All of a sudden, I started having this obsession with kimonos. They're just so simple, light and looks cute with every outfit. But sometimes they can be costly. The first kimono I bought was thrifted and therefore was super cheap. Then I saw on forever 21 that they were $30. That's $30 I don't really want to spend. So I found an alternative that only cost me $2!
What you will need:
- Large Scarf (I bought mine from Ardenes, it was 5 for $10)
- Scissors
- Pins
- Ruler
- Sewing Machine
- Iron
The scarf I have here is 72x40 Inches. First, fold your scarf in half by putting the long sides together.
If your scarf has a right and a wrong side to it - for example, one side is more vibrant then the other - take the vibrant side (right side) and fold it into each other, so the dull side (wrong side) is showing on the outside.
Here is a diagram to help you throughout the steps to get a better idea of what you're working with. As you can see, the top is where the fold is when you folded the scarf in half. Therefore at the bottom, you can see the opening.
Starting at the fold at the top of the scarf, measure a good amount of length for an arm hole. For mine, I left the hole 10 inches wide.
Pin this spot for reference for the next step. Do the exact same thing to the other side.
Now, starting from the end of the scarf where the opening is, start sewing at the corner (about 2 cm away from the edge), all of the way up until you get to the pin. Look at the guide in the beginning of this post for reference. Be sure to back stitch at each end.
I recommend you use a sewing machine for this just to be sure to have a secure seam. But you can also hand stitch this whole kimono if you would like to. It will take a bit longer, but if you don't own a sewing machine or don't know how to use it, hand stitching is always an alternative. Since kimono's are usually loose and flow, if you make a mistake on a seam it'll be hard to notice when you are wearing it.
Once each side is sewn up to the pin, lay your scarf back down so you can see it better. Now at the bottom of the scarf where the opening is, find the centre and cut up all of the way to the the fold at the top of the scarf. This will be the front opening of your kimono. Be sure to only cut the top layer of the scarf.
Take both of the cut sides from the front of the kimono and fold them half an inch in. These next few steps are to help hide the choppy cutting areas and just make everything look neater. Make sure when you are folding it, that you are putting the fold to the outside.
Grab your iron and use it to press the folds so there will be a crease in the fabric. This will help with the next step. You can also pin the fold over if the iron isn't keeping the fold down from the heat.
Now starting at the open side of the scarf again, sew each fold down (separately) all of the way to the top of the scarf where the fold is.
Once done with sewing the folds, cut off all of the unnecessary strings hanging from your scarf. Then flip it right side out and your kimono is completed!
