How To Sew An Apron Without A Pattern
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Are you looking at how to sew an apron without a pattern?
Making an apron without a pattern is really simple and straight forward. You don’t have to have fancy skills and tools to be able to make one and you can do this as a beginner.
It is completely useful and fun and you can add trimmings, different pockets or change up the styling a little to make it your own. They also make for great gifts for people which I love to do.
Tools & Equipment
- Fabric
- Scissors
- Thread
- Pins
- Sewing Machine
- Safety Pin
- Fabric marking tool
- Measuring tape/ruler
How To Sew An Apron Without A Pattern
Working with the principles of this tutorial you can adapt it to be a skirt apron or add a little detail to make it more fun and customised.
Step One
First you want to start by creating a paper pattern. You can do this or you can cut straight into your fabric.
I like to make a pattern so I can use it again and again, that way the next time I want to make one I have the pattern ready and measured out.
Using a roll of paper pr pattern paper measure out 20 inches wide by 27 inches long.
This will make the main body of the apron. If you or the recipient are tall you can make the length longer, same for anyone built a little wider.
Simply add a couple of inches to the width or length or both if you feel it needs it.
Fold you paper or fabric in half, length ways (this will make the fabric/paper thin and long).
Measure up from the unfolded side 17 inches (this will be longer if you made the length longer). This will take you to the waist measurement. Mark on your paper or fabric.
Measure 5 inches across from the folded edge outwards. Mark with a pencil or chalk.
Using a sweeping motion, draw a line curving from the top mark to the waist mark lower down. Cut out the curve .
Step Two
Create your straps, I don’t make a paper pattern of these as they can change depending on the person and fabric.
To create the waist straps cut 2 x 27 inches long by 2 inches wide strips of fabric. You can do this easily by folding over the fabric and using a chalk pen and measuring tape. Cut out and place to one side.
Tip: If you are making for a man or child you can alter the measurements to suit.
If you like to have long straps that come back and tie at the front, make them longer to roughly 45-50 inches long. You can always cut it down if you need shorter.
To cut the neck strap cut 1 x 27 inches long by 3 inches wide. You can do the same as before by using a chalk pen and measuring tape to mark out before cutting.
The last piece to cut out is the pocket, I made mine quite big as I often carry a lot around with me in the kitchen. Cut 1 x 14 inches by 9 inches, you can make this in the same fabric or contrasting for fun.
Step Three
To work on the main body of the apron we need to neaten off the raw edges.
A quick and simple way to do this is by folding the edge to the wrong side of the fabric 1/4 inch. You can make it 1/2 inch if you feel more comfortable.
You can do this by folding the fabric in place and running an iron over the fold. This will help keep the fold in place. Pin or clip into place to hold the fold in place.
You may find it more difficult on the curve of the top half of the apron but you can relieve the tension by creating small notches. Pin the curved area more to hold in in place for sewing.
Tip: Another way to edge the apron is by using bias binding, you can sew it onto the raw edge to create a casing to strop fraying and make the apron last longer.
It can also look really cute.
Repeat for all edges until your apron is neatly finished. Sew all folds into place with a 1/4 inch stitch.
Step Four
To sew the straps fold all 3 in half, make sure you are folding them lengthways so they are slimmer and wrong side inwards.
Pin into place making sure the raw edges are neatly lined up. Sew with a 1/4 inch seam.
Once they have been sewn you will need to turn them right way out.
Using a safety pin attached to one end, start pushing the safety pin back through the tube of fabric. This will cause the fabric to pull through and turn right sides outward.
Once you have done this, iron so that the seam is flat and neat.
To neaten the open edge fold over and fold over again and pin into place. Sew into place to create a neat ending. Leave one end open ready to sew to the apron. You don’t need to do this step for the neck strap.
Step Five
To neaten the pocket simply fold down the top and bottom 1/4 inch to the wrong side. Pin or clip into place and sew with a straight running stitch.
Once done, repeat for the two side edges.
Move the now neat edge pocket and place in the center of your apron. Pin into place and laid out so you can check it isn’t too high or low to use.
Tip: You can even make a little pocket for the very top to hold smaller items.
Sew the pocket leaving the top open, to make it super neat you can sew along the lines from the previous stitches.
This will help keep the pocket neat and helps to give you a guide to work on.
Step Six
To attach the neat strap place each end on the top edge. Make sure you have pinned it into place. Sew into place, do a couple of stitches to make sure the strap is strong.
To attach the waist straps place them going outwards on each edge. The point to attach is where the straight edge turns into the curve for the arm area. Pin and sew into place.
Once you have sewn the straps into place you are all done!
I hope you have found this tutorial helpful and clear. If you have found how to sew an apron without a pattern fun and enjoyable feel free to share it with friends and family. Happy Sewing!