Sometimes you find a great dress at Goodwill, but what you really wanted was a top and skirt. Or, maybe like me, you’re going to an Indian wedding, borrowing a friend’s sari and need to make a matching top to go with it. It happens. But, you no longer have to fret because today I’m giving you instructions for turning a dress into a two-piece outfit (that looks cute even if you don’t need it for an Indian wedding)!

You will need:

- A great dress from Goodwill
- Chalk
- Pins
- Bra hooks (from a fabric store, I like to buy the hook closures that come by the yard already sewn onto fabric)
- Optional: hem tape (to clean up the bottom edge of your top

First you want to assess the dress and determine what kind of neckline you want by drawing the shape onto the fabric with chalk.  This dress was too big for me, which means I needed to do a number of alterations to the side seams. It’s easier if you find a dress that fits well, but since I had to make so many alterations, I decided on a simple v-neckline.  You’ll also want to determine how long you want your top and skirt to be. To accomplish this, try to find a good mid-range and cut the dress in half at that point.

Next, flip the top inside out as far as you can. Re-draw the neckline in chalk and sew along this line. Then trim the extra fabric (the red dotted line).  Flip right-side out and press.

Do the same for the back of the dress. (Make sure your zipper is pulled all the way down to the bottom of the dress so that you don’t accidentally cut it off.  Next, turn the pieces inside out, stitch along your chalklines, trim and turn right-side out.  If you need to take in the side seams or the darts to better fit you, now is the time to do it!  Try the top on and pin it until it fits appropriately, sew and trim!

Next, sew the bra hooks and eye plackets to either side of the back seam of your top.

Finally, sew your hem tape on top of the bottom edge of your top.  Fold the edge in, towards the wrong side of your shirt and stitch it down to encase the open seam.

For the skirt you simply need to fold down the zipper, and fold the top edge under and stitch! 

Enjoy your new skirt and maybe pair it with a great plaid shirt (which you might also find at Goodwill). Make sure to swing by your nearest Goodwill for great back-to-school deals and saving. You’ll also find lots of one-of-a-kind vintage pieces and great wardrobe essentials that look cool on their own, and even better with a few simple modifications like this project.

Happy shopping from Goodwill!