How to Make a Cheap, Fast Hoopskirt that Doesn't Suck

Here's how to put it all together. Chances are you'll spend longer reading this tutorial than you do sewing.

Step 1: Layout.

Step 2: Channeling

If you lay the channels out with enough extra for a small rolled hem, you can stitch it down in the next step and save yourself some minor hassle in Step 5. More channels means finer control over the shape of your skirt, but also a less flexible skirt. Your call. I'd personally recommend between 3 and 6.

Step 3: Straight and (kinda) Narrow

Indulge your love of long, straight seams! Two per channel, one at the top and one at the bottom.

A construction note on this step: my ribbon was 2" wide. I bought a spool of white bridal ribbon on super-clearance, but this is a great time to use up Christmas ribbon ends or whatever is on clearance at the store when you go. Make sure it's fabric ribbon, not acetate. Acetate is crunchy and will disintegrate.

Isn't it nice to think that at this point you're about halfway done?

Step 4: OMG RAW SEAMS KILL KILL

Time for a French seam! Fold the muslin in half so that the channels are on the inside. Run a seam up the fabric 1/4 from the edge or as close as you can manage. This is why you made the channels shorter than the fabric in Step 1. Don't sew past the bottom of the drawstring channel.

Step 5: The Last Sewing You Have To Do

Turn your spiffy new fabric tube so the channels are on the outside, and run another seam 1/4" from the edge you just sewed shut. Just like last time, don't sew past the drawstring seam.

Once you have the French seam finished, there's a little bit of handsewing you should do for the sake of durability. Nothing major: just put a hem on your channels and close the top seam around your drawstring. Leave a small hole, enough so you can pull the drawstring cords through.

Step 6: Makin' Hoopy

This is the easiest part. You know the measurements in Step 1? Remember the diameter of your skirt? Cut a piece of hose a couple inches shorter than that. That's your bottom hoop. Cut the rest of your hoops in gradually descending sizes. Be generous--you can always trim, but go too short and you'll have to cut a new hoop. Even that's not so bad, though...you have 100 feet of the stuff, right?

Step 7: Tubular

Fasteners! This is how you stick one end of a hoop to another hoop. The slit ends will compress enough for you to jam them into the ends of the hoops and hold them decently even without tape. However, based on experience, I'd definitely advise that you use some tape anyway. You can tape one end in permanently, and use non-permanent electrical tape to keep the other end nice and cozy while you wear the skirt.

Step 8: I Like Big Hoops and I Cannot Lie

Basically, you are done. Thread your hoops into the channels, use the fasteners from Step 7 to join the ends, and trim your hoops until your skirt is exactly the size and shape you want. Try it on. Bounce around. And then take the hoops out and coil them up all nicely for storage and transport. Ta-daaa! Now you can hide things under it, like this:

There's a saying: "If you have a difficult job, give it to a lazy man and he fill find an easier way." Whoever came up with that had no idea of the creative power of a lazy woman on a budget.


Costumes Tutorials Destructive Testing Flying Shark Home ZOMG Smells (perfume!)		There are plenty of options for making or buying a hoopskirt. Bridal shops carry them, Ebay has a bunch, and of course there are plenty of commercial patterns in the 'costume' section of pretty much every major pattern company. I guarantee that none of those options will be as cheap or fast as this one. If you are a stickler for historical accuracy, this is not the hoop for you. But it does exactly the same job as the fancy ones, it's sturdy and strong, and you can whip it up in about an hour with ten to fifteen bucks' worth of materials. (that's not a guarantee, just what I spent on mine. YMMV.) Let's get started! First off, your materials. You're going to need some muslin, bias tape or ribbon, something to use as a drawstring, and the secret ingredient: Soaker hose. This is a coil of 1/2 inch plastic soaker hose from Lowe's. It is the most perfect hoop material ever created: light, flexible, cheap, and available in 100-foot rolls. Any flexible plastic tubing of about this diameter will work, but soaker hose tubing is really ideal. It's even slightly flattened, so it fits into your hoop channels easier! <3!
		Here's how to put it all together. Chances are you'll spend longer reading this tutorial than you do sewing. Step 1: Layout. Step 2: Channeling If you lay the channels out with enough extra for a small rolled hem, you can stitch it down in the next step and save yourself some minor hassle in Step 5. More channels means finer control over the shape of your skirt, but also a less flexible skirt. Your call. I'd personally recommend between 3 and 6. Step 3: Straight and (kinda) Narrow Indulge your love of long, straight seams! Two per channel, one at the top and one at the bottom. A construction note on this step: my ribbon was 2" wide. I bought a spool of white bridal ribbon on super-clearance, but this is a great time to use up Christmas ribbon ends or whatever is on clearance at the store when you go. Make sure it's fabric ribbon, not acetate. Acetate is crunchy and will disintegrate. Isn't it nice to think that at this point you're about halfway done? Step 4: OMG RAW SEAMS KILL KILL Time for a French seam! Fold the muslin in half so that the channels are on the inside. Run a seam up the fabric 1/4 from the edge or as close as you can manage. This is why you made the channels shorter than the fabric in Step 1. Don't sew past the bottom of the drawstring channel. Step 5: The Last Sewing You Have To Do Turn your spiffy new fabric tube so the channels are on the outside, and run another seam 1/4" from the edge you just sewed shut. Just like last time, don't sew past the drawstring seam. Once you have the French seam finished, there's a little bit of handsewing you should do for the sake of durability. Nothing major: just put a hem on your channels and close the top seam around your drawstring. Leave a small hole, enough so you can pull the drawstring cords through. Step 6: Makin' Hoopy This is the easiest part. You know the measurements in Step 1? Remember the diameter of your skirt? Cut a piece of hose a couple inches shorter than that. That's your bottom hoop. Cut the rest of your hoops in gradually descending sizes. Be generous--you can always trim, but go too short and you'll have to cut a new hoop. Even that's not so bad, though...you have 100 feet of the stuff, right? Step 7: Tubular Fasteners! This is how you stick one end of a hoop to another hoop. The slit ends will compress enough for you to jam them into the ends of the hoops and hold them decently even without tape. However, based on experience, I'd definitely advise that you use some tape anyway. You can tape one end in permanently, and use non-permanent electrical tape to keep the other end nice and cozy while you wear the skirt. Step 8: I Like Big Hoops and I Cannot Lie Basically, you are done. Thread your hoops into the channels, use the fasteners from Step 7 to join the ends, and trim your hoops until your skirt is exactly the size and shape you want. Try it on. Bounce around. And then take the hoops out and coil them up all nicely for storage and transport. Ta-daaa! Now you can hide things under it, like this: There's a saying: "If you have a difficult job, give it to a lazy man and he fill find an easier way." Whoever came up with that had no idea of the creative power of a lazy woman on a budget.