Transform a Pair of Old Jeans Into an Amazing Denim Skirt

Gemma DIYs
by Gemma DIYs
6 Materials
$10
2 Hours
Easy

On the lookout for your next fashion upcycle? The search is finally over! Follow my tutorial and learn the ins and outs of this awesome jeans transformation. In my tutorial below, I show you how I took an old pair of jeans I had sitting in my closet and totally refashioned them into an absolute stunner of a denim skirt. My new skirt has become a favorite and is perfect for the summer! If you want to get started on DIYing your own refashioned denim skirt, this simple and easy step-by-step guide is just what you need!

Tools and materials:

  • Jeans
  • Skirt
  • Seam ripper
  • Scissors
  • Sewing machine
  • Pins
Denim skirt made from old jeans

Cut the jeans

To kick off this awesome upcycle, I laid down a pair of jeans and used a skirt, I had, as a pattern. I decided to add a few extra inches to the bottom of the skirt and I cut along one leg. 

DIY denim skirt

I then folded the jeans over and used the cut piece and a guide to cut the other leg. I was careful to cut as straight as possible! 

Denim skirt from old jeans

Seam rip

I then opened up the inner seams of the jeans. In this step, a seam ripper or scissors will do perfectly. 

How to make a skirt from jeans


Next, I seam ripped the crotch seam on the front and the back. This can take a bit of time but it’s totally worth it! Opening up the crotch seams will ensure that the skirt lies flat and won’t have any bumps. 

Cut the leg

Fill in the gap at the back

I then took one of the legs I had cut off, from the jeans, and seam ripped the side seam. I used the extra piece of fabric from the leg to fill in the gap at the back of the skirt. I first tried on the skirt to make sure it fit and checked to see whether the front also had a gap. The front of my new skirt overlapped perfectly so I only needed to add fabric to the back.

Pin the fabric


I pinned the flaps of the back to the extra fabric making them lie as flat as possible. I folded the edges of the flaps before pinning them for a nice clean finish. I then cut off the excess fabric and left the bottom raw. A great tip is to make adjustments before you sew. I always like to try my pieces on and double check that they fit properly. 

How to make a denim skirt from jeans


Once I had fiddled a little more with the back of my skirt to get the perfect fit, I hopped on over to my sewing machine and sewed along all of my pinned lines. I made two lines of stitches so that it would match the rest of the skirt. 

DIY denim skirt from jeans

I absolutely adore this white denim, summer skirt! How would you style this piece? Let me know in the comments below! 


Suggested materials:
  • Jeans
  • Skirt
  • Seam ripper
See all materials

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Comments
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2 of 4 comments
  • Faye Faye on Feb 02, 2021

    Great job! Would of liked a few more pictures of the back of the skirt

  • Pamela Pamela on Feb 04, 2021

    The front slit won't work for me, but I'm going to use fabric from the bottom of the legs to fill in. Thanks for the instructions.

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