How to Make a Cute and Easy Pleated Skirt From Old Pants
Today, I want to show you how to make a skirt from pants. I’m using a pair of well-fitting bootcut cotton twill pants. You could upcycle jeans for this but you’ll need a special needle for denim or leather to sew through all the layers.
The length of your pleats and therefore your skirt will be determined by the width of the narrowest part of your pants leg.
Tools and materials:
- Bootcut or wide leg pants
- Ruler
- Tailor’s chalk
- Fabric marker
- Scissors
- Pins
- Applique trim (optional)
- Sewing machine
- Serger (optional)
1. Separate the top and legs of the pants
Fold the pants in half lengthways.
Cut them straight across from the side seam to the inside leg, just above the front crotch seam.
Put the top section aside.
2. Prepare the legs
Cut along the inner edge of one of the outside leg seams.
When you reach the bottom of the leg, cut off the hem through both layers.
Open the leg out flat and cut along the inside edge of the other seam.
Use your ruler and tailor’s chalk to draw a straight line along one of the long edges of the fabric.
Measure the width of the narrowest part of the leg.
In my case, this was 8 inches (20 cm).
Measure and mark this distance from the line along the length of the leg and join the marks into a straight line.
Cut along the lines to create a straight-edged rectangle of fabric.
Use this piece as a template to cut the remaining section of the same leg and both layers of the second leg.
3. Prepare the yoke
Trim the back section of the yoke to be in line with the front and slightly longer.
Fold the yoke in half lengthways at the front crotch and cut off the excess fabric.
Pin the front seam together below the zipper.
If you cut off the bottom of the pockets when you separated the waist and leg sections, sew those up now.
4. Join the lower section
Place two of the rectangles of fabric together with the right sides facing and pin and sew one of the short edges together.
Repeat for the second pair of rectangles.
Join the four rectangles together at one end, to make a long strip of fabric.
5. Measure the pleats
Lay the strip flat with the wrong side uppermost.
Measure and mark 2 inches (5 cm) from one short edge.
Make a second mark 3 inches (8 cm) from the first.
Continue along the strip, marking at 3 inch (8 cm) intervals.
6. Sew the box pleats
If you’re a beginner, I would suggest that you pin the pleats in place before sewing. I pleated my fabric at the sewing machine.
Working on the wrong side, fold the first mark forward to the second, and pin in place.
Fold the third mark backward to the second and pin.
This makes one box pleat.
Continue folding the fabric in alternate directions until the entire strip has been pleated.
Sew the pleats in place inside the seam allowance.
Join the strip into a circle with the right sides together.
7. Join the pleats to the yoke
Place the circle of pleats flat with the right side uppermost.
Lay the yoke on half of the pleats and fold the other half over it, so the right sides are together.
Match the center front of the skirt to one of the seams and pin the yoke and pleat sections together.
Pin the center back of the skirt to the opposite seam.
Pin the side seams of the yoke to the remaining seams of the pleat section.
Distribute the rest of the pleated strip evenly around the bottom of the yoke.
Sew in place through all the layers.
Finish the raw edges of the seam and the lower edge of the pleats on your serger or using an overlock seam on your sewing machine.
Press the pleat seam allowance upwards towards the yoke and top stitch it in place from the right side.
8. Finishing
Turn up a narrow hem at the lower edge of the pleats and sew in place.
Optionally, sew on some applique trims.
How to make a skirt from pants
This is a great way to upcycle or thrift flip pants while learning to make box pleats.
It does make a short mini skirt, as the pleated section is unlikely to be more than 8 - 10 inches (20 - 25 cm) long.
For a longer skirt, you could increase the depth of the yoke with a strip of contrast fabric before attaching the pleats.
Please drop me a comment if you enjoyed this project.
For more great upcycling ideas, follow me on TikTok as well: @tugbaisler
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