How to Make a Suspender Skirt Out of Men's Pajama Pants

In today's upcycle video, I’m going to show you how to make a suspender skirt from an old pair of men’s pajama pants!
This DIY suspender skirt is not hard to make at all. If you do like wearing skirts, I highly recommend you give this one a go.
Curious to learn more? Read on and let me show you how.
Tools and materials:
- Loose pajama pants
- Sewing machine
- Matching thread
- Marker
- Pins
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Paper
- A dress that fits well
1. Make the pattern
Grab a skirt or dress that fits you well and trace the lower part onto a piece of paper.
It’s important to note that the dress I'm copying and the pajama bottoms have roughly the same amount of stretch.
Freehand the suspender part of the skirt on each side, as shown.
I felt they should be further apart than I initially thought, so I simply cut them out and stuck them where I wanted them to be.
Next, trace your pattern onto the second piece of paper as you’ll be needing more than one pattern piece for this suspender skirt tutorial.
Fold your pattern in half and cut right through the middle for the back piece.
For the front piece, use a ruler to create the seam lines. Then, cut the pieces out.
You should now have these pieces to work with.
2. Take the pants apart
Now, cut the pajama pants along the seams so that you have flat material to work with.
3. Cut the pattern
Lay the fabric flat, place the patterns, and cut accordingly. Add a little seam allowance, too.
Tip: Cut the fabric straight if your pajamas have a checkered print.
4. Sew the pieces
Sew the respective panels right sides together. You should now have a front and backside to work with.
Layer the front and back right sides together and sew the side seams.
Next, roll the hem at the bottom and sew for a lovely finish.
5. Measure the suspender straps
Now place the skirt on you, pin the tips onto your shirt, and then measure how long you need the suspender straps to be with a measuring tape.
My measurement was 67cm (26.37 inches).
Use the remaining fabric to make the strips. Here, I joined four thin, equal-sized strips together. Each strip is around 8cm (3.14 inches) wide.
Now, pin and sew the ends of two strips to create one long strip. You should now have two long strips.
Place both strips on top of one another. Measure the length at 69cm (27.16 inches) and cut. I added a 2cm (0.78 inches) seam allowance.
Fold the suspender straps widthways, so they’re right sides facing and sew along the raw edges.
Flip the right sides out with the help of a safety pin.
6. Assemble the DIY suspender skirt
Trace the top part of your skirt onto some leftover fabric and cut it out.
Copy the first piece one more time and cut. You should have two pieces.
Sew both pieces together at the short ends on either side. Now you should have one circular piece.
Place this piece on the top part of the skirt and pin it all around. Make sure they're on the right sides touching.
Next, sandwich each strap’s ends between the two layers. Make sure to not twist them while pinning. Everything should be aligned.
Sew all around the edges.
Lastly, flip the skirt right sides out and iron the seams.
How to make a suspender skirt
I love how this DIY suspender skirt came out. It is rather tight, but there’s still a comfy stretch to it.
I really enjoyed this DIY project, and I hope you did, too. Let me know what you think of it in the comment section below!
Enjoyed the project?
Suggested materials:
- Loose pajama pants
- Sewing machine
- Matching thread
- Marker
- Pins
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Paper
- A dress that fits well
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I never would’ve looked at a pair of these pajama pants and thought of making a skirt out of them. You did a great job!
So beautiful. Love the transformation of pajama pants into skirt. Amazing!