Re-sizing a Skirt

So here's the story.  I saw this adorable skirt and immediately thought of this adorable child I know, who happens to have a birthday in early August.  Even better, the skirt was discounted something like 80% off, so I bought 2 and figured that Lydia might get one to match her friend.

I bought the last 2 they has, but they were both sized too big for either girl.  Not a problem if you know how to re-size a skirt.  Here's what I did.  First I cut a small hole on one side of the inside of the skirt and a small hole on the inside of the other side.  The hole did not go all the way through, it just cut the lining, allowing me to insert a piece of elastic.  I used a safety pin to thread the elastic from one hole to the other.

Once I had the skirt gathered to the desired smaller size, I cut the ends of the elastic off, allowing them to slip inside the hole just a bit. Then I sewed the elastic in place and used Fray Check to keep the hole from unraveling and looking messy. 

PS, that second skirt in the same pattern ended up becoming something way cooler than a skirt for Lydia.  More on that later.  OK Back to skirts.  If a skirt already has elastic, but is too big, I just cut one small opening somewhere inconspicuous and pull some elastic through the hole.  I pull until the skirt is the desired width, leaving a loop of elastic on the inside of the skirt.

I apply a little Fray Check to the hole and use a safety pin to hold it in place, making it completely adjustable!

So there you have it.  Two different skirts transformed with an easy trick into something that will grow with the child for quite a while.  Thanks to this method, Lydia has been wearing the same skirts for 2 YEARS and still has room to grow.