DIY Comfy Sweatpants From Scratch

Recreateful
by Recreateful
7 Materials
$20
2 Hours
Easy


Fancy yourself a pair of fun sweatpants? Sometimes it's a little hard to find the perfect fitting sweatpants at a store, and so the next best thing is to make your own DIY sweatpants at home. You get to choose the color, the fabric and tailor it to your body. Isn’t that the perfect equation? These skinny sweatpants are super easy to make, too. Let’s get started!

Tools and materials:

  • 1.85 x 1 meter (72.8 x 39 inches) jersey, light stretch material
  • Paper
  • A pair of good fitting sweatpants you already own
  • Scissors
  • Pencil
  • Measuring tape
  • Sewing machine
DIY sweatpants

Make your pattern

Start by making your pattern. Take a pair of short, comfy sweatpants and trace both sides of the pants (folded) onto some standard paper. Making sure you get a good outline of the crotch areas.

How to make sweatpants

Measure

Measure how long you want your sweatpants to be and measure the width of your ankles, to get that perfect size. Draw your desired length on your paper, adding 5cm ( 1.9 inches) for the elastic channel. Also, I divided my ankle-length by 2 and added 8cm ( 3 inches), so that I can get that baggy look.

How to sew sweatpants

Connect your lines

On your pattern paper, connect all your lines together. Also, add 5cm (1.9 inches) to your waistline, and connect it to the rest of the pattern with a straight line.

DIY skinny sweatpants

This is how your patterns should look like.

Skinny sweatpants

Trace the patterns on the fabric

Now, trace both patterns on your fabric twice, making sure you have two mirrored pieces per pattern. There’s no need to add a seam allowance because your pants will already be baggy.


TIP-

To be certain you have mirrored pieces of each pattern, cut out your first pattern and place the cut-out fabric on your fabric, the other way round. Then, cut around it.

How to make skinny sweatpants

Sew the pieces

Sew the front and back pieces, right sides together, along the outer side.

How to sew skinny sweatpants

Next, take both leg panels, and sew them right sides together. Remember, the curves have to match when sewing together.

Sew the inner seams

Take the sweatpants, place the middle seams on top of each other, and sew along the inner sides and crotch.

Create an elastic channel

Measure and create elastic channel

Wrap a piece of elastic around your ankle, and cut your desired length. Create a channel for your elastics by folding over the bottom of your sweatpants and sewing it together along the inside. Leave a gap so that you can later feed the elastic in.

Insert the elastic

Feed your elastic in with the help of a safety pin. Stitch the elastic together when you’re finished, and stitch the gap on the channel. Repeat this on both legs.


TIP-

You can also sew the elastic first, wrap it around the ankle part of the fabric, fold it over, and sew it all the way around in one go.

Pin excess fabric


Pin waistline on either side

Try on your pants

After your pants are sewn and the elastics are attached, try your sweatpants on to see how they look. Personally, mine were a little baggy and so I opted to take them in a little. You may not need to do the same to yours, but if you do, it’s pretty straightforward. Pin the sides and pin your waist on the biggest part of your hips, as shown.

Cut the excess fabric

Mark the new sizes with a pen, sew along the sides, and cut off the excess fabric.

Create pockets for the sweatpants

Add the pockets

Put on your sweatpants and place your hands on your hips, imagining where your pockets would be. Mark the sides where you imagine your pockets to be.

Unseam the sides

Next, fold your pants over and mirror the markings on the other side, and unseam the sides.

Draw the pocket pattern

Take a piece of fabric and draw a rough sketch of your pocket; drawing right around your entire hand with a little more seam allowance for maneuvering.

Four sweatpants pocket pieces

Next, cut out the pocket pieces. You should have 4 pieces.

Sew together the pockets

Place the pieces right sides together and stitch all around. Leave the straight line, where the entry point is, open.

Attach the pockets to the sweatpants

Turn your pockets inside out and pin them to the marked sides of your pants.

Sew on the pockets

Sew on the pockets and sew over any gaps around the area that may have been unaccounted for.

Fold over the waistline

Insert the elastic

On your waistline, carefully fold over your fabric, thus creating a tunnel. This will be for your elastic.

Sew around the waistline

Sew and leave a gap, so that you can insert the elastic.

Feed the elastic through the channel

Just as you did with the ankle section, place a safety pin on the one end of the elastic and gently push the elastic through. Sew the elastic together, and stitch the gap closed.

Comfy and easy DIY sweatpants

Here they are! Aren't they just gorgeous? This sweatpant will fit your body the right way, showing off your lovely curves. I hope you enjoyed this DIY skinny sweatpants tutorial!

Suggested materials:
  • Jersey fabric
  • Paper
  • Sweatpants
See all materials

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Comments
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4 of 8 comments
  • Been there, done that Been there, done that on Mar 06, 2021

    I love the way you sew! I have fooled around with patterns and interfacing and 50 steps to sew a pair of pants only to discover they don’t fit anyway. This is so much better than buying them and having to settle for poor fit, just like Patricia says above. I can’t believe you put pockets in them! It’s so easy watching you do it. I loved the way you used your hand as a guide. Priceless!!

  • Freya Freya on Jan 28, 2022

    so nice and easy :-) explained. I guess I can do this. Thank you!

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