Turn a $5 Pair of Pants Into Short Overalls With This DIY Thrift Flip
I love me a good upcycle, and this thrift is certainly a satisfying one! I had found an oversized pair of linen pants at my local thrift shop and fell in love with the fabric. Something else I love is overalls! So I decided to put these two things I love together and create some fun short overalls from the pants. If overalls aren’t your thing then keep scrolling, but if they are then this fun project is perfect for you! Check out my step-by-step tutorial below to make your own thrift flip overalls!
Tools and Materials:
- Oversized linen pants
- Seam ripper
- Fabric scissors
- Pins
- Sewing machine
Sketch Out the Design
For this design, I used my notebook to sketch out my overall design. I wanted to create short overalls, so this left me with quite a bit of fabric to create the top part of the overalls.
I also sketched out the back of the overalls. I wanted to create some cute ties for the straps as well.
Cut the Pants
I started off by determining how long I wanted the shorts to be, pinning them, and removing the excess fabric. I made sure to cut the shorts a bit longer than I actually want them to be because I’ll have to hem them later.
I also took them in a bit on the sides so that they fit me more snugly. I pinned the sides and sewed straight down to the bottom of the shorts.
Create the Top of the Overalls
Using the fabric from the rest of the pant legs I cut up the sides of them so that I could lay them flat. Then I cut out the pattern pieces I had sketched in my notebook earlier.
I made sure that the bottom parts of these pieces matched the top of the shorts I had made.
Then I hemmed the edges.
Put the Front Together
With all of my pieces cut and hemmed, I was ready to put it all together! I pinned the top part to the shorts and added a topstitch to hold them together.
I tried the overalls on to see how everything fit. I wasn’t so happy with the neckline so I’m going to drop it a bit. I also want to add a pocket to the front panel and two pockets to the back of the shorts if I have enough fabric. I still need to create the back panel as well and create the buttonholes needed for the ties in the back.
Create the Back
I cut open the other pant leg along the seam and cut out the back panel of the overalls.
Then I finished the edges and stitched the panel to the inside back of the shorts.
Finish the Front
To finish the front of the overalls I needed to fix the neckline, add a pocket, and add some buttonholes. Adding the pocket was super simple. I serged a rectangular piece of fabric with a center seam that matched the overalls.
As you can see here, I cleaned up the front of the overalls a bit, lowering the neckline so that it was more flattering. Then I folded the serged edges of the pocket under and stitched it to the center of the front of the overalls.
Finish the Back
I sewed a buttonhole on either corner of the back of the overalls and opened them with a seam ripper.
Hem the Shorts
Finally, I folded the bottom of the shorts up and hemmed them
I mean come on, these overalls are ADORABLE! How could anyone not be on team overalls? And they only cost $5! This project is a total win in my book!
Enjoyed the project?
Suggested materials:
- Oversized linen pants
- Seam ripper
- Fabric scissors
- Pins
- Sewing machine
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Super cute! The red pants were the best find! How did you do the ribbon ties in back? It's a button hole with faux ties on?
I agree. Don't find the back flattering.
And, the links do nothing but go round & round,
same over & over. VERY frustrating.