How to Make Bellbottoms From Old Jeans

Recycle an old pair of jeans from the back of your closet into some funky, attention-getting bellbottoms. Anyone with minimal sewing experience can do it, and you can make a personal style statement with the patterned fabric of your choice. Here's how to make bellbottoms from old jeans in less than an hour.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Old pair of jeans
• Stitch remover
• Measuring tape
• 2 large sheets of paper
• Scissors
• Fabric of your choice
• Straight pins
• Sewing needle
• Thread

1. Remove the stitches from the outer vertical seam on each leg of your jeans using a stitch remover. You can also cut up the seam with scissors, but this results in a less finished look. How far you go up determines how large the bell bottom of the leg will be.

2. Cut a pattern for the flare panel from a large sheet of paper, using your jeans as a guide. Measure the vertical height of the cut you made in the pant leg. Flare panels are generally triangular in shape. The width of the bottom part of the triangle depends on how large you want the bell bottom to be.

3. Pin the triangular flare panel pattern to fabric of your choosing with straight pins. Flatten the fabric so it has no wrinkles in it. Cut around the pattern, leaving about 1 inch on each side to allow for sewing and trimming later.

4. Pin the material into place on the inside of the pant leg, so that the edges can't be seen. Leave at least 1 inch at the bottom to hem.

5. Sew the pinned material to the pant leg with a needle and some matching thread.

6. Hem the bottom of the fabric panel to the same level as the pant leg hem. Be careful and neat, as the stitches will be visible from the outside.

7. Repeat Steps 2 through 6 on the other pant leg.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the jeans you choose fit well and the hem isn't too short for your legs. Bell bottoms look best when the hem reaches to the toe of your shoe.