
Peplum’s been showing up on garments casual and fancy for the last few months, and we’re loving the flirty femininity it adds to any outfit. We’ve come up with one easy way to turn shirts or skirts into fashion-forward peplum pieces!
This project is slightly more advanced as it does require a sewing machine, and you’ll have to measure yourself to create a peplum pattern. We promise though, it’s not as hard as it looks!
Materials:
– skirt or shirt (that you’ll attach the peplum to)
– 1 yard of fabric
– newspaper (for making a pattern)
– scissors
– pins
– sewing machine
First thing to do is make your pattern.
Measure around your waist, where you want the peplum to start. Take that measurement and divide it by 6.28 to get the radius of your pattern. For us, the radius was 5 inches.
Now take a large piece of newspaper. Measure 5 inches from each corner of the newspaper and make a mark. Mark one more dot in the center of the two corners. Connect each dot by drawing a half circle.
Measure out how long you want your peplum to hang by starting at the waist line and measure a little bit past your belly button. We went with 8 inches. Make sure to leave an extra inch or so for the seam.
Cut out your pattern!
Next thing is to cut your fabric.
Fold your fabric into quarters so that the left and bottom corner are where the folds are. Place your newspaper pattern on top and cut.
Now you should have a peplum circle! Depending on the fabric you’re using, you may need to hem the bottom.
Next, time to pin!
Lay out your garment and pin on the peplum material. Be sure to pin (and sew) on the inside so that the lines are clean when you flip it over.
The peplum circle will be longer than your skirt or shirt. You’ll be creating small darts to make the peplum pop.
The best way to pin is to start at the center of the garment on the front and back. Then turn the skirt and pin the side seams.
And now it’s time to sew.
The trick to sewing a peplum piece onto a stretchy cotton skirt or shirt is to stretch your garment a bit while sewing. This ensures that your garment will stay stretch and also gives the peplum a little extra body.
And that’s it!!
And yes, you might recognize that skirt from our recent 5 Items, 10 Ways style hack.
For a more casual playful look, try adding a peplum flare to a tank top.
Or go fancy with vinyl or leather.
You can always just go nuts with the patterns.
Or wear all 3 peplums at once!
What recent trends are you digging? Have you tried your own DIY peplum top or skirt? Talk to us in the comments below!
Getting the word out about your brand takes time, drive, and ingenuity. And it doesn't come easy for many entrepreneurs. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're chatting with Selfmade alum Taylor Morgan McPherson, founder of Sustainable Sparkle Bar, about ways in which she scored press as a solo startup brand and what she learned from Selfmade to take her brand marketing up a notch.
B + C: How did you know Sustainable Sparkle Bar was your business to start?
Glitter has always been my thing, so when I started my event company I decided to make it my niche. I started telling people I threw glitter-themed parties where people would get sparkled with glitter body art and makeup. Six months after that I applied to my first festival and to work with SUR restaurant in West Hollywood.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
I honestly can't say that I've had a specific strategy that I've followed when it comes to getting my business off the ground. I have a PR background so I was just constantly pitching new business and posting on social media.
B + C: What's the biggest challenge you face as a small business owner?
I would say creating a stable income and revenue stream. With a seasonal, event-based business it can be very up and down.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
The relationships I made and the push to start an email database.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I love what I do and I believe in myself 100%. Staying motivated isn't the hard part. Pushing myself to do the work and staying accountable is the hard part.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip? Do you use any apps that help you manage your business?
I keep multiple to-do lists, hand-written and digital. I also tell clients and partners that I will have something to them by a certain time or day so I have to stick to it.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Just do it, take the leap. And don't worry about what anyone else says to thinks.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Issa Rae, I'm so inspired by everything that she's created being a creative and a black woman. It's my dream to have my own show one day based on my life and where I give advice and talk about the world. She's doing it and making people laugh and giving people joy. And it's based in LA. Watching Insecure only further cemented my dreams of wanting to live in LA.
B + C: How did you hear about the Office Depot scholarship?
One of my friends that I met through Camp No Counselors saw an IG ad for it and nominated me.
B + C: What has receiving the scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start/grow your business?
It's completely helped me level up and take my business to another level. Selfmade helped me host my first virtual event and taught me how to set up my website to sell tickets to events and get RSVPs.
B + C: How have Office Depot services or products helped you accomplish more in your business?
I got new cards to send in all of my orders with my discount code on them. I also bought a really cool 4K camera that I now use for my social media.
Thanks Taylor! You really know how to sparkle. We love her colorful, creative vibe. You can follow Sustainable Sparkle Bar on Instagram @sustainablesparklebar.
Let Office Depot OfficeMax help you stand out in the crowd. From signs, posters & banners to promote your business, to marketing materials to keep your customers informed, Office Depot OfficeMax offers a full suite of business services & solutions to help you & your business get noticed.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.