DIY ~ Ruffled Apron Tutorial

dscn7590-7715423 There were so many cute little details in our Cake Boss Party, but I have to say that my favorite (and apparently yours, too), is the adorable DIY ruffle aprons!

When the idea for these aprons struck me, I knew they were gonna be cute.  I just had no idea they were going to be this cute.  I am so excited about the way that they turned out, and I’m just thrilled that you all love them as much as I do!

So, without further ado, here’s how to make your very own ruffled aprons.  🙂

Print the image that you’d like to transfer onto a plain sheet of paper.  Place it on the bib of the apron where you’d like the image to go and use it as a guide to determine the size your image needs to be.  Once you’ve got the size figured out, flip the image so it’s backwards (a mirror image).  If you don’t have software that can do this, Picmonkey.com is a free program that you can use.  Here’s what it should look like:

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Print the image onto iron-on transfer paper, fitting as many onto one sheet as you can.

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Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for transferring the image onto the apron.

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Doesn’t it look great, already?!!

Now you’ll add some velcro to the apron so the kids can attach their ruffles.

I used no-sew velcro and it worked fine, but if I were to do this again I’d recommend the velcro that you sew on.  It will be more secure and last longer…and will be much better going through the wash.

To determine how much velcro you will need, measure the width of the apron and multiply it by the number of ruffles you will be using.  Add a little extra for good measure and that’s how much velcro you should purchase.

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Following the manufacturer’s instructions for adhering the velcro, adhere the strips about 3 to 3 1/2 inches apart width-wise down the front of the apron like this:

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Next you’ll make your ruffles.  For anyone who knows how to sew, this will be a breeze for you and you may know a better way than what I’m about to describe.  But for me, I’d never sewn a stitch in my life and this was my very first project.  I totally winged it, but I got the job done.  Here’s what I did.

Start off with coordinating fabrics that you want to use.  I chose 4 fun prints with cupcakes and cherries.

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Measure 7 inches and mark it with a fabric marker.

Use scissors to make a snip in the fabric and then rip the fabric.  It rips in a nice, straight line and doesn’t require any extra cutting or marking.

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Fold the bottom edge of the fabric over about 3/4 of an inch to one inch and hem. 

Fold the top edge of the fabric over about half and inch and hem.

About half an inch below that seam, stitch two more seams about 1/4 inch apart…do NOT backstitch…leave the strings long and loose.

Hold the loose strings tight and pull the fabric, working it with your fingers to create gathers.

Continue gathering all the way to the opposite end of the fabric until you have a nice, even ruffle.

Fold the side edges over and hem.

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Adhere the opposite side of the velcro to the backside of each ruffle following the manufacturer’s instructions.

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Repeat until all of your ruffles are made and have velcro attached.

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So pretty! 

The ruffles easily attach/detach to the velcro on the aprons and allow the kids to customize their aprons with any ruffles that they want.

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Ahhhh, ADORABLE!

And even cuter on…

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I totally want one of these for myself!

Coordinating party printables are also available in our Etsy shop.

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