I LOVE wearing maxi dresses in the summer. They’re so comfy and breezy… they’re a summer wardrobe staple around here! My only problem is that I’m pretty short – 5’3 1/2″ – so every maxi dress or skirt I buy is way too long. Hemming skirts has become a necessity for me, and today I want to show you how to hem a dress or skirt with NO sewing required. It’s such a handy skill to have in your DIY arsenal – especially if you’re a shorty pants like me!

I found this dress from my friend’s online Silver Icing shop right here. Isn’t it pretty?! It’s just much too long on me!

To quickly hem any maxi dress or skirt, put it on with the shoes that you’ll wear with it. With this dress, I know I’ll only wear flat sandals.

Next, bend over and fold up the hem of the dress to where you want the hem to sit. Then, mark the fold with stick pins. I put one pin on each side of the dress.

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Take the dress off and lay it on a cutting surface. Measure from the original dress hem to the pins, and then subtract 1 1/2″ from that measurement. 1″ of that is for the hem, and the 1/2″ is to add a teeny bit of extra length just in case your measurement was a bit off. Measure and cut off that amount from the bottom of your dress. My pins measured 6″ from the original hem, so I cut 4 1/2″ off the dress.

Put the dress on an ironing board and fold the entire raw edge of the new hem under 1/2″ and press with a hot iron. Fold it over another 1/2″ and press again.

Next, grab some hem tape (I use Heat N’ Bond) and insert it into the hem as shown above. Press the hem again to activate the hem tape. On a light fabric, you usually only have to hold the iron over the hem + hem tape for about 10 seconds. Continue on in this way all around the hem, ensuring that the hem tape is adhering the the fabric as you go.

Finally, flip the skirt or dress to its right side and iron the hem again for good measure. All done! Now wasn’t that easy?!

Let’s make it!

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How to Hem a Maxi Skirt or Dress - No Sewing Required

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Estimated Cost: $10

How to hem a dress or skirt with NO sewing required!

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Materials

• Stick Pins
• Hem Tape

Tools

• Scissors
• Measuring Tape
• Iron and Ironing Board

Instructions

1. First, put on your dress or skirt with the shoes you think you'll wear with it.
2. Bend over and fold up the hem of the dress to where you want the hem to sit. Then, mark the fold with stick pins. I put one pin on each side of the dress. Take the dress off and lay it on a cutting surface.
3. Measure from the original dress hem to the pins, and then subtract 1 1/2″ from that measurement. 1″ of that is for the hem, and the 1/2″ is to add a teeny bit of extra length just in case your measurement was a bit off. Measure and cut off that amount from the bottom of your dress. My pins measured 6″ from the original hem, so I cut 4 1/2″ off the dress.
4. Put the dress on an ironing board and fold the entire raw edge of the new hem under 1/2″ and press with a hot iron. Fold it over another 1/2″ and press again.
5. Next, grab some hem tape (I use Heat N’ Bond) and insert it into the hem as shown above. Press the hem again to activate the hem tape. On a light fabric, you usually only have to hold the iron over the hem + hem tape for about 10 seconds. Continue on in this way all around the hem, ensuring that the hem tape is adhering the the fabric as you go.
6. Finally, flip the skirt or dress to its right side and iron the hem again for good measure. All done! Now wasn’t that easy?!

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• HeatnBond UltraHold Iron-On Adhesive, 3/8 Inch x 10 Yards

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