DIY Tutorial: How to Add Pockets to All Your Favorite Skirts and Dresses

It has pockets!

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Is it just me or do you feel the urge to announce to the world whenever the dress or the skirt you’re wearing has pockets? But unfortunately with women’s fashion, form usually takes priority over function, and particularly in fast fashion, pockets aren’t a priority.

It’s actually really easy to add pockets to your clothes, provided they have a side seam. Read on to learn how:

Materials needed to sew your own pockets.
Materials needed to sew your own pockets.

Things you will need:

  • Dress or skirt with a side seam (in case you didn’t know, a side seam is—you guessed it—a seam that runs vertically down the side of a garment)
  • Fabric of your choice
  • Scissors
  • Seam ripper
  • Straight pins
  • Sewing machine

Pocket pattern. Doesn't it look like an upside-down heart?
Pocket pattern. Doesn’t it look like an upside-down heart?

Step 1. First, cut out the pocket shape with your fabric. I usually just cut out a big heart shape, then cut that in half. You want the straight edge on the inside to be big enough to fit your hand, or else you won’t be able to reach into the pocket.

Seam ripped the edge of the skirt.
Seam ripped the edge of the skirt.

Step 2. Flip your skirt (or dress) inside out, then mark where you want the pocket to be using some chalk or a fabric pen. Using those marks as a guide, seam rip the stitches so you have a gap in the side seams.

Add pockets to your dresses and skirts with this DIY tutorial.
With right sides together, sew the pocket pieces to the side seams.

Step 3. On the front, attach the straight edge of the pocket to the open edge of the skirt, right sides together, and sew it up. Do this on both sides.

Sew along the raw edge to finish the pocket!

Step 4. Then flip the skirt inside out and sew two edges together to form the pocket. That’s it!

DIY Pockets.
DIY Pockets.

Wasn’t that easy? Now you don’t have to worry about cold hands, losing your wallet, or where to put your hands in that Insta photo. Be the one who screams “this dress has pockets!!!” to the world.

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