How to Make Bell Bottoms Skinny at the Bottom
There is no need to waste money on a new pair of jeans when you have a great-fitting pair sitting in your closet. Refashion a pair of bell bottoms into skinny jeans in less than an hour. If you have never sewn before, do not fret; refashioning jeans is a simple project for beginners. The process involves a few sewing essentials and a little creativity to transform a wide bottom into ankle-hugging denim. Take your time and play around with different fits before you make the first cut. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Put the jeans on to determine how snug you want the bottom of the pants. To transform the bell bottoms into skinny jeans, you will remove excess fabric at the bottom of the jeans.
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Gather the denim on the inside of you pant leg, beginning at the knee area. As you tighten the fabric, insert fabric pins to hold the new shape of the pants. Move down the leg of the jeans, inserting pins every 2 to 3 inches until you reach the ankle area. The denim should feel snug and look flush against your leg. If the fabric bunches around the lower thigh or knee area, adjust accordingly.
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Remove the pants, and lay them on a flat surface. Turn the pants inside out, and make a mark the interior of the pants at each pin. Remove the pins, and set aside.
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Lay a yard stick against the denim fabric, and draw a line that connects each marked area. Use fabric chalk to create the line. This will be your sew line.
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Insert pins every 2 to 3 inches along the fabric line. This holds the denim together as you sew.
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Sew the denim together starting at the original seam with a sewing machine set to a zigzag stitch. You will sew only along the interior of the pant leg and down to the ankle area. If the original seam isn't flush smoothly with the new seam line, remove the seam and redo the seam line. Use a seam ripper to remove the current seam, and sew a new seam using the previous seam as a guide.
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Measure outward from the new denim seam 1 inch, and mark the area with fabric chalk. Move down the entire seam line, and make a mark at 1 inch. Draw a line connecting the 1-inch fabric marks. Use fabric scissors to cut up the line to remove the excess fabric.
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Turn the jeans right-side out, and try them on. If they fit OK, move on to hem the seam. If they fit too snug, use a seam ripper to remove the seam and resew the denim with the additional 1 inch of fabric.
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Turn the jeans inside-out, and use no-sew hem tape to hold down the excess material. Bond the hem tape to the fabric with a hot iron. Flip the jeans right-side out, and put them on for a great fit.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a denim needle in your sewing machine to prevent breaking needles.
Launder the jeans to remove the fabric chalk.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
