Today I’ll show you how to make a DIY Apron Pattern. Specifically, an apron with an elastic neck strap. Do you have a child itching to sew or spend time in the kitchen with you? This apron is a quick, fun project that any beginner can handle!
DIY Apron Pattern | Apron With an Elastic Neck Strap
Apron Materials & Cutting List
From fabric cut:
- 2 body pieces (see below for cutting instructions)
- 4 waist tie strips cut to 25” x 1.75”
- 2 neck straps cut to 25” x 1.5”
From interfacing cut: – 2 strips 25″ x 1.75″ (you can use sew-in or fusible interfacing)
From 1″ elastic: 16″ of elastic for neck strap
Creating Your Own Pattern Pieces
Apron Pattern Pieces Step 1: Cut out your pattern and fabric. Tatum’s apron is based off of the free Tiny Chef Toddler Apron pattern from Peek A Boo Pattern Shop, with length added to the bottom and top. You can see my changes marked in the orange pen! I wanted the apron to come to her knee, so we added 6 inches to the base and about 1 inch to the top. You could also make your own pattern by tracing the body of an apron that currently fits.
Apron Pattern Pieces Step 2: The stretchy neckband makes this apron amazing since the child can easily get it over their head, and it still sits high enough to protect their clothing from food. For the neckband for my 8 year old, we cut a piece of 1” elastic to 16 inches, and two strips of casing fabric to 25 inches x 1.5” wide.
Creating the Elastic Neck Strap
Elastic Neck Strap Step 1: Cut out 4 side ties 25″ x 1.75″. Only two of those 4 pieces will need to be stabilized. I cut two strips of sew-in interfacing (fusible also works) 25” x 1.75″. If using fusible interfacing, be sure to iron it to the WRONG side of the fabric strip!
Prepping the Strap Pieces
Elastic Neck Strap Step 2: First, iron and interface your neck and waist strips. This is a great chance to go over ironing basics and safety if you are sewing with a child.
Elastic Neck Strap Step 3: If using fusible interfacing for the waist straps, now is the time to apply the interfacing to the wrong side of two of those waist straps. If using sew-in interfacing, simply lay the interfacing on top of the wrong side of the strip.
Time to Sew the Waist Ties and Neck Strap
Place the waist ties with Right Sides Together (RST), making sure that you are looking at the interfacing on one of the strips (when flipped inside out, the interfacing will be on the interior). For the waist ties, we sew two long edges and tapered one short edge for looks; for the neck strap, we only sewed the two long edges and left both short edges open.
Next, turn all of your fabric strips right side out so the seams are on the inside of the strips. Now, iron these well.
For the waist ties, flip these tubes right side out using a straw, a chopstick or an official fabric turning tool if you have it! If you created the tapered end of the waist strip, carefully pick out the corner with a pin or seam ripper, using care not to rip the seam!
Elastic Neck Strap for the Apron
For the neck strap, using a safety pin or bodkin, feed the elastic through the neck strip until it is lined up with one short edge of the strip. Pin that end so the elastic doesn’t shift! Next, bunch the fabric around the middle of the length of elastic until you can see the other end of the elastic lined up with the other short edge of the strip. Baste the elastic in place at each end to secure it.
Almost Done!
Lay the two main body pieces of your fabric RST and place your neck straps and side ties at the appropriate corners, with all ties and straps sandwiched inside the apron body pieces. This way when you flip the whole apron right side out, your straps will be securely sewn in with seams hidden. Note: Before pinning everything inside, Tatum and I did pin the straps on the outside of the apron body to try it on for fit!
Finally, sew around the entire body of the apron, leaving about a 3″- 4″ opening along the bottom straight edge so you can flip it right side out after sewing.
Flip your apron right side out through the hole in the previous step. Press well! At this point you can either hand stitch or machine stitch that open section closed. Now try it on for size and get to work in the kitchen!
Other Sewing Tutorials
Here are a few other tutorials you might like:
Also be sure to join our Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop Facebook Group.
