Turn a Pair of Old Jeans into a Fun New Skirt

Turn a Pair of Old Jeans Into a Fun New Skirt

3 Materials

2 Hours

Easy

There’s no better fashion statement than the perfect denim skirt! It’s an essential in every girl’s closet and can be styled and worn on any occasion. If you love the wash of a pair of denim jeans or shorts and wish you could have the same color for a skirt then this step by step tutorial is for you! Follow this easy tutorial and learn how to upcycle a pair of old pants or shorts to create a gorgeous denim skirt for any occasion.

Tools and Materials:

Fabric scissors
Sewing machine
Denim shorts

Cut the crotch seam

Cut the crotch seam open

Start by cutting open the crotch seam of your shorts. I chose these shorts because I love their wash but you can choose any pair to turn into a skirt.

Turn a pair of pants into a skirt

Now take your scissors and cut all the way up to the zipper.

Cut the back

Turn your shorts over and cut the back up to the level of the shorts’ zipper too.

Sew the flaps

Now that you’ve snipped away the shorts, sew the flaps you just created down flat.

How to make pants into a skirt

Remove the pockets

On this particular pair of shorts, I felt the pockets were a bit too wide and so I decided to move them. Pick the seams of the pockets out. It takes a bit of time but it is totally worth it! Keep those pockets, you’ll need them for sewing back on later.

Make the skirt smaller

Alter the skirt to fit

You may have picked a pair of shorts with the perfect fit, but if you didn’t then this step is here to help! Put the skirt on inside out and pinch the sides to get them fitted to your body. Make a mark on each side and then stitch the skirt together at that point. You can then take in the side seams, creating the perfect fit.

Create a seam

Create a diagonal seam from the stitch you created in the waistband and gradually sew until it joins the original seam of the skirt. This will give your skirt an a-line shape which I absolutely adore!

Sew on the pockets

Reattach the pockets

In this step, take the pockets that you removed earlier and place them on the back of your skirt at an angle that works best for your shape. Pin them to the skirt and then get sewing. It’s so easy to use the pocket placement to compliment your shape and size, making this the ultimate, flattering skirt!

Turn a pair of pants into a skirt

Shorten the skirt

If you feel like your skirt could be a little shorter then fold it inwards and mark the length you want. Pin the skirt so that you will have the perfect length.

Pants into a skirt

Take your fabric scissors and cut off the bottom of the skirt. Put your skirt in the washer and dryer a few times to get that natural, raw frayed hem.

Add patchwork

Add some patchwork

I decided to take this skirt one step further by adding a darker denim patch to the front. This step is totally optional, I just think it adds a little something extra to the skirt.

I love how easy it is to make a skirt from a pair of shorts! What is your favorite denim skirt style? Let me know in the comments below!

Suggested materials:

Fabric scissors
Sewing machine
Denim shorts