Ever finish a costume and think, “Hmm… It’s fine, but not AMAZING”? — especially when it comes to ruffle skirts?

I’ve been there. I kept wondering what was missing—until I found one little trick that totally changed the game. Suddenly, even my plain skirts started swishing like custom stage pieces!

Today I’ll show you how I used one ruffle technique to transform three skirts—from simple to stunning. You can try it on any skirt you already have. Let’s get started!

The Ruffle Skirts Technique

The ruffle technique I’ll be using here is this one called flounce. It’s a piece of fabric cut in a round shape. Open it up, and you get beautiful ruffles.

So let me show you how this type of flounce ruffles can transform skirts in order of difficulty.

1. Ruffle Slit (Beginner Level)

Got a skirt with a slit? Upgrade it with some beautiful ruffles!

Here, I’m using a pattern like this – the diameter of the inner circle is 15cm (6in), and the width of the flounce is 20cm (8in). 

This makes a strip that’s about 95cm (37in) long, which should be long enough for the slit of a skirt for most people, but if you need it longer, make additional circles, or make this diameter larger. 

You can make a pattern for it, or here I folded the fabric twice, then measured the 15cm (6in)  diameter from the corner of the fabric directly onto the fabric. 

Then, from the inner circle, measure 20cm (8in) to make the outer circle.

Cut along the lines, and you have a donut shape. 

And cut it open in a straight line. Now, this can become a strip of ruffles.

Make another one for the other side of the slit. I’m making 2 layers of ruffles on each side of the slit, so I made 4 flounces in total.

Now, for each strip, finish the inner edge with whatever method you like, so it won’t fray. You can do a zigzag stitch over the raw edge, or if you have a serger or overlocker, use that here. If your fabric doesn’t fray, you can skip this step.

For mine, I decided to finish the edges with fishing line. I have a detailed tutorial on how to finish fabric edges with fishing line, so if you’re curious, check out the tutorial here.

Now let’s attach the ruffles to a skirt slit!

At the slit, place your strip of ruffles on the right side of the skirt. I’m making 2 layers, so I placed 2 strips of ruffles here. Align the inner edges of the ruffles and the raw edge of the skirt.

And do a straight stitch with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance.

Repeat for the other side of the slit. Align the ruffles to the slit, right sides together, and do a straight stitch.

Now we need to trim the excess ruffles at the bottom of the skirt. Take one of them, and make sure you can see it very well so you won’t cut other parts by accident.

Then, from 5mm (1/4in) below the skirt hem, trim the end of the strip in a round shape. If you have fishing line, pause, and just snip the fabric and thread around it. Don’t cut the fishing line. 

Trim each strip the same way.

Now, back at the sewing machine, finish the rest of the raw edges.

And now your skirt is beautifully decorated with ruffles! It’s pretty easy, and these bouncy ruffles make a huge difference in how professional the skirt looks! If you want a more detailed tutorial on this, click here.

Now let’s try a little more advanced design!

2. Ruffle Framed Godets (Intermediate Level)

This mermaid skirt design is beautiful as it is, but let’s see what happens if you add ruffles around the godets of the skirt.

For this project, I’m using a pattern like this. I want each strip to be 21.5in (55cm) long for my skirt. This means that the inside circumference of the circle should be 21.5in long.

So I divide my desired length by 6.28. 6.28 stands for 2 x pi. Then you get half the diameter of this circle.

Now decide how wide your ruffle should be. I want it to be 6in (15cm) wide. So we add 6 inches to the half diameter.

So half the diameter of this entire circle is 9.5in (24cm), and this makes the diameter of this circle 19in (48cm), and so 19in by 19in (48cm x 48cm) is how much fabric you need per 21.5in (55cm) ruffle strip.

Now, if you’re unsure about this calculation, I have a chart with measurements and calculations all done for you. You can download it for free here.

So, cut your fabric to the size of the circle you just determined. And cut the circle open.

Now again, it’s time to finish the raw edges. I’m using stretch lace, which doesn’t fray, so I could leave the edges as they are, but to add a little more fun, I’m sewing some fishing line along the outer edge, just like the first project. 

Again, I have a detailed tutorial on how to finish fabric edges with fishing line here, if you’re curious 😉

To insert the ruffles into your skirt, simply place them at the seams. For example, for my mermaid skirt, I sandwiched a ruffle strip between a panel and a godet and stitched all 3 layers together. Simple as that! 

I also hemmed the godets with fishing line for extra volume and to create a romantic look.

You see how much volume and drama these ruffles create once you add a whole bunch of strips to your skirt? And they make your skirt look more professionally made, and perfect for summer outdoor performances.

If you want a more detailed tutorial on this, you can check it out here!

Finally, are you ready to tackle the advanced-level project?

3. Cascading Ruffle Skirts (Advanced Level)

This dramatic ruffle skirt may look complex, but the technique behind it is surprisingly simple.

While I explained step-by-step in my course, let me show you the gist of it here. 

At its core? Just a basic A-line skirt. By slicing the pattern diagonally like this, you create space to insert layers of flounce ruffles—turning a simple base into something really show-stopping!

What makes it so fun is how creative you can get—mixing colors, playing with textures, and finishing the ruffles with fishing line or horsehair braid for that perfect flowing edge. Every version feels like a completely new design!

If you’d love to make this amazing piece, you can learn it step-by-step in my Cascading Ruffle Skirts course, available inside Sparkly Belly’s All-Access Membership. You’ll also learn how to make this bold vertical ruffle skirt—both styles are guaranteed to turn heads the moment you step on stage.

Just look at what my students have made!

(From left to right: by Celeste, Jennifer, Deborah)

Want to make your own Cascading Ruffle Skirts? Click here!

Have fun adding flounce ruffles to your next skirt project, and let me know how it goes!

And if you enjoyed this, you’ll love this tutorial —it shows even more flounce ruffle shapes and creative ways to use them to completely transform your outfits. 

Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling!

P.S. Pin this image on your costume accessories idea board!

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