DIY Flower Girl Dresses for Under $100

The amount of the materials you'll need will depend on the size of the child. The 5-year-old child we fitted had a 20 inch natural waist, and we used: 2 metres of doubled crinoline for the tutu, 2 metres of netting for base of tutu, satin (faux) for the lining skirt (1 metre) and for the decorative flowers (2 metres), stretch fabric such as elastic crochet for the bandeau top, 5 gems, a 1" elastic, a needle and white thread, crochet cotton in the same colour as the bandeau top, a thick elastic, pins, measuring tape, scissors, and a sewing machine.

First, you need to determine the measurements of your flower girl. You’ll need to know the width of her chest and waist, and also the length from the bottom of where the top will rest to where you want the bottom of the skirt to fall. Keep in mind that the top will not have a zipper on it. You’ll need to make sure that it is able to slide over the child’s waist or shoulders to go on.

To measure the elastic crochet material for the top, you’ll need to gently pull on the fabric while measuring. This will ensure that the top will stay up on the child. Once you have the correct measurement, cut the fabric about one and a half inches larger for seam allowance. We used double the amount in order to make the top larger in length. Do not sew the seams together just yet!

Now, you’re ready to make the skirt. The bottom layer of the skirt will be the netting which has larger holes in it, while the top layers will be the tulle/crinoline with smaller holes. The larger you want the skirt, the more layers of tulle you will need. Lay the crinoline down in the proper order, then take your needle and thread and go from back to front about one inch apart on the top seam. Once you pull the thread through the skirt it will create a gathering effect. When you have achieved the pouffiness you are looking for and the skirt fully fits the circumference of the bandage top, you can cut the crinoline down the length of the fabric.

Lay your elastic crochet top on a flat surface with the outside facing downwards and then place the gathered crinoline that you’ve just created on the bottom seam of said top. Pin the pieces together, leaving an inch to an inch and a half of extra crinoline at each end. Then, use the thin elastic string to sew them together. 

Because the crinoline will be itchy against your flower girl’s skin, we added an extra piece of elastic along the seam right on top of the crinoline. Keep in mind that when covering this piece, it is important to use only materials and strings that are stretchy. If you don’t, it may be a problem when the flower girl tries to put on the dress.

Now it is time to sew the elastic crochet top together. Turn the piece inside out and hand stitch it two or three times wih the crochet cotton to ensure it is secure. When the top is sewn together, turn the dress inside out. The extra crinoline that was left in step four will overlap each other so that the dress does not split when your flower girl is walking down the aisle.

Now that you have the outside of the dress complete, you need to make the slip. We used one metre of white satin fabric to ensure that our flower girl wouldn't be restricted while walking (and running!) around. Lay the material on a flat surface and on the width of it, fold over a flap large enough to fit your one inch elastic. To hide any frayed ends, double fold the material and sew it closed on the sewing machine.

Cut the length of the material using the measurement from where the bottom of the top will rest to the bottom of where you want the skirt to fall, ensuring to leave room for a double fold on the seam. Once this is cut, double fold the seam to hide any frayed edges, pin it, and sew it on the sewing machine. Then, turning the outside of the dress in, take the edges on the length of the dress and sew them together as well.

Make sure that you sew from the bottom of the skirt upward to ensure that you do not sew the elastic holes shut that (you made in step six)!

Take your one inch elastic and slide it through the top fold of the skirt. Gently stretch the elastic to the measurement of the child’s chest, cut it, and sew the ends together. Then, hand stitch the ends to close the hole.

If you prefer to attach the slip to the inside of the dress, skip this step and use the same gathering technique as you did in step three. Once gathered, pin the slip to the inside of the skirt like in step four and sew it together. We do not suggest doing this step unless you are absolutely sure about your measurements. If you are even an inch off, the flower girl may not be able to slide the dress on!

The base of the dress is now complete, and it’s time to move on to the decoration. We used two different shades of pink fabric and the same cream satin that was used in the slip, but the colour choice is up to you. 

The internet is flooded with easy-to-learn patterns on how to make fabric flowers. Keep in mind, that the bigger the flower, the less you'll need to make! 

Once we were finished filling the entire top of the dress, we added a few gems to give the dress some bling.

Here is the finished product of what your dreamy flower girl's dress should look like.

And, if you have a flower girl this cute, you're golden!