up to see if it makes a nice swag.
And now you have a pretty swag to attach to your skirt! You can try pulling out more or less according to your preference.
How to add drape to a belly dance skirt
Once you like the shape, do a zigzag stitch a couple of times right next to the ties, so the folds stay gathered. Don’t worry if the folds aren’t very neat here. Just make sure the top edge is facing towards the wrong side, and do a zigzag stitch over all the layers together.
Then place the swag at the waistband of your skirt, and tuck the ends in on the wrong side to see where you want to place it. Hide the sewn parts on the inside of the skirt.
And once you like the position, sew the ends to the wrong side of the waistband and trim any excess fabric.
And now your skirt has a pretty drape design! This is super easy, and adds a nice dimension to a plain skirt 🙂
More drape skirt ideas!
Since you saw this easy version, let me share with you a couple of more drape skirt ideas.
You can make a more defined swag with a peek-a-boo gap at the top, and this is a really beautiful look!
These swags here are actually detachable, so you can make them in different fabrics and switch up the design of your skirt easily. You can get the pattern for this swag and learn to make this skirt in my Aurora Convertible Skirt course.
Click here to check out the Aurora Convertible Skirt course!
Or, you can build in the draped design as you make your skirt. This gorgeous drape skirt is from my Advanced Circle Skirt course, and it’s such a romantic, professional design.
Click here to check out the Advanced Circle Skirt course!
Hope you liked this How to Add Drape to belly dance skirts tutorial, and if you did, please share this tutorial with your dancer and costumer friends! It’s a super-easy way to upgrade plain skirts.
And if you’re new to belly dance costume making, check out my free email course, Belly Dance Costume Making 101. It’ll give you a great introduction to costume making and beginner-friendly projects.
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 decoration idea board 😉
Like what you read? Want to make more costuming bits yourself?
Learn more and sign up for my free email course, Belly Dance Costume Making 101 here!