How to Make Pants Out of a Skirt

One way to reinvent or give your old skirt a new purpose is to convert it into a pair of pants. It is a fun and moderately easy project to do. Skorts and cullottes are so named because they are short pants that look like a skirt, so to create pants out of skirts can be done. So, instead of wasting or throwing away your old skirts, make pants out of them.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Any skirt (old or new)
• Tape measure
• Fabric scissors
• Dressmaker or tailor's chalk
• Pattern
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Threads (color to match the predominant color of skirt)
• Needle to sew hem

1. Choose a skirt that you can convert to pants. Choose long skirts to make long pants, mini skirts to make short pants, or make capri pants out of midi skirts.

2. Flip the skirt inside out. Lay the skirt flat surface.

3. Measure your upper legs. Measure the circumference, add an inch for allowance. For long pants measure the area on your lower leg for cuffs, for shorts, skorts and Capri the upper knee or middle part of lower leg respectively for cuffs. Make your measurements to fit the shape you want for your pants, for example if you want a flare pants allow extra inches on lower part or for tights make them as tight to your legs as possible. Important to measure the pelvic and buttock areas. Your pants should have enough allowance for bending down and sitting down so that the seams would not rip. If the clothing material is a body hugger like tights, you do not have to add too much allowance, an inch or two is enough. But for other materials like denim and corduroy, add two to three inches to be safe.

4. Mark your measurements on a brown paper or pattern paper used by tailors and dressmakers.

5. Cut the pattern. Again, make sure that you mark off the allowance for sewing.

6. Pin your paper pattern on the skirt.

7. Mark the pattern on the skirt using tailor or dressmaker chalk.

8. Cut along the lines of the pattern paper or the chalk lines.

9. Check the zipper or opening. If your skirt had hook and eye, as well as a zipper, you can use those to get in and out of the pants. If you want, you can also relocate the zipper to the front instead of side or back.

10. Sew. Use a sewing machine, add thread that is similar in color to that of the fabric. Start by sewing the from the pelvic area down to the cuffs. Sew from the inside. You can sew the cuff by hand or use your sewing machine if you have this function. Use double-stitching for extra strength.

11. Cut the excess thread and fabric. Flip the pants right side out.

12. Try on. Adjust as needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Gabardines, corduroys and jeans are great materials for pants for they do not easily rip like Georgette or other light cotton materials.
• Don't choose fabric that is too see-through or too much pattern for the end product may look like a pajama. This is good only if you really just want to use them for sleeping or bumming around in your home where nobody can see you.