Do you love the look of a petticoat on your dress when you see it in photos, but hate how uncomfortable it is to wear? There’s no need to compromise! Making your dress puffy is as easy as adding a few strategically placed stitches and some hidden layers. Trust us – you won’t even have to change out of the dress to do this, and the results are so worth it! If you find yourself struggling with how to make a dress poofy without a petticoat, read on for some helpful tips and tricks. These simple strategies will make your dress.
How To Make A Dress Poofy Without A Petticoat
1. Use A Slip
A slip is the first step to making any dress poofy without a petticoat. Since slips come in an array of colors and styles, you can easily find one that compliments your dress. However, if you’re worried about the slip showing, you may want to consider wearing a slip that matches your dress instead.
2. Cut Out A Piece Of Heavy Fabric
The goal here is to add volume to your dress and make it puffy. If you don’t want your dress to be too poofy, add layers accordingly. Also, make sure the fabric is lightweight enough so that it doesn’t weigh down the skirt of your dress. This will help keep it airy and flowy! It’s important to choose fabrics that are similar in weight to the rest of your dress so that they flow together nicely when worn. For example, if you choose a thick layer of tulle for the bottom of your skirt, the top of your dress will appear to be falling.
3. Sew The Fabric Underneath (Inside Out)
This step is simple and takes very little time. It’s important to sew the fabric underneath (inside out) so that it doesn’t show through when you wear it. The last thing you want is a visible outline of your petticoat! However, if you’re still nervous about this, you can always use a thin layer of tulle or another light-colored fabric to hide it. You could also add some lace or other embellishments to help disguise it further.
4. Add A Layer Of Tulle At The Bottom Of Your Dress For Extra Poof
A few strategically placed stitches are all that’s needed to make your dress poofy without a petticoat! If you want an even more dramatic effect, try adding layers of tulle as well as placing stitches around the bottom of your dress.
5. Add A Ruffle To The Bottom Of Your Dress
Adding fabric to the bottom of your dress can be tricky. If you don’t want it to show, make sure it’s thin enough for your fabric to flow well and hide any lines or wrinkles. You can also sew it in place by hand so that it stays in place and doesn’t sag from the weight of the skirt. Once again, adding some embellishments will help disguise any visible stitching or layers underneath – especially if you choose lace! If you don’t want any ruffles on the bottom of your dress, simply leave it as is!
6. Add A Layer At The Top Of Your Dress Or Around The Waistline For Extra Poof
The top portion of your dress is another great place to add some volume! It’s important to keep this area lightweight so that it doesn’t weigh down the skirt of your dress. If you want more volume, you can also add layers of fabric around the waistline of your dress.
7. Add Some Embellishments To Make It Look Like A Petticoat
This step is optional, but if you want a really authentic look, adding some embellishments to your dress will help! You can use lace, buttons, or other embellishments to create a design that looks like a petticoat – without having to actually wear one!
Add Shorts To Your Dress
- Take your dress to a tailor and have them add shorts to the bottom of the dress. The shorts should be shaped like an upside-down triangle.
- The top of the triangle will be attached to the bottom of your dress, but you will want to leave a gap between the two pieces so that they can move independently of each other. This will give you a fuller look without having to add padding or stuffing.
- Add stitches around the top and bottom edges of your new shorts so that they are held firmly in place and don’t slip out from under your dress. You can use thick thread for this or simply sew them on by hand if you’re working with a delicate fabric.
- Try on your dress, and adjust its fit as necessary by sewing it tighter or looser around your waist until it fits just right! You won’t even need to use much thread for this step – just sew back and forth along the edge of the waistline until it feels snug.
Sew In More Mesh Or Fabric
- Start by adding a few more pieces of mesh to the top of your dress. This will give you a good foundation for how to make a dress poofy without a petticoat. You can do this by sewing the extra pieces in place, or simply pinning them until you are ready to sew.
- Next, add more fabric or other decorative elements around the top of your dress. You can use embellishments like lace, ruffles, or even pearls!
- Sew these in securely, and then check out how it looks from the side and back! You may have to adjust the sizing slightly before trimming off the excess fabric.
Use An Invisible Pivot Point Stitch
- You can use a pivot point stitch or an invisible hem stitch to make your dress poofy without a petticoat.
- To do this, you will want to mark where you want your hem to be on the outside of your dress with chalk.
- Next, you will fold up the outside of the material 1/4 inch and then another 1/4 inch. You will then use a straight stitch to sew along these lines so that they are secure, but not too visible. Make sure that the bottom of your hem is at least 3 1/2 inches long (so that it can be tucked inside your final hem).
- After you have sewn the hem in place, you can flip your dress inside out (it will be a little stiff at first).
- To complete the process, you will use a pivot stitch to sew the layers together at the top of the hem. You will then tuck your hem inside of your final hem and re-sew it so that it lays flat. This will create a puffy petticoat effect without any bulkiness!
Use Shaping Fabric And Tucked Edges
- Find a piece of fabric that is lightweight and breathable.
- Cut out two pieces of fabric to match the size of your dress.
- Sew the edges together to create a tube shape.
- Tuck the edges under and sew them together to create a hemline if needed (this will make it easier to sew onto your dress later).
- Sew the piece of fabric into place on your dress, making sure that it is evenly distributed around the bottom area and flat against your body so it doesn’t poke out from underneath your dress in an odd way or become uncomfortable when you wear it for long periods of time.
Conclusion
We hope you’ve been inspired by these quick tips and tricks for how to make a dress poofy without a petticoat. If you follow these strategies, you’ll be able to add volume to your dress without having to change out of it or spend a ton of money. These techniques can be applied to almost any type of dress you want to make puffy, whether it’s a wedding dress, prom dress, or bridesmaid dress. So, next time you see a dress you love, but doesn’t come petticoat-poofy, don’t worry! Simply try one of these techniques and you’ll be good to go!
