Good morning ladies! I hope you had an awesome sleep and an incredible week so far to kick off the weekend! Today, we’re going to start the weekend off right with this easy DIY Caftan dress tutorial.
What is a Caftan?
Before we really dive in, what exactly is a caftan? Caftans are those flowy, beach dresses that always look to elegant and chic but also are sooooooo incredibly comfortable. You can either wear this dress belted to define your waistline or wear it like an uber-comfortable dress. No joke- this dress is perfect for every hot summer day when you’re not sure what to wear or those days when you want to look put together but have absolutely zero motivation. It’s the perfect go-to piece to have on hand.
You’re going to love having this dress in your closet!
This super simple kaftan tutorial project takes less than an hour to complete and doesn’t require a pattern whatsoever. The best part? I’ve even created an easy-to-follow video to walk you though each step!
DIY Caftan Video Tutorial:
DIY Caftan Supplies:
My supply lists are shoppable for your convenience! Just click any material below to get everything you need without adding extra errands to your day. they are affiliate links so I receive a small commission that I can put towards other projects! I do my best to feature awesome deals and extra savings on Amazon.com
- Basic Sewing Machine
- 3 Yards Paisley Silk Fabric
- Dressmaker Shears
- Tailors Chalk
- Dressmaker Pins
- Grid Ruler
How To Make A DIY Caftan Dress:
In today’s tutorial, if you have any questions while reading the instructions, just check out the video tutorial above. As always, if you still have any questions while you are doing any of my projects, just leave a comment below to send me an email at Lisa@CreativeFashionBlog.com and I will get back to you asap! I genuinely love hearing from you guys!
Simple DIY Kaftan Dress Steps
- First thing- start out by folding your fabric in half (hamburger style) and laying it out flat on a table. Fold it again (hot-dog style) to find the center front of your dress.
- Next, cut 5″ from the center front to define your neckline. Then, use a ruler and tailors chalk to create a perfect line towards the center folded edge to make the “V” at the front of your neckline.
- Use tailors chalk to mark the side seams. Do this by measuring 6″ out from your neckline and creating a straight line that travels all the way to the bottom of your sheet of fabric. secure the fabric in place for sewing with dressmaker pins (sewing needles)
- Sew over the marked chalk lines using a straight stitch on your basic sewing machine.
- To finish the neck edge of your diy caftan, make a small, half inch clip in the center of the “v” of your neck and fold a 1/2″ seam allowance under all the way around your neck opening. Sew the neckline into place.
- Cut a curved line along the bottom of your fabric to accentuate a flattering drape. (Scroll down to see an example photo.)
- Finally, if you’d like to belt your caftan, sew two small buttonholes on either side of the seams at your waist. Slide a sash or small strip of fabric through and tie.
- You are done! If you’d like to hem the bottom, do this now. Otherwise, leave the raw edges. I chose to use a Serger
to give my diy caftan a quick, rolled bottom hem all the way around the bottom of the dress. The great thing is that you can choose the length of the kaftan by a couple of inches, and make it whatever flatters your sillouette best!
I hope you found this free caftan pattern useful and made your own version of this versatile dress. Just a few yards of fabric and this simple pattern, and you have a new spring dress you can incorporate into your summer wardrobe too! They make for great beach cover-ups. Happy sewing!
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