How to Make a Scottish Great Kilt: 6 Steps Page 1 of 14

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How to Make a Scottish Great Kilt by

danielg123 (/member/danielg123/) in halloween (/tag/type-id/category-home/channel-halloween/)

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About This Instructable

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How to make a Cargo Kilt

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(/id/How-to-make-a-Cargo-
(/file/FL2TOYAG43EBKEN/) Kilt/)
by uglymike
(/member/uglymike/)
Kilt with Sash (/id/Kilt-with-
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by mrmucox
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How to Make a Scottish Great Kilt: 6 Steps Page 2 of 14

The first thing you will need to do is get some wool tartan cloth it doesn't really Renaissance Costumes -
Celtic Warrior Costume
matter what tartan you get seeing as it wasn't until the 18 hundreds that the (/id/Renaissance-Costumes-
tartans to different clans were really formed like it is today.Then when you have Celtic-Warrior-Costume/)
your tartan lay it out in a large flat area ,and then measure the length across by LibbyO (/member/LibbyO/)
Skull Sporran (/id/Skull-
your legs and this measurement will be your front apron.Next pleat the cloth till Sporran/)
you get near the end and leave enough for the other apron. by Absinthe-Dragon
(/member/Absinthe-Dragon/)

materials: wool tartan cloth, leather belt,leather sting or metal brooch Braveheart (/id/Braveheart/)
by plastiktoe
(/member/plastiktoe/)

Step 1: Prepareing for the Belt advertisement

(/file/FYJNVENG43EBKFJ/)

This next step is easy just measure from just above your knee to your belly
button this will be where you put the belt at. Then i like to mark this by push in
the material right there.

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Step 2: Putting the Belt in Under the Kilt

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(/file/FJBNC3ZG43EBKFI/)

This is the step where you slip under the belt at the measurement from the last
step. Just gently slide it under and smooth any messed up pleats.

Step 3: Putting on the Kilt

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(/file/FO4GZ5VG43EJWTM/)

Now lay down on the tartan with the edge of the pleats at the back of your
knees, and pull over the right apron then the left and smooth everything out.

Step 4: The Kilt On

(/file/FL2TOYAG43EBKEN/)

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(/file/F8UIU86G43EJWTF/)

Then fasten you belt and stand up the top part will fall over the bottom you can
pull that up and if you want to adjust the pleats while looking in a mirror so there
all at on level.

Step 5: What to Do With the Top Part of the Kilt?

(/file/FPS4651G43EJWT8/)

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(/file/FESFHM5G43EG0X4/)

Anything! but the easiest in my opinion is to take the corner of the under apron
above the belt and tuck it in and take the fold from that and put it over the back
of your left shoulder and do the same with the other one but put over the front.

Step 6: Putting the Pices Togeather

(/file/F94HNHHG43EBKDX/)

finnaly you can tie the corners together with a leather string or you can use a
metal brooch
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We have a be nice comment policy.

Please be positive and constructive. w I Made it! Add Images Post Comment

eckythump (/member/eckythump) 5 years ago Reply

As to wearing "other people's clan tartans" I would suggest it is nonsense to be

concerned. Tartans are not copyrighted and their actual real links to clans are
normally very dubious indeed. It seems to be common opinion today that the
Polish "Sobieski" twins started off the whole craze of clan tartans (with their
book "Vesitarium Scotum") in an attempt to convince the Scots that they were
indeed the lost twin princes of Scotland--just my thoughts on the matter. In New
York once someone considerably older than me, asked my permission to wear
the tartan I was wearing (Fletcher of Dunans) and I found the whole thing quite
ridiculous, suggesting to her that she wear whatever tartan caught her eye.

wg-mackay (/member/wg-mackay) . eckythump (/member/eckythump) Reply

2 months ago
I agree. Wear whatever tartan you like. The link of specific
tartans to specific clans is modern nonsense.

gen81465 (/member/gen81465) . eckythump (/member/eckythump) Reply

5 years ago
Eckythump: Many tartans, including Chattan, are INDEED
copyright as to pattern. I wanted a kilt made, but wasn't willing to pay the
outrageous fee being charged that would allow me use of the Chattan
tartan. The other clan tartan I could use is MacGoun (from the ancient
Gow), as it is far less expensive.

As for wearing one at an event, I don't think most people would argue over
it; unless the person wearing the specific tartan managed to get
themselves on the 6 o'clock evening news for doing something really
stupid, and then trying to claim Scots family heritage as a reason for their
stupidity.

As for the date of Clan Chattan being established, along with other
information about the 16 clans that comprise the "bond of union", feel free
to check out http://www.clanchattan.org as it contains a lot of good
information. They just celebrated the 400th anniversary of the Bond of
Union back in 2009. While the Bond of Union took place in 1609, it is
believed the original clan confederation began sometime around 1291.

wg-mackay (/member/wg-mackay) 2 months ago Reply

Hi folks looking at the comments below about specific tartans for specific clans -
sorry but it is a modern invention. Wear whatever tartan you like. The idea of
tartans for specific clans is an 18th century invention. Pre- 1745 there were
regional tartans due to the local fashion and available dyes but that is as far as
it went.

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wg-mackay (/member/wg-mackay) . wg-mackay (/member/wg-mackay) Reply

2 months ago
Oops sorry meant 19th century not 18th invention

Kenderkim (/member/Kenderkim) 11 months ago Reply

What size fabric do you need? I'm making one for a great tall laddie....

kamelsr (/member/kamelsr) . Kenderkim (/member/Kenderkim) Reply

5 months ago
8 yards long is the norm. As to the width I believe most fabric
is two yards wide and you just set your belt where you want it for your
height. The Scotts say one size fits all. Although some heftier men may
need a extra yard.

EclipseColdfire (/member/EclipseColdfire) 8 months ago Reply

What size of fabric was used? Like, how many Yards? Plus, how tall are you :P

William Alexander Hamilton (/member/William Alexander Hamilton) Reply

2 years ago
Great instructions I have done it the same way, I used an
iron pin to hold up the top. I could make it into a cloak like top if the weather
was bad, and if hot roll it up and cover my shoulders as little as possible. It can
be much more useful than the small kilt.

X Anderson Pooper (/member/Anderson Pooper) 2 years ago Reply

8
What were the dimensions of the tartan you used?

DavidC73 (/member/DavidC73) 2 years ago Reply

Just some advice. For me, is easier if you store the great kilt after playing it like
you're going to wear it, and then rolling it up. Do this after wearing it every time.

The pleats will end up nicely creased, and all you then have to do to put it on is
unroll and unfold a little.

The pleats being nicely creased helps when you go to pleat again for storage.

Rich_Limburger (/member/Rich_Limburger) 2 years ago Reply

:-) i like yout instructable. i made one last year for "vasteloavendj" (=carnaval)
takes some time to put it on, but i can allmost say certain that i'll be the only one
around here wearing a great kilt. As everybody else wears the easier to put on
small / modern kilt. It's a shame my kids were pushing me to get it done over
with as quick as possible (they wanted to catch the candy which ppl throw from
the parade wagons), or i would have taken the time to do it neatly.

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(https://cdn.instructables.com/F49/3C90/I66CTZWA/F493C90I66CTZWA.LARGE.jpg)

gen81465 (/member/gen81465) 6 years ago Reply

I beg to differ with the article author on the point of specific tartan's only
becoming significant in the 1800's. That is actually incorrect. My family tartan
(Chattan) was established in 1609 during the Bond of Union, which
consolidated 16 separate clans for the purposes of common defense. Each
individual clan or sept also has its own tartan, most of which date back to the
1400's - 1500's.

Some suggest asking permission from a clan representative before wearing that
clan's tartan to an event, although most clans won't object (unless you're doing
something that the clan would consider "embarassing" to them).

There are several tartans which are considered non-specific to a clan, or are so
commonplace as to be generally accepted.

For informal events, Black Watch is considered a national *Scots tartan

(http://kiltrental.com/images/kilt%20rental%20black%20watch%20tartan.jpg).

For formal events, it's usual to see people wearing the Royal Stewart tartan
(http://www.scotland.com/culture/tartans/r/images/roystewfam.gif), often
accompanied by a tuxedo jacket.

* Note: To help out when attending Scots or Celtic events, the official term is
Scots or Scotsman. The word "Scottish" refers to a terrier dog, not a nationality.

Whatever you decide, if you choose to wear a kilt, wear it with honor to the clan
it represents. And remember, "It's a kilt, not a skirt ... now if I were wearing
something underneath it, THEN it would be a skirt." ;-)

eckythump (/member/eckythump) . gen81465 (/member/gen81465) Reply

5 years ago
gen81465, I would really love to see actual evidence that your
family tartan, Chattan, was "established" back in 1609. Such evidence
could over-throw a lot of recent opinion on the clan-based tartan issues.

gen81465 (/member/gen81465) . eckythump (/member/eckythump) Reply

4 years ago
I acknowledge my clerical error: the "tartan" wasn't established
in 1609; it was the Bond of Union for the clans that combined for common
defense. For evidence of the clan, please see:
http://www.clanchattan.org.uk/

Sgmaitland (/member/Sgmaitland) . gen81465 (/member/gen81465) Reply

4 years ago
Please see my reply above. Wearing of the tartan was illegal for
a while.

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eckythump (/member/eckythump) . gen81465 (/member/gen81465) Reply

5 years ago
Gen, the Scottish Register of Tartans does list a number of
Chattan tartans (http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/qResults.aspx?
searchString=Chattan) but only one of them has a specification that it is
for the use of the chief of the Chattan clan and his immediate family. Even
this does not probably constitute a copyright. Locharron kilt makers also
list two: one in light weight, and an "ancient" version in heavyweight
(http://www.thetartansite.com/). They appear to be able to make a kilt for
you or sell the tartan fabric at 42 pounds for the light weight per meter or
50 for the heavy weight.

Sgmaitland (/member/Sgmaitland) 4 years ago Reply

From the clan Maitland cite. This is the way I understood the non use of tartans
in the 18th century. Many we're older, but they were illegal for a time.

"Tartan goes back to the middle ages, and the mists of time. At the time of the
Act of Union with England in 1707, the ladies of Edinburgh began to wear tartan
dresses to show pride in their country. The wearing of tartan was forbidden after
the rebellion of 1745, except by Scottish regiments, who wore tartan kilts as
their uniform .During the Royal visit to Scotland of 1820, King George IV wore a
kilt, and tartan became once again normal civil dress."
Scott

Zanesfriend (/member/Zanesfriend) 4 years ago Reply

It should also be mentioned that while it is possible to put on a great kilt by

yourself, it is a great deal easier if you have someone to help you.

Zanesfriend (/member/Zanesfriend) 4 years ago Reply

It may not be generally illegal to wear a tartan not your own, but it certainly is
not polite.

When I bought a length of Grand Lodge of Scotland tartan, I had to get a

certification from my own Grand Lodge that I was a Brother in good standing,
and one from the Grand Lodge of Scotland that my GL was in fraternal relations
with them. I am told that if one tries to order most military tartans (all branches
of the US Armed forces, plus the Border Patrol, have tartans; there's also a 'US
Special Forces' one) one is asked to provide proof that one is entitled (or the
recipient is entitled, if bought as a gift) to it.

pecunium (/member/pecunium) 5 years ago Reply

The one thing, re tartans, which does matter is the question (esp. in the UK) of
Reg'tmental affiliation. The Black Watch is pretty much generic, but the tartan of
active reg'ts is frowned on for wear by people who have no connection.

eckythump (/member/eckythump) . pecunium (/member/pecunium) Reply

5 years ago
Thanks for the comment, pecunium. I am not sure what the UK
regiments think about such things but assumed that they used mostly
tartans which were out and about normally, such as Royal Stewart, Black
Watch (Campbell) etc. and perhaps Drummond or the like. I didn't know of
any tartans particularly set aside for the British army. My father was an
office in the British army and although he also didn't even mind people
wearing ex-army uniforms which they found at second hand shops and so
on, he did get very upset if he saw them with any badge, emblem or mark

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of an army regiment or corps. I think I would agree with him, that it is in

poor taste to falsely represent a particular military body. As to regimental
affiliation outside of the UK, to be honest, I would not give a blast what
they thought so long as the tartan had not been specially designed for
their regiment. I certainly, as a Brit, think I have at least as much "right" to
wear a standard tartan as any overseas regiment.

eckythump (/member/eckythump) 5 years ago Reply

Interesting stuff. You might find it a bit easier though doing it as the Grants did
(or as their French visitor described) in that you take 7 yards of double width
tartan and fold it in half widthwise, to reduce the length to 3.5 yards. This,
essentially, makes the plaid top portion manageable. Then you can pleat it on
the ground easily also, as you have done. After that, and standing up, putting
the sporran belt on loosely while the top portion is still hanging in front of the
lower portion, you can throw the upper portion over your shoulders like a cloak,
evening it up to be central, and hanging in front of you both left and right, and
then pin the part of the plaid at the left shoulder to the left shoulder so that the
point hanging down doesn't reach below the lower edge of the lower portion (a
huge no-no in Scotland at that time, it seems). With the right flap of the upper
portion still hanging in front of your right leg, you can tuck it up and under the
sporran belt. Google The Grant Piper and you will see this done exactly, even
noticing the resulting double selvage of the plaid behind his left arm hanging
behind him. This piper doesn't use a sporran but has a dirk in its place. From
what I have researched over the many years, I have not really noticed period
paintings of people with tartan across the chest, although that can be a nice and
useful look too. I have never worn pre-sewn kilts and wear the belted plaid
around town, normally with a suitable jacket.

| skimmo (/member/skimmo) 7 years ago Reply

only a real man can pull of a skirt

X Iridium7 (/member/Iridium7) . skimmo (/member/skimmo) 6 years ago Reply

|
8 not a skirt unless you wear something underneath ;)

8 danielg123 (/member/danielg123) (author) . skimmo (/member/skimmo) Reply

7 years ago
:) ty

X Iridium7 (/member/Iridium7) 6 years ago Reply

|
8 It probably would be best to go with a generic tartan anyways. I wouldn't want
some dude walking around with my clan's tartan.

LilithAvalon (/member/LilithAvalon) 6 years ago Reply

Thanks a lot for this tutorial :) My boyfriend wants one for LARPing. I might
make this with the pleats sewn in and a permanent strap to tie it with, so he
won't have to go through this process (and I don't have to help him) every time
he puts this on.

X SWV1787 (/member/SWV1787) 7 years ago Reply

|
8

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How to Make a Scottish Great Kilt: 6 Steps Page 12 of 14

Nice, You don't see too many people actually folding their own kilt anymore.
What tartan is that? It looks like you and I both need to get kilt pins for the
shoulder.

(https://cdn.instructables.com/FHH/ROSR/G43EG3NB/FHHROSRG43EG3NB.LARGE.jpg)

8 danielg123 (/member/danielg123) (author) . SWV1787 (/member/SWV1787)

7 years ago Reply
Thanks for your comment I've done a lot of research
about the great kilt or belted plaid or whatever people like to call it :).I'm
not sure what tartan it is but I think its a neutral one (or non clan), but it
looks like a navy Stewart. maybe?But again thanks for the comment

j-orr (/member/j-orr) . danielg123 (/member/danielg123) 7 years ago Reply

I think that tartan is Thompson Camel. I'm not sure because the image
isn't large enough for me to see for sure.
www.thecelticcroft.com/Tartan/tartan_finder/Homespun_tartans/homespun_in-
stock.html
(http://www.thecelticcroft.com/Tartan/tartan_finder/Homespun_tartans/homespun_in-
stock.html)

8 danielg123 (/member/danielg123) (author) . j-orr (/member/j-orr) Reply

7 years ago
Sorry i just got you to your comment. I'm don't think its that, but
they do look similar your right. I'll have to do some research on it. Ok :)

j-orr (/member/j-orr) . danielg123 (/member/danielg123) 7 years ago Reply

Because so many tartans share the same color shemes, it is easy to

confuse one from the other. That's why I posted that link. Tartan Authority
is an other resource.

Will you be posting an other kilt related instructable?

8 danielg123 (/member/danielg123) (author) . j-orr (/member/j-orr) Reply

7 years ago
ya i'll try

X discontinuuity (/member/discontinuuity) 7 years ago Reply

|
8 Pretty cool. Do you wear this around town, or to renaissance fairs etc.?

8 danielg123 (/member/danielg123) (author) . discontinuuity (/member/discontinuuity)

7 years ago Reply
I don't wear this one just around town i wear it to
Scottish,Celtic,and renaissance fairs. When i wear one in town its usaly
my Buchanan or black watch tartan pre-sewn or small kilts.Thanks for the
comment:)

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