How to Make an Easy Denim Doll Skirt with No Pattern Needed

With this free tutorial, learn how to make a denim skirt for an 18-inch doll. No pattern piece is needed. No Sewing is Required!

This no-sew doll skirt is made from recycled jean fabric. It features a ribbon waistband and is hemmed with fusible webbing. It's very simple and easy to make, and it's perfect for recycling an old pair of jeans.

There are so many clothing items available for 18 " dolls, but instead of paying for these expensive clothes, it is much more fun and much less expensive to make them with one of our no-sew tutorials.

Not everyone can sew doll clothes. This doll skirt does not involve sewing, so it is simple. The good news is this is a great way for a little girl with no sewing skills to make a pretty skirt for their doll.

This denim skirt will fit 18-inch dolls, such as American Girl Doll, Our Generation, Journey, Playtime by Emmie, My Life As, and New Adventures Styles doll.

After this project, how about making a no-sew top for the rest of the outfit?

Learn more about making a no-sew denim skirt for an 18" doll by watching our YouTube video tutorial or reading this post, which shows how to make a skirt that is not a lot of work.

WHAT YOU NEED to make a denim skirt for an 18" doll

• Old pair of jeans
• 24" length of 5/8" - 3/4" ribbon 
• 2" wide length of Stitch Witchery or other fusible webbing
• Scissors
• Rotary cutter and mat (optional)
• Ruler
• Iron and ironing board

INSTRUCTIONS to make a no-sew denim skirt without a doll skirt pattern for an 18" doll

STEP 1: Check to make sure the jean leg is large enough

The jean leg will need to go around the waist of your doll. One of the first things to do is make sure that the bottom of the jeans leg is not too small to fit over the hips and onto the waist of the doll.Old jeans that were young children's or toddlers' and more like a jegging could be too small for the doll's waist. The first step is to check quickly to ensure the cut pant leg will fit the doll.

Step 2: cut a portion of the jean leg 

The jeans are going to be cut 8" from the bottom hem of the leg of the jeans. Using a sewing ruler, measure up 8" and either using a rotary cutter and mat or a pair of scissors cut a straight line across the jean leg.

Sometimes, the denim is too thick to cut with a rotary cutter, so you may find it necessary to use fabric scissors. Save the excess fabric for other fun projects.

Step 3: pin the fusible webbing to the skirt piece

Turn the 8" piece of fabric inside out. The Stitch Witchery or other fusible webbing will need to be pinned onto the top of the inside of the cut edge of the doll skirt. The bottom of the skirt will be the hem of the pant leg. 

Taking the edge of the fusible webbing, line it up with the top of the raw edge of the jean material and pin it all of the way around.

Step 4: Fold and Pin the top of the skirt

Once the Stitch Witchery or other fusible webbing is in place on the wrong side of the denim, fold the top edge of the skirt down 2". The folded fabric will cover the fusible webbing. Using the ruler, measure 2" and fold down the raw edge of the skirt. Move the pins from the inside, holding the fusible webbing, to the outside to keep the fold in place.

Step 5: Adhere to the fusible webbing

Take the denim piece to the ironing board and, following the manufacturer's directions for fusing the webbing to fabric, press the denim along the 2" fold. Do not move the iron back and forth as though ironing.

Press firmly all of the way around the folded edge to fuse the webbing in place.

Next, turn the skirt right side out and press with the iron again a second time to be sure the webbing has fused well.

Step 6: Cut slits in the waistband

A ribbon will secure the skirt to the doll's waist.  A 24" length of a 5/8" - 3/4" wide ribbon will be used.  We used a 5/8" wide ribbon.

To get the ribbon in place on the skirt, several slits will need to be made in the denim near the top of the waist band.

The pleats will lay nicely if several slits are cut into the front and back of the skirt.

Begin by working on the front of the skirt. Two slits will be made a little off-center where the ribbon will enter and exit the waistband on the outside of the skirt. Fold the top of the skirt down a little bit and make a small cut with the scissors.

After making the two off-center slits, cut two more slits on either side of these on the front. So you will have four slits in the font.  The pleats will lay nice with six slits on the back.

Again, fold the top edge of the skirt down a little bit and cut six slits in the back of the waistband for the ribbon to be woven through.

step 7: Insert the ribbon and place it on the doll

Take the piece of ribbon and push it through one of the slits in the front of the skirt. Now weave the ribbon in and out of the slits all of the way around the skirt until the ribbon exits the other slit in the front.

Put the doll feet first into the skirt with the front of the skirt at the front of the doll. Gently pull on the ribbon to make the skirt tight enough to stay on the doll's waist and make a bow.

The ends of the bow can be cut shorter or left longer as desired.

The denim doll skirt for an 18" doll is now complete! Make a cute top to go with the skirt and the doll will be dressed and ready to go play!

Let's make more things for an 18" doll!

• Doll Poncho - No Sewing Required
• No Sew Doll Skirt from a Shirt Sleeve
• No Sew Doll Handkerchief Skirt
• Easy Sleeveless Doll Shirt - This is a great first sewing project.
• Doll Scarf
• Doll Socks from Mittens
• Crocheted Beaded Necklace