Sketch Book

• Most fashion designers use a pencil and sketch book. This is still one of the simplest ways to take your design from idea to visual conception. Fashion designers keep a sketch book and pencils handy, ready to put their ideas on paper as soon as they get them.
  
  

Use Patterns for Inspiration

• Beginning designers often use patterns purchased from a craft or hobby shop and make alterations to create something original. Using a pattern to create your own designs is ideal for someone just starting out in the business. Not only does this method give you a head start, it allows you to study the patterns as you re-work them into something original.
  
  

Fashion Design Software

• Use a CAD (computer aided design) program or fashion design software for creating your fashion designs. These days, a lot of fashion designers do their initial ideas in a sketch book, then take the rough sketches into computer software to detail it. It's fun to see your designs come to fruition using computer software.
  
  

Design Online

• This is a relatively new method of clothing design available for beginners and anyone who wants to create their own fashion. There are several online fashion design web sites that allow you to do complete designs online, save them and share them with other designers (see Resources). Many of these websites will make your designs for you for a fee.