How To Make A Reversible Cross Back Christmas Apron: Step-By-Step Tutorial

Today I want to share my tutorial for creating a Christmas apron that’s both functional and stylish. This is a Japanese-style apron also known as a cross-back apron. What makes this apron special is that it’s reversible, with two equally beautiful sides, each featuring handy pockets. The cross-back style ensures a comfortable fit without the need for neck straps, and the reversible feature means you’re essentially getting two aprons in one.

This apron is not only practical but also makes for a wonderful handmade gift for the cooking enthusiasts in your life.

What You’ll Need to Make a Christmas Apron

Fabric: 2 yards for one side and 2 yards for the other side (colors of your choice for a Christmas theme)
Sewing machine and matching threads
Fabric scissors or rotary cutter and mat
Pinking shears (optional)
Fabric marker or chalk
Heat-resistant pins (if available)
Pieces of fabric for pockets and embellishments.

The exact materials may vary depending on your specific design and any additional embellishments you want to add to make your Christmas apron unique and festive.

Selecting the Perfect Fabric for Your Christmas Apron

For one side of my reversible apron, I’ve chosen a fabric with Christmas ornaments on a predominantly red background. The other side features a pattern of spruce trees with cones on a green backdrop. Both fabrics are lively and detailed, which is perfect for my purpose. I deliberately avoided plain fabrics as they tend to show spots more easily.

When selecting your fabric, look for designs that are both festive and functional. The goal is to create an apron that looks great and stands up to the rigors of holiday cooking.

While there’s an abundance of Christmas-themed fabrics available, not all quilting cottons are created equal. When selecting your fabric, pay close attention to the weave. Some quilting cottons have a loose weave and are almost see-through – avoid these for your apron. Instead, look for quilting cotton with a dense, stable weave and thicker threads. This type of fabric will not only look better but also provide better coverage and durability for your apron.

Apron Pattern

I’ve designed a pattern for this Christmas apron and have placed it in my shop for a small fee, this is the link – Reversible Japanese Style Christmas Apron. It’s one size fits most. You might need to make some minimal adjustments only if your size is extra extra large or extra extra small.

The shop item includes the printable pattern separately and also color and black & white versions of the how-to procedure (essentially a pdf version of this article). Each how-to file contains a full pattern inside, you only need to download one file which corresponds to your paper and preference (b/w or color). A zip file containing the embroidery design is also included.

Pattern Layout and Assembly

Below is an illustration of the PDF pattern layout and instructions for arranging the pattern pieces. This pattern is designed to be printed on standard US letter-size paper (8.5 x 11 inches). The image demonstrates how to align and assemble the printed pieces to create the full-size apron pattern.

Maybe you’re looking for more apron inspiration, so be sure to check out my roundup of Christmas Apron Ideas – from Sewing Projects to Ready-to-Wear Picks. It’s full of festive designs perfect for holiday cooking and entertaining. For those interested in unique apron designs, you might also enjoy my tutorial on how to make a one-of-a-kind apron with an attached towel. These projects offer great ways to expand your apron-making skills and create functional, stylish kitchen wear.

Cutting Fabric for the Apron

When cutting the fabric for my Christmas apron, I prefer using a rotary cutter. While many associate rotary cutters with straight lines and rulers, I find them excellent for curved lines too. With a bit of patience, you can achieve smooth, even curves.

However, if you’re more comfortable with fabric scissors, they work just as well for this project.

✅ Related tutorial: Cutting Tools For Sewing: The Ultimate Guide

Whichever tool you choose, start by cutting apron pieces from only one fabric first. Don’t cut pockets and trims yet. Take your time with this step – precise cutting sets the foundation for a well-made apron.

Basting and Fitting the Apron

Once apron pieces are cut, it’s time to baste them together. Set your sewing machine to a basting stitch – I use a straight stitch with 5mm stitch length and zero tension. These long, loose stitches are perfect for temporarily holding the pieces together while we check the fit. Basting is necessary because it allows us to make adjustments before the final stitching.

Sew the side seams and shoulder seams (⅝ seam allowances).

baste the pieces together using the sewing machine basting stitch

After basting, try on the apron.

In my case, I discovered the sides were too wide for my body. Don’t worry if you encounter similar issues – it’s all part of the custom fitting process. Make any necessary adjustments by pinning the excess fabric and re-basting until you achieve a comfortable fit that flatters your body shape.

Once you’re satisfied with the fit, it’s time to finalize your adjustments. You can remove the basting stitches really fast. Then adjust your fabric pieces according to the changes you’ve made. Don’t forget to transfer these alterations to your paper pattern as well. This step ensures that your pattern reflects the perfect fit you’ve achieved.

transfer these alterations to your paper pattern as well

Cutting the Remaining Pieces

Now that we have our main apron pieces perfectly fitted, it’s time to cut everything else. Start with the second side of the apron, using your adjusted pattern and different Christmas fabric.

For pockets, cut fabric for one large pocket piece (two identical pieces from contrasting fabric) for one side of the apron, and four smaller pocket pieces from different fabric for the other side.

four smaller pocket pieces from different fabric

Cut a strip of fabric for the vertical embellishment down the center of the apron – this adds a lovely decorative detail to the apron.

Lastly, cut a long strip of fabric for the ruffle. The ruffle will need to be 1.5 times longer than the apron’s edge to allow for gathering.

Embellishing the Pockets

I decided to put embroidery on the pockets. On the red side of the apron, I created two pockets from green cotton fabric with gold accents. These pockets feature my monograms in red embroidery thread. Monograms have long been a popular way to personalize items, from linens to accessories, and they work beautifully on apron pockets too.

For the green side of the apron, I opted for one large pocket in the center, made from red and gold fabric. Here’s where I got a bit cheeky – I embroidered “Messy and bright” in white thread. It’s a playful nod to the realities of holiday cooking and baking. After all, who among us hasn’t ended up with flour on a nose or cranberry sauce on a blouse during Christmas food prep? This little phrase serves as a reminder to embrace the joyful chaos of the season.

You can embellish your pockets differently if you prefer – the key is to make it uniquely yours!

Adding a Decorative Strip

To make the red apron look prettier, I added a green and gold fabric strip down the middle. This strip matches the pocket fabric, which makes everything look good together. Instead of folding and hemming the strip edges, I made a tube from the fabric. This way, the raw edges are hidden inside, making it neater and easier to work with.

To find the center of the apron for placing the strip, I used a simple method. When I was cutting fabric for the apron, I clipped the fabric at the center of the neckline and hem of the front apron piece. So, I connected these clips using a long ruler and drew a chalk line. This helped me put the strip exactly in the middle.

After marking the center, I pinned the finished strip along this line and carefully sewed it in place. I then pressed it with an iron to make it look crisp and neat. This pretty strip down the middle makes the apron look more interesting and ties all the colors together nicely.

Sewing and Attaching Pockets

Before joining the two parts of the reversible apron, we need to sew and attach the pockets and embellishments.

For each pocket, we cut two identical pieces. My pockets have rounded edges with one straight edge on top.

To create a neatly finished pocket, sew the two pieces together along the edges, and leave about 3 inches on the top straight edge open for turning.

For curved edges to lay smoothly after turning, trim the seam allowance close to the stitching line. Then, create small notches along the curved seam. I like using pinking shears for that. This technique prevents bunching and ensures a perfectly curved edge when the pocket is turned right side out.

create small notches along the curved seam

After turning, press the pocket and stitch the top edge closed for a clean finish. You’ll now have a beautifully stitched curved pocket ready for attachment.

To determine pocket placement, put on the front part of each apron side. Use a marking pen or pins to indicate your preferred pocket positions. This step ensures the pockets will be functional and visually appealing.

Once you’re satisfied with the placement, carefully stitch the pockets onto each apron front.

put on the front part of each apron side and mark

To securely attach the pockets and prevent the stitches from unraveling, use a reinforced stitching method at the upper corners. Start by sewing a small triangle shape at each top corner of the pocket. Then, backstitch several times over this area. This technique provides extra strength to the pocket corners, which often experience the most stress during use.

Take your time with this step – well-placed pockets enhance both the look and functionality of your apron.

Adding a Decorative Ruffle

To embellish the other apron side, I added a ruffle made from the same red fabric as the pocket. I think this ruffle is a charming detail and ties the two sides of the Christmas apron together visually.

To finish the edge of the fabric strip for the ruffle, I used my Baby Lock serger with a special stitch called the “wave stitch”. It’s not a common stitch found on all sergers. This stitch creates a lovely wavy pattern along the fabric edge, almost like a delicate scalloped design. The wave stitch allowed me to finish the ruffle edge with a professional look while also adding an extra bit of flair to the apron design.

To create the ruffle, I sewed two parallel rows of long, straight stitches along the edge of a strip of fabric. Then, I gently pulled the bobbin threads to gather the fabric, creating the ruffle effect.

To make a ruffle:

Set your sewing machine to the longest stitch length – 5. Set tension to 0.
Sew two parallel lines of stitches about 1/4 inch apart, leaving long thread tails.
Gently pull the bobbin (bottom) threads to gather the fabric until it reaches the desired length.
Adjust the gathers evenly along the length of the ruffle.

Sew two parallel lines of stitches about 14 inch apart, leaving long thread tails

Instead of placing the ruffle in a straight line, I positioned it in a slight curve about 4 inches below the big pocket. This curved ruffle gives the apron a pretty, feminine look.

position the ruffle in a slight curve about 4 inches below the big pocket

Sewing Side Seams for the Reversible Apron

For the next step, sew the side seams of the apron.

Since this apron is reversible, I couldn’t sew the shoulder seams. Sewing the shoulder seams would prevent me from turning the apron right side out later.

Align the front and back fabric pieces for the side seams. Make sure the edges match up. The seam allowance for side seams is 5/8 inch.

After sewing each side seam, press them open with an iron. Pressing the seams open distributes the bulk of the fabric evenly, which is especially important for a reversible garment.

Assembling the Reversible Apron

Place both apron pieces with right sides together. Pin the edges to keep the layers aligned. Stitch around all edges – the neckline, arm openings, and hem. Use a 3/8 inch seam allowance throughout.

Leave an opening of about 4-5 inches along the hem edge. This opening will be used to turn the apron right side out later.

For the shoulder seams, follow these steps:

On the front piece, turn under 5/8 inch of fabric and press with an iron.
For the back pieces, leave the edges as they are.
Stitch from the neckline and arm opening towards the edges of the shoulder, stopping at the raw edge of the shoulder pieces.

turn under 5/8 inch of fabric and press with an iron

For the back pieces, leave the edges as they are

Remember to backstitch at the beginning and end of your seams for durability, especially at the points where you start and stop stitching near the opening you’ve left for turning.

Cut the seam allowances close to the stitching, using pinking shears.

Turn the apron right side out through the opening you left earlier.

Pin the edges to ensure they lay flat and neat. I used heat-resistant pins that can remain in the fabric during ironing. Press the edges with these pins still in place, which helps achieve crisp, well-defined edges.

After pressing, remove the pins.

Now, connect the shoulder seams.

Criss-cross the back shoulder seams.
Insert the back shoulder seams into the front shoulder seams. The front shoulder seams have finished edges because we turned the seam allowances inside earlier.
Sew the shoulder seams by hand using an invisible stitch. Use a very strong thread for durability.

This hand-sewing step ensures a clean finish on both sides of the reversible apron while securely connecting the front and back pieces at the shoulders.

Final Touch: Topstitching the Apron Edges

For the last step, topstitch all the edges of the apron. This process serves multiple purposes.

It secures the turned edges, so they stay flat and neat.
Topstitching adds a polished look to the apron.
It closes the opening left for turning the apron right side out.

Use a thread color that complements both sides of the reversible apron. But I applied a two-color topstitching to all the edges of the apron. I used red thread in the needle and green thread in the bobbin. This technique creates a different color on each side of the reversible apron. When using this method, it’s important to maintain consistent tension to ensure that the bobbin thread doesn’t show through on the top side and vice versa.

Set your machine for a slightly longer stitch length than your normal seam stitching.

Sew about 1/8 to 1/4 inch from the edge, depending on your preference and the look you want to achieve. Be consistent with your distance from the edge as you stitch around the entire apron – along the neckline, arm openings, sides, and bottom hem.

Take extra care when topstitching around curves, especially at the neckline and arm openings. You may need to stop with the needle down, lift the presser foot, and adjust the fabric slightly to maintain a smooth curve.

This final topstitching also adds durability to the edges, so the apron can withstand frequent use and washing.

Don’t forget: the pattern and how-to instructions are available in my shop: Reversible Japanese Style Christmas Apron.

Did you find this sewing tutorial helpful? If you did, make sure to save this pin on your sewing board on Pinterest so that you can easily access the article later whenever you need this information on making a reversible Christmas apron in Japanese style. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest for more tips, tutorials, and inspiration related to sewing, quilting and machine embroidery.

reversible Christmas apron - (sewing tutorial)

Olga Balasa

Hi, I am Olga. I’m passionate about sewing, quilting, and embroidery, and I want to share my knowledge and enthusiasm with others who are interested in learning how to sew. Thank you for making me part of your day – I’m so very excited to have friends like you by my side. Feel free to comment or reach out with any questions – my email is [email protected] If you want more information about me or my site please visit my About page