Make your own apron in 5 steps and 15 minutes

My daughter needed a new apron for cooking. She'd grown out of her last one - and since both my girls seem to be growing fast I wanted to make something basic and simple, because no doubt they will grow again soon!

So here's how to make a basic apron in just 5 steps and 15 minutes.

You will need:

Fabric - 1 yard is ample.

Thread and sewing machine.

Step 1.

Cut the fabric

First you need to measure the person whom you are making the apron for.

Measure.. the following:

A: From the collar down to knees (length of the apron)

B: Around the hips from side to side (width of the apron)

C: Inside arm to inside arm (width of top of apron)

D: From collar to waist (from top of apron to straps)

For the straps - use your tape measure to find a comfortable length around the neck - by lifting the tape over the head.

The straps should both be around 4 cm (1.5") longer than the width of the apron.

For my 10 year old daughter, I cut:

Main piece - 42 x 64 cm (16.5 x 25")

Neck strap - 52 x 10 cm (20.5 x 4")

2 Waist straps - 46 x 10 cm (18 x 4")

Step 2

Cut main apron shape.

Fold your main fabric in half then measure in from the fold at the top HALF of measurement C (for me this was 11.5 cm (4.5"))

Place a pin here.

Then measure down from the top edge of the longer side of the fabric - on the open edges, measurement D (for me this was 27cm (10.5")).

Place another pin here.

Then cut through both layers of fabric in a curved shape from pin to pin:

Step 3

Finish off the edges of the main apron piece.

Simple double turn over the edge of the apron piece to hide the raw edges and stitch all the way around like this:

Step 4

The straps

For each strap: 

1.fold the short edge over

2. Fold both long sides in to the middle

3. Fold one side over the other to completely hide the raw edges.

4. Top-Stitch around all 4 edges, remembering to turn in the other short end to hide that raw edge.

Step 5

Attach the straps to the main apron.

Place the apron flat, and pin the 2 straps and the longer neck strap to the back corners of the apron like this:

Stitch each strap into place securely by stitch a square with a cross through the middle where it joins to the main apron.

All done! Try your apron on and set to work in the kitchen!

For the downloadable PDF version of this tutorial, click here.

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