6.11.2010

From high water pants to super cute skirt!

Kids always seem to outgrow the length of their pants before the waist.  Since it's summer I'm turning some of Nadia's too short (and to warm) pants into skirts!  She had a pair of Guess jeans that I loved so that's where I started. 
It was super simple and very quick so let's get started.  Cut the jeans off anywhere between the bottom of the zipper and the crotch.  You may end up cutting off the bottom of the back pockets, that's fine.  Measure the width of the front where you just cut off your legs and times it by 4.  That's the length your ruffle fabric will need to be cut to. 

Cut two strips of fabric at that length, one 4 inches wide and one 2.75 inches wide.

 Hem one long side of each strip. 

Lay your thinner strip on top of your wide strip lining up the raw sides.  Sew them together with a wide running stitch along the long raw edge.  Pulling on one of the threads from the line you just sewed, gather the fabric into a long double ruffle.  Ruffle until it's twice the length of the jean front.  Sew the two short raw edges of the ruffle together (this will make a circle).
Pin, right sides together, to your jean skirt.
Sew all the way around and TADA!

28 comments:

  1. I've done this before, and I don't know what was different, but kids at the playground were running after my daughter to tell her that her skirt was falling down.

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  2. This is such a cute and awesome idea! You are so creative and talented!

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  3. What a great idea! I'm starring this for next year when my punk will be big enough for these!

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  4. Another thing that will not work for boys' clothes. LOL! I love this idea.
    Holy crap! The model has the most adorable chunky baby ankles!!

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  5. This skirt is so unbelieveably adorable! What a great way to make something "old" (or in this case outgrown) new again!!!! Perfect just in time for summer!

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  6. I love this idea. We're done having kiddos. With only having one girl, it's nice to see getting a couple more months use out of her clothes. Now, I just need to figure out how to get my old sewing machine to work again! :)

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  7. What a great idea! Love this. I might have to rethink some of my daughters pants that are in the donate pile now. :-)

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  8. I did the same thing last year with my son's Levis (that he had outgrown). My daughter wouldn't be caught dead in her big brother's jeans, so had to modify and make a ruffled fabric bottom! I've kept all his "good" jeans since, and will make more re-fashioned jean skirts as I need to! Love this idea so much!

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  9. Wauw, it looks so sweet! I know a girl with favorite pink jeans who would LOVE this!

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  10. I will have to make this for my little girlies! So stinkin cute1

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  11. I love that! Thank you for sharing it. My girls always grow out of the legs before they do the waist! I have skinny girls! lol Thank You again for the fun idea!

    Have A Great Day!
    Jennifer

    Livin' With Hoosiers

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  13. Super cute and a great idea!

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  14. I love this!! I am working on some longer skirts, but I may change to the shorter version it is summer after all.

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  15. Cute and easy, I love it! Thanks so much for the great idea, I'll be linking.

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  16. I have made so many of these. Thanks for sharing.
    check out my blog for lots of free tutorials like this. I linked yours up too.
    http://callmecraftymomma.blogspot.com/

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  17. I love this!! Thanks for sharing, your skirt turned out so cute.

    Also wanted to let you know I featured this on my blog today, so feel free to check it out & grab a featured button :)
    http://artsyfartsymama.blogspot.com/2011/09/pinteresting-features-n-shtuff.html

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  18. I know this is an old post, but I just found it on pinterest. My daughter has these corduroy pants that I adore but are too short, they have now been transformed into her adorable cord/ruffle skirt. Thanks for the tutorial!!

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  19. ;) Deva, that's why we have an archive!!! Glad you found it!

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  20. I just found this on Pinterest, too! Happy Day! :)

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  21. Gonna have to try this with all the jeans that my girls have worn holes in the knees on. Thanks!!

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  22. Hey there, just stumbled upon your blog through Google, and found it to be really informative. I'm gonna keep an eye on this one.hey!,I like your writing so much! share we have a talk more about your writing on Yahoo? Looking forward to see you.Cheers!

    denim jeans manufacturers

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  23. Just made 3 skirts for my triplet girls! Thanks for the fun idea! I know these won't be my last 3 skirts out of too short jeans! <3

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  24. Hello, I just made an outfit for my daughter, using your awesome tutorial. Please stop by and check it out:) Thanks for sharing!

    http://wrightbyme.blogspot.com/2012/08/from-old-jeans-to-new-skirt.html

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  25. Wonderful Tutorial! I love this idea!

    I linked to it on my blog post on the best baby tutorials, here:

    http://welivedhappilyeverafter.blogspot.com/2012/11/35-baby-sewing-tutorials-ideas-found.html

    <3 Hannah

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  26. I love this skirt so much I made one of each of my daughters. You can see them here if you want. Thanks for sharing this. I love it!

    http://rednecksoccermom.blogspot.com/2013/03/trash-to-fabulous-junk-jeans-to-cute.html#

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  27. merci, enfin une explication simple !!! euh,
    thank you for your explication very easy... sorry for my english...
    I can do when my sewing machine is back from the doctor ... bouhhhhh

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  28. Great instructions!-I'm new to sewing and could do this without errors! Thanx

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