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How to Make a Dress Bigger Without Sewing: Guide

We already know that dress alterations are very often than not a necessity when it comes to feeling confident in our dress as well as in our own skin.

However, when we say alteration we usually talk about making a dress smaller or shorter, and we don’t talk enough about the ways in which you can make your dress bigger. This is why I’m going to give you a few ideas on how to make a dress bigger without sewing.

Key Takeaways

  • A dress is harder to alter without using a sewing machine, however, it’s not impossible
  • There are a few ways in which you can alter your dress for whatever occasion at hand
  • The best way to do this is by using a belt, removing some seams, or using safety pins or adhesives
  • Creating the illusion of a bigger dress is quite easy to achieve if you play around with the materials
  • If you’re using a belt make sure it matches the texture or the colors of the dress

How Can You Alter a Dress in Order to Make It Bigger

In order to make a dress bigger you can make a few simple alterations people don’t usually talk about. Especially, we’re going to focus on how to do these changes to your dress without sewing, like hem. I’ve compiled 3 different options you can choose from to make your dress bigger.

How To Make Your Dress Bigger Without Sewing

Use a Belt

The easiest way to create the illusion that your dress is bigger, or to make sure that your dress fits you perfectly is to put a belt on. You can do this in order to get your dress to look bigger than it really is.

How this is done is that your belt actually makes your waist look smaller than it is and tightens your figure. This is especially true if you’re using a belt made out of elastic.

Removing Darts

When it comes to dresses that have a bodice and a skirt with pleading or ruffles onto them, a great way to make your dress fit you better is to remove the dart seams.

Dart seams are the seams on the front and back of the dresses or shirts for women which are just pieces of fabric that give it shape. These are most commonly found on the bodice of a dress, in the bust area.

Naturally, what we can do for a dress to fit us better is remove those darts. It’s a slightly harder task to do, but it involves nothing except a razor or a seam cutter and your dress.

What you want to do is basically go over the threads used to create the dart from the inside and pluck them out. Once this is done you can get an iron and go over the dart seams and make sure to let out heat and splurges of water.

Once the fabric is wet just go over it with your fingers to ensure that all the threads are out. Of course, the white dots where the seams used to be are going to go away once the fabric is wet. No need to worry, the fabric is not damaged, and once it dries there will be no more white dots.

Once this is done your dress should be looser and fit you better.

Add fabric and Use Hem Tape or Textile Glue

You’re probably wondering how can you use hem tape to make a dress bigger. Well, the only way to find out is to try. When we’re using hem tape, we have to be creative and willing to experiment.

Using hem tape is not that difficult, however, for this, we are going to be needing a pair of scissors and some extra fabric.

Making a dress bigger isn’t as easy of a task. It mostly requires sewing and extra fabric panels to be placed so the dress can have extra volume.

This does not mean that you can’t add fabric by using textile glue or hem tape.

You want to start by cutting up a piece of fabric similar to the one on the dress. This works best on bodice dresses, as you can very easily just add an extra panel of fabric onto the backside and tape it back on.

However, the fact that you need extra material and it involves a lot of cutting should be taken into consideration. If you’re willing to go through this much effort you can do that to an old dress, but if it’s something you need to look amazing for an important event, you should consult a tailor.

Using Safety Pins

This is technically a way to tighten your dress if it doesn’t fit you however, it still counts as making it better.

Safety pins are great for making sure your dress is held in place whether it be too small or too big. They can be used for anything and come in handy on any kind of occasion. Using safety pins is great for anyone, and can be of use, especially for performers.

No need to worry, as today safety pins are a part of fashion and can be added to your clothing as embellishments.

The way this can be used most effectively though is by creating a sling on your dress that will create the illusion of your dress is not only bigger but also more fitting and flattering on your body type.

The way you perform this “operation” is by adding pins to your waist and bust in order to create a fashionable yet useful pattern of pins on your body. This will result in the dress looking bigger.

Play around with the fabric and the position of the safety pins for this look to be complete. The effect this technique has is not only on the dress but also on your confidence. It will make you look trendy and allow you to feel more comfortable in your newly styled dress.

This is hard to do on your own, so make sure you get someone to help you with placing the safety pins, and don’t be afraid to experiment!

Final Words

When it comes to dress alterations, a lot more frequently we mean sizing your dress down instead of sizing it up. This is because taking a dress in a few sizes is a little easier to do. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try and be creative in making your small dress fit you better or that there isn’t a way. If there is a will there is a way, so don’t be afraid to experiment and be creative.