Easiest DIY Caftan Top Ever

Caftans have sort of gotten a bad rap since the 70's.


Source



But I still love them, and I think they can be sexy, saucy, and stylish all at once if you go about it in the right way.


Victoria's Secret



 

Colin Heaney


 Today I'm going to show you how you can make your own super easy caftan top that will be perfect for any occasion.

Supplies:
2 large scarves (mine are 42"X 42"or 106.5 cm square)
thread
pins
measuring tape
sewing machine (or needle if you'd prefer to do this by hand...which you can, it's that easy!)


Steps
1) Cut off any tags from your scarves

2) Measure from the centre of your neckline towards your shoulder and decide how wide you want your neckline to be.

3) Fold your scarf in half along one side to determine the centre and mark it with a pin.

 4) Next, you need to decide how long you want your top to be.  Because my scarves were extra big I was able to fold them almost in half.  This way I got the length I wanted and they were then lined so I wouldn't have to wear a tank top underneath.  I could've left them long and made a dress instead.  You decide what works best for your body.



You can see here that it's folded.
This is just the front so far.

5) Remember earlier we decided how wide the neckline would be?  Now you can mark that along the top edge of your scarf with two pins.  Do the same with the scarf for the back and pin the two scarves together at your neckline markings.

Leave your sides unattached and open for now.

 6) Here's a spot where you can add a personal touch.  Because I said this was the easiest caftan ever, I'm making mine with just a few stitches at the neckline and leaving the tops of my sleeves open (to flutter).  If you want a closed sleeve you can stitch along the top of your scarves up to your neckline mark.  Just make sure to put right sides together and use a narrow stitch.

7) I'm going the easy route and just stitching about a half inch on either side of mark with a 1/4"seam.

 

Don't forget to stitch it with right sides together.  Once it's stitched just flip it back to right sides out and give it a quick press along the top seam.

8) Now you just need to make a side seam so that people can't see right through your top.  The best way to determine this is to measure across the front of your hips and add a few inches.  That way you know it will lie nicely along the bottom edge.  I measured 12 inches (30.5cm) in from each side and sewed a line straight up from the bottom, 12 inches long.

 For this seam you can leave wrong sides together and stitch on the outside.

My stitching is really much straighter than it looks here.
The scarf is just not laying straight...really!

And guess what....that's it!

  

Wear it off the shoulder for evening



Wear it centered for something a little more conservative

This project took me about 30 minutes to complete.  And I think the only reason it even took that long was because I had to stop and take photos of each step.

I bought my scarves at the dollar store, and even though they're polyester and of very questionable quality, I think they were still a pretty good deal.  If you use a proper silk scarf or even just cut some fabric into the right size square and then hem the sides this would hang much more beautifully.  Check out your local 2nd hand shop for great deals on scarves!

If you want to make this your own, just try playing with your seams or add a beaded embellishment or fringe along the bottom.  Or how about some cute buttons at the top neckline corners.  The caftan silhouette has to be the most simplest out there, so all you need to do is dress it up with the right accessories and away you go.  Style and comfort, all in one!

Hope you give it a try.  Comment land has been very quiet lately but I'd sure love to hear your thoughts.

Have a great week everyone!