When you make little dresses to donate, you are helping disadvantaged girls. Many of the children in poor countries never get new clothes. The only clothing options are tattered tee-shirts and discarded adult clothing.
We’ve chosen a few patterns for cute dresses that are easy and economical to make.
Upcycled Tee Shirt Dresses
This cute little dress is made from two shirts — one adult size and one child size. Super easy and economical, it can be made from items found in your family’s closets. Choose items that still look fresh and bright but are no longer worn. Garage sales and thrift shops will give you plenty of options for just a few dollars.
Download our PDF for your sewing group.
Make Little Dresses from Pillowcases
There are many tutorials for pillowcase dresses on the internet. Little Dresses for Africa has a good PDF. Sewdelightful has a step by step including a pocket. If you prefer a video check out this one from Hobby Lobby.
Pillowcase dresses are easy but you won’t come across pretty, colorful, used pillowcases too often and purchasing new ones can be expensive.
Dress a Girl Around the World
Dress a Girl Around the World works with Ambassadors that decide which patterns her group will be making. There is a variety of patterns available that most ambassadors can accept.
Always check with your local ambassador before sewing dresses. Some cultures have requirements for modesty such as dress lengths and sleeves.
Sewing 4 Souls Dress Kits
Sewing 4 Souls takes a different approach. They accept fabric donations and make kits to send out to volunteer seamstresses. Thread is not included but everything else is.
Along with the dress, each child receives a new pair of underwear and flip flops, along with small toys that can be easily shipped.
Tee Shirt Dress
Here’s another dress you can make from a tee shirt but this has a fabric bottom. Download the PDF from Little Dresses for Africa.
