Turning Jeans into Little Shorts - And Keep The Factory Seams!!

If you are like me, you have heaps of jeans or pants that either don't fit anymore, or just in a need for a clean-out.....I also have daughters who grow out of clothes so fast.  So combine the two together with this tutorial and you get---

How to turn adult size pants into child size shorts...and keep the factory seams and hems!!!

My beautiful assistant modelling the final product!!

Look at those beautiful original seams!!

Firstly, you need a pair of jeans or pants - standard bootleg or regular leg is best.  Mine did have a little stretch in them

Grab a pair of shorts that already fit your child.  I chose pj bottoms.  Turn inside out and lay on your jeans leg.  I am making mine a bit longer than the pj bottoms, so I left about 5cm at the bottom.

Leave enough length at the top for an elastic casing and chop off the jeans!!

Now shape the curved bits.  I also increased this a wee bit to make sure.  You can always go back and trim them down later.  Don't cut the sides at all...leave the original seams and hems intact.

Use the first cut piece as a pattern to another piece from the other leg of the jeans.  You will now have two pieces that look like this...

Turn inside out and pin the curved sections together like this.  This is going to make the front and back seams.  Sew together.  I also double stitched mine particularly around the crotch area as kids always seem to bust the stitching open in that area.

I overlocked around the top of the shorts, then turned down a casing for my elastic.  Sew around and leave open a few centimetres to thread the elastic.  Stitch closed the opening and turn right side out.

Well done!!!   You now have a new wear of shorts for your little one.

My crazy 4 year old!

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