How to Easily Make Cute & Comfy Pajama Pants Without a Pattern
Since we’ve all been spending so much time at home because of the pandemic, you may have worn out your favorite pair of pajama pants. But never fear. In this tutorial, you will learn how to make pajama pants without a pattern, so you can keep cozy while keeping safe and healthy at home.
Tools and materials:
- Pajama pants to trace
- 1 yard (1.5 meters) of cotton fabric
- Wide elastic band
- Pattern paper
- Ruler
- Pen/Marker
- Scissors
- Pins
- Safety pin
- Iron
- Sewing machine
- Serger
1. Trace the pajama pants
To begin, trace a pair of pajama pants to make a pattern, following the instructions in the video from 1:20-4:31.
2. Cut out the fabric
Fold your fabric so you have two layers. Place the front and back pattern pieces on the fabric so their straight edges are together and overlapping on the seam allowance.
Trace around both pattern pieces with a fabric pen, as if they were one large piece. Then cut. Because the fabric is folded, you will be left with two mirrored pieces of fabric.
3. Measure and cut the elastic
Measure the waistline of the pants, multiply that number by two and subtract one. This will be the length of your waistband. Cut a piece of fabric of that length, with a width of 5 inches.
4. Pin and sew the crotch seams
Lay the two main pieces together, right sides facing. Then, pin and sew the crotch seams.
5. Snip
Make a few snips in the curved parts of the seam allowances on both crotch seams.
6. Serge
Serge the crotch seams.
7. Pin and sew the inseams
Flip the fabric so the crotch seams are in the center. Match up the center seams and pin them together. Then, pin both inseams, and sew them down in one straight line from the bottom of one pant leg, up to the crotch, and down the other leg.
8. Clip and serge
Then clip the curved edges and serge the seam allowance.
9. Fold and sew
Fold the waistband in half, right sides together, and sew the short edges together.
10. Fold and press
Fold one long edge ⅜ in towards the wrong side of the fabric and press to keep the fold in place.
11. Mark
Mark the side and center points on the waistband as well as on the top edge of the pants.
12. Pin and sew the waistband
With the folded edge on the bottom, slide the pants through the waistband, and match up the marks you made on the sides and center of each, and pin them at those points. Then, sew the waistband to the pants.
13. Fold and pin the waistband
Fold the waistband inwards so the edge overlaps the waistband seam, and pin the waistband in place.
14. Sew the waistband
Sew the waistband down by stitching in the ditch (meaning, stitching over the already existing waistband seam so your stitches are hidden).
Do not sew all the way around. Make sure to leave a two-inch gap in the stitching, so you will have a place to insert elastic into the waistband.
15. Insert the elastic
Before inserting the elastic, check your seam and make sure all the parts of the waistband, other than the gap you left for the elastic, have been sewn down securely.
Then, attach a safety pin to one end of the elastic band, and insert it into the gap. Use the safety pin to guide the elastic all the way around the waistband and back out through the gap.
16. Sew the elastic
Sew the ends of the elastic together with a zigzag stitch or straight stitch, then sew closed the gap in the stitching.
17. Secure
Sew a few stitches in a few areas around the waistband to hold the elastic in place and prevent it from twisting.
18. Trim and serge
Trim the bottom edges of the pants so they are straight and neat. Then serge.
19. Fold, press, and sew
Fold the bottom edges of the pants 1 inch towards the wrong side of the fabric. Press the folds to hold them in place and sew them down.
How to make pajama pants without a pattern
Enjoy wearing your cute, comfy pajama pants! What do you think of this DIY pajama pants tutorial? If you make a pair of DIY pajama pants of your own, please post your results in the comments!
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Comments
Join the conversation
Awesome! Thanks sew much!
Couldn’t you just add the waist band height measurement to the top of pj’s and make a casing, then insert elastic. Seems that would be much easier.
Just a thought.