Giving an old pair of pants or jeans a new life is fun, easy and addictive. By simply removing pieces of fabric and replacing them with colorful, patterned scraps and remnants, you can recreate a Boho look that is right in line with the styles that you see in fashion magazines. By adding embroidered patches to each one of your pant's pockets, you add additional flair and a look that is completely your own. From selecting a design that is right for you to actually reconstructing the pants or jeans so that they fit correctly, fashioning a pair of bell bottoms will provide you with hours of entertainment and something tangible to brag about later on with your friends.
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Difficulty:
Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
Pair of pants or well-worn jeans
1/4 yard of fabric in your choice of color or pattern
Lay out the pants or jeans that you want to alter. Grabbing one leg at a time, open the outside seam from the hem to knee level. After you have done this to both legs, it is then time to use the seam ripper to remove the hem from the bottom of the pants or jeans.
2
Depending on how much you want the bell bottoms to flare out will determine how wide the triangle of fabric will need to be. Use the measuring tape to help guide you and make sure to leave enough room at the bottom of the material to sew a hem. Two inches on the top and three to six inches on the bottom is standard for most leg lengths.
3
Turn your pants or jeans inside out and place the triangle of material on each leg. Make sure that the top portion of the fabric overlaps the top of the slit. Hand sew or stitch the panel to the pants with a sewing machine. Use a zig zag stitch to keep the material from coming apart while being laundered.
4
Hem the bottom of the pants or jeans using a straight stitch. Press the fabric with an iron until it lays flat. Turn the pants right side out and try them on. Make sure that the legs flare out the way that you expected them to.
5
Take the jeans off. Using a hot iron, press iron-on, embroidered patches in your choice of color and pattern onto each pocket of the jeans. Allow everything to cool and then show off your new duds to all of your friends.
Tips & Warnings
To embellish the pants or jeans further, you can use fabric pens and fake jewels.
Do not forget to hem the pants or jeans after adding the panel of fabric. Failure to do this step can cause your bell bottoms to fall apart before their time.
