How to Make Biker Shorts in 4 Easy Steps - No Pattern Required
In this tutorial, I'll show you how to make biker shorts from scratch, using leggings as a pattern.
Biker shorts are very on-trend at the moment. They are great as activewear, loungewear, or as part of a fashionable athleisure outfit.
Whatever you need them for, I'm going to show you how to sew biker shorts in a few simple steps. This is probably one of the easiest sewing projects I have done and is great for beginners.
Are you ready to make your own DIY biker shorts? Let's do this!
Tools and materials:
- Stretch fabric
- Leggings
- Elastic
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Scissors
1. Make the biker shorts pattern
Use a fabric that has a lot of stretch to it, almost like a legging material. Once you've decided on a good stretchy fabric, take your best pair of leggings and use it as your base to make biker shorts.
You are going to be tracing out the front and back crotch so that you have one main pattern, as shown.
You'll need a ½-inch seam allowance for the leg area and a 2-inch seam allowance for the waistline.
Tip: Remember to cut out two of the same pieces, so fold your fabric accordingly.
2. Sew the biker shorts
Put the two pieces on top of each other and sew the side crotch seams, as shown.
Open up the pattern, match the inner leg seams, and sew.
3. Add the elastic
Cut a piece of elastic that sits comfortably around your waist, and sew the ends together.
I also like to open up the seam and sew it down with a zigzag stitch.
My DIY biker shorts were a little too short at the waist area, so I sewed the elastic right on top of the waist. Before doing this, stabilize the fabric with a zigzag stitch.
Then, sew on the elastic by stretching it as you sew.
4. Hem the legs
Hem the bottom of the legs by folding them under twice and topstitching the fold all around.
How to make biker shorts
That's all you have to do to sew biker shorts. Pretty easy, right? I hope you enjoyed this quick tutorial on how to make biker shorts. Let me know what think in the comments below.
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I think that when i make me some of these I will add some side pockets on them to hold my phone / money/ or keys ...I have a few pairs of biker shorts that have a side pocket but they only have one and i want one on each side .....thanks for sharing your idea on making these ...I might just buy me some cheap leggings and cut them down for the shorts and then use the material I cut off to make my pockets....yep sounds like a plan to me....