Today’s tutorial will teach you how to make a DIY denim skirt from old jeans. If your pants are a little too big on you, or a little too out of style, have no worries! This tutorial will give you the tools to transform them into something you’ll love.
By Rosa Padilla
How to: Transform Old Jeans Into a DIY Denim Skirt
5 materials
$5
1 Hour
Easy
Tools and materials:
- Old jeans
- Scissors
- Seam ripper
- Pins
- Sewing machine
DIY denim jeans to skirt
DIY denim skirt tutorial
Cut out your fabric
The first step is to cut off one of the pant legs - right along the line of the crotch. Next, use a tape measure to measure out the length you want the body of the skirt to be and cut the pants again. Now, place the cut-out leg on top of the other leg and cut the second leg to the same size.
DIY denim mini skirt
Create the body of the skirt
Use a seam ripper to separate the seams of the pants until you have four separate pieces of fabric. Next, pin your fabric together and sew across the pinned areas. After that, lay your fabric flat and fold both sides over so the fabric is lying wrong sides together with a gap left in the middle. Take the bottom of the pant leg that you cut off and place it in the middle to fill that gap. Fold it until it’s the same length as the rest of the skirt and cut off the excess. Repeat this one on the sides, until you're left with a rectangle that fits the gap perfectly. Sew the fabric in place.
DIY denim skirt from old jeans
Insert an elastic
Fold the top of the skirt to create a hem and pin it into place. Sew it down. Next, pin an elastic around the edge of the skirt so that there’s a slight gather in the material. Sew the elastic in place to tighten the elastic.
Fold the fabric
Create the ruffles
Take the other half of the pant leg and fold it in half, then use scissors to cut along the fold. Next, fold your pant leg until it creates the effect pictured above (do this by folding small folds under the bigger folds). Do this with both halves you cut out and pin as you go to secure. Then, pin it to the bottom edge of the skirt (right sides together) and sew across the bottom to secure the folds.
Hem the skirt
Hem the bottom
To hem the bottom of the folds, fold them over once (wrong sides together) and pin to secure. Next, sew the hemming - this will give you the ruffled effect on the bottom of the skirt.
Sew the belt
Create your belt
Use a seam ripper to remove the belt loops from the top of the pants and hew sew them to the top edge of the skirt. Repeat this for the rest of the rest belt loops. Next, use your seam ripper to remove the waistband of the pants. Hand sew both halves together to create a belt and then fold the whole thing in half (lengthwise) and sew it down.
Finish DIY denim skirt
Finish the skirt by looping the belt through and tying a neat bow in the front. And there you have it, a y DIY denim mini skirt! I think it came out looking great. It’s flattering and unique and kind of a stylish throwback to that early 2000’s style.
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Yes l will. It’s ideal for a pair of old jeans l was about to take to the op shop.
I had to dispose of so many old jeans before I could move. I'm going to try this when I'm settled.