How to Make Pant Cuffs
Pant cuffs remain a mark of refined style and quality in tailored suits. Pant cuffs can become interesting embellishments as well. They are often hemmed into any pant leg when there is enough material at the bottom to be let out. Matching or coordinating material can be cuffed to add an eye-catching flair that personalizes jeans. Dress-up a pair of off-the-rack trousers or city pants. Add a cuff to front pleated khakis for hint of sophistication in casual wear.
Things You'll Need
- Seam ripper
- Iron
- Measuring tape
- Tailors chalk
- Straight pins
- Threaded sewing machine
- Threaded sewing needle
- Coordinating material, optional
Instructions
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1
Turn pants inside out to prepare the hem. Open the hems with a seam ripper. Remove loose threads, unfold the hem and press out the creases. Measure and use chalk to mark the desired, finished hemmed length of each pant leg. A cuff will require approximately five inches of material.
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2
With wrong sides together, fold and press a one-third inch fold at the end of each leg. Fold again, wrong sides together, and pin a half-inch above the chalk line. Continue pinning the fold with attention to aligning the seams, then press. Straight stitch around the top edge of the first fold. Remove pins and press with an iron.
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3
Turn the pants right side out. Fold the cuff upward. Measure and align the bottom of the cuff to fold one-half inch below the sewn seam. This measurement will allow the cuff to fold on the chalk line. Secure with pins and press with an iron.
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4
Tack the cuffs in place with a standard sewing needle placed at each side seam, one-third inch down from the top fold. Tack the cuff to the front and back of the pants leg. Remove all pins. Iron the cuff until a crisp edge is formed on the top and bottom folds of the cuff. Add creases to the pant leg if desired.
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5
Prepare the hem to make a cuff from coordinating material. Measure and mark the desired hem length. Cut the pant leg off, one-half nch below the mark. Measure the width of the pant leg. Allowing for a one-third inch seam, cut the coordinating material to equal the width of the pant leg. Trim to equal 5 inches in length. Sew the cuff material together with a one-third inch seam. Press seams in the same direction as the pant seam. Pin cuff to pants, right sides together. Allow a one-third inch seam and sew along the bottom edge of the pants. Remove pins and press seams. Hem, fold and tack the cuff.
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Tips & Warnings
Pant cuffs work best with straight legged paints.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Leonard Mc Lane/Digital Vision/Getty Images
