No Sewing Needed for This DIY Denim Skirt

A basic denim skirt is a wardrobe staple, but you don’t necessarily need to run out to the mall to grab one for yourself. I’ll show you how you can create a customized denim skirt from clothing that you already own! All you need is a pair of jeans! Any pair will work, though if you can find a pair made of stretchy denim they will work the best. I think the best part of this entire project is that you don’t need to sew a single stitch! Check out my tutorial below to see how I did it! Also, if you like what you see, head on over to my blog for more great DIY projects!
Tools and Materials:
- Jeans
- Fabric scissors
- Fabric glue
- Seam ripper
- Pins
Cut the Jeans
Lay out the jeans and determine the length you want your skirt to be. Then fold them in half and make sure to cut them at the exact same length on each leg.
Open the Inseam
Using a seam ripper, open the inseam from the leg through the crotch.
When you get to the crotch you’ll see that there is a part that kind of stand up. Cut about an inch and a half along the seam and see if you can get it to fold and lay flat.
If not, you can always cut away some material to make this happen. Always cut on the inside of the seam because it will look more natural.
Repeat this on the back side of the pants.
Glue the Flap
Once you’re happy with how these cut pieces sit, glue them in place. If you want to, you can sew here, but seeing as I wanted to keep this skirt a no-sew skirt, fabric glue will work well.
Add a Panel in the Back
Now take the two pieces of pant leg that you removed from your jeans. Open them up with a seam ripper.
Lay a full one on the back, with the cut end on the bottom.
For the front, You will only need half of a panel because the slit is smaller.
Lay it in place until it sits nicely and then pin it in place. Get the glue as close to the edge as possible without any of it spilling out.
Then I repeated this process on the back of the skirt. The closer to the edge you glue, the less the fabric will fray, so if you want some fraying leave a bit of room.
Next, glue along the edge of the pant legs. Once again, you can sew this part if you choose.
Even It Out
Using your fabric scissors, cut along the bottom of the skirt, making sure that it is all even.
Cut Away Excess Fabric
Turn the skirt inside out and cut away any excess fabric. When you pull up the sides of the flaps, you’ll see where it’s glued to the skirt. Go ahead and remove the part that isn’t glued down. Repeat this process on the front flap of the skirt. If you want to make a maxi version of this skirt, you’ll need two pairs of jeans as you won’t be cutting any of it off.
Stylish and earth-friendly! Have you ever upcycled your clothes? Let me know in the comments below! I love projects that make high fashion accessible to everyone, and if you’d like to see more check out my blog for great DIY designer projects!
How to fold skirts
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fun to see this making a come-back! I still have my original 1968 denim mini-skirt made this way. we then took the legs and opened them up and made a shoulder bag out of them, with or without square corduroy patches alternating with denim, for a little variation and to add some more fabric in case the jeans were not enough! It was popular to add wide woven ribbon over each side seam as added decor! "groovy"!
So glad to find Orly again! Miss her on Hallmark’s Home and Family!