If you have been reading my blog for a while, you’d know that I seriously love kimonos. They’re so easy to toss on as a coverup or pair them with a crop top and denim shorts and you’ve got a super cute yet comfy outfit. It’s the perfect piece for spring, summer, and the beginning of fall. Depending on the fabric, kimonos could be all-out bohemian or more on the street style side. They’re just a wardrobe staple everyone should have at least one of.

Today I’ll be showing you all how to make your own from scratch! You’ll be cutting the sleeves separately and then sewing them in, opposed to just sewing the sides of a rectangular piece of fabric (ie “DIY Kimono From a Scarf”), but I find that this way makes a more flattering and less boxy kimono that flows better. It’s super easy and while it does involve sewing, you could easily finish this project in an afternoon. Plus it’ll look totally store bought!

This tutorial is revised version of THIS DIY I posted last year. I rewrote the instructions and took new photos so you guys could follow along better :) Hope you enjoy!

Materials: – 1-1.5 yards of fabric light, flowy fabric: chiffon, crepe, voile, cotton, poplin, gauze, or silk are great examples. mine is a printed chiffon I found as leftovers at a warehouse (unused fabric made for a large company but didn’t end up being used) and has the exact print as scarf at H&M!
– needle and thread
– pins
– scissors
– measuring tape or ruler
– a pen

Before we start sewing, cut out the pieces to your kimono according to the graphic above. The exact dimensions  I used to make my kimono are included and should work for a size XS-S. If you are smaller or larger, adjust the width accordingly by a couple of inches on the sides; smaller-subtract an inch or two, larger-add a couple of inches. If you want to using your own measurements to make a kimono that’ll fit you perfectly,  use the guide above.

Cutting Tip: Cutting silky or lightweight fabrics can be tricky since they’ll slide around and shift alot. So what I suggest is to work in a open space like the floor and cut neat, long (opposed to short and choppy), and careful cuts. Also, I would first make the pattern pieces by drawing out the dimensions below on paper, cutting the pieces out from paper, and then laying the paper pieces onto the fabric to trace and cut, like a stencil. That way you’ll avoid any mistakes.

1. Hem all the raw edges of the cut fabric pieces by folding the edge in once, then again and stitching close to the edge. This not only makes for clean finished edges/hems on the outside of your kimono, but I like to do this first so that even the inside seams won’t start to fray, which is when the threads of fabric start to come undone when washed or worn. You can also serge the edges instead (shown in the bottom corner of the first pic). I did a mix of both because, well, hemming took me a while and I needed to hurry since the sun was going down and I needed the light for pictures.

4. Place a sleeve vertically onto the shoulder section where the front/back meet, matching up the edges. Make sure that the sleeve is centered on the shoulder seam. Pin and sew, then repeat with the other sleeve.

6. Fold the kimono in half along the shoulder seams, taking the fabric and folding the fabric towards you, up to down. It’s finally looking like a kimono! All you have left to do is pin along the L-shape edge and sew to close up the underarm/ side. And you’re done! There’s no need for heming now, since you already did that in step one, right?  ;)

Design Tip: Add a fringe to the bottom hem to spice it up maybe? You can easily purchase all kinds of trims at the fabric store to stitch to the bottom to suit your taste. Or perhaps make the cardigan in a chunky sweater knit for a cozy knit cardigan to wear during those colder days. Or maybe you want a longer, almost floor length kimono for that super fashionable look. The possibilities are endless!

And that’s it! Wasn’t it easy? If you try this, please send me pictures via Twitter, Instagram, or even blog post by leaving a link below. I would love to see your creations!

XX,