Put a pocket in it with this nifty DIY

It happens all the time: you find a skirt you absolutely love, from fit to fabric to color. There’s just one problem—it doesn’t have a pocket! Where will you put your phone, or store that lip gloss? Luckily, adding a pocket to a skirt is pretty easy. Some of the placement and pinning may seem a bit tricky, but as long as you measure and cut your fabric carefully, you’ll have a cute, pocketed skirt in no time.

Materials:

• Skirt without pockets (make sure it has at least one straight side seam free of any zippers or embellishments)
• Lightweight fabric in a corresponding color to the skirt, such as cotton or muslin
• Thread in a corresponding color to the fabric
• Basic sewing needle
• Seam ripper
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Two small safety pins
• Piece of paper
• Ballpoint pen
• Iron and ironing board
• Optional: fray check
• Optional: sewing machine

Craft away:

• Try the skirt on. Place your hand along the side you want to add the pocket to, and stick the safety pins on either side of your hand in the seam. These will mark where the pocket will go. Take the skirt off.
• Measure the length of the seam between the safety pins, and note the measurement. Set the skirt aside for now.

• On the paper, draw a rectangular shape with a rounded end. Make the flat end the same length as the measurement you just took; the rest of the shape should measure 5-inches long. Add an extra 1/2-inch around the shape, and cut it out. This will be your pocket template.

• Iron the pocket fabric, and fold it in half with right sides touching.
• Trace the pocket template onto the folded fabric. Cut out the traced shapes. You should now have two pocket shapes.

• If you want, apply fray check to the edges of the fabric and let dry. This will help prevent loose threads in your finished pocket. If you do use fray check, avoid ironing directly on the edges of the pockets in the future, as it is extremely flammable!
• Pin the two pocket pieces together with right sides touching. Leave the straight edges at the tops of the pieces unpinned.

• Using the needle and thread or a sewing machine, sew the two pocket pieces together. End your seam 1/2-inch from the straight edges, and leave the straight edges unstitched. Keep your stitches 1/2-inch from the sides of the fabric
• Returning to the skirt, carefully open the side seam between the safety pins with the seam ripper. Remove the safety pins when you are finished opening the gap.

• Flip the skirt inside out. Fold the edges of the pocket out slightly, and pin them on each side of the opening you just made. Once you’ve finished, you can check to make sure you pinned the pocket properly by flipping the skirt right side out.

• Sew the pocket to the skirt using the needle and thread or a sewing machine. Keep your stitches 1/2-inch from the edges of the fabric. Flip the skirt right side out when you’re finished.

• Model your new, pocketed skirt!