How to Make Your Own Pajamas

You can sew these simple pajamas, which include wrap-style pants and a button-down top, without buying a pattern. You will need an old, comfortable t-shirt that you don't mind cutting up to use as a guide for making the pajama top. You can make these pajamas from just about any type of lightweight or medium weight fabric you like, such as cottons, poly-cotton blends or knits.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pajama fabric (about 4 yards)
• 2 yards matching ribbon
• 6 to 8 buttons
• Old t-shirt
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• Straight pins
• Safety pin
• Sewing machine

Make Your Own Pajama Pants

1. Cut two pieces of pajama fabric, each about 1 yard wide and 3 inches longer than the length from your waist to your ankles.

2. Pin the pieces of fabric right sides together. To make the crotch of the pajama pants, cut a U-shape about 12 inches high and 8 inches wide in the center of the upper edge.

3. Sew the fabric pieces together along the U-shaped line you cut for the crotch. Hem the bottom and side edges of the fabric using a double-folded hem.

4. Fold the top layer of pajama fabric on the left side over to the right. Flip the pajama pants over and repeat this step. The pajama pants now have two legs that are open along the outside seams.

5. Fold the top edge of the pajama pants front over about 2 inches toward the wrong side, and stitch the lower edge of the fold in place. Do the same for the back.

6. Cut two pieces of ribbon, each about 1 yard long. Attach a safety pin to the end of the ribbon and pull it through the casing on the front of the pajama pants. Do the same with the other ribbon for the back of the pajama pants.

7. Put on the wrap style pajama pants by tying one ribbon from the front of the pants around the back of your waist like an apron. Pull the back of the pants between your legs and tie the other ribbon around the front of your waist. Finally, tie the bottom corners of each pajama pant leg together at the ankles. (See References.)

Make Your Own Pajama Top

8. Cut apart an old t-shirt to use for a pattern. Cut off the sleeves as close to the shoulder seams as possible, then cut open the underarm seam of each sleeve. Cut apart the front and back of the t-shirt along the side seams, then cut the front of the t-shirt in half down the middle.

9. Pin the t-shirt back and sleeves to the pajama fabric. Cut the pajama back and sleeves 1/4 inch larger than the t-shirt back along the top and sides, and 1 inch longer along the bottom.

10. Pin the t-shirt front pieces to the pajama fabric. Cut the pajama front pieces 1 inch longer along the top and bottom edges, and 3 inches wider along the center edge.

11. Place the front pieces and the back of the pajama top right sides together, and pin them together. Sew the front and back of the pajama top together along the shoulders and the sides below the armholes using a 1/4-inch seam allowance.

12. Hem the lower edges of the sleeves using a double folded hem. Pin the underarm edges of the sleeves right sides together, then sew the underarm seam of each sleeve.

13. Pin the sleeves to the openings in the pajama top with the fabric right sides together, so that the sleeves are inside the pajama top. Sew the sleeves to the pajama top, and turn it right side out.

14. Hem the lower edge and the neck edge of the pajama top using a double folded hem.

15. Fold the center edges of the pajama front over about 1/2 inch toward the wrong side, then fold them over another 1 1/2 inches. Pin, then topstitch them in place.

16. Add buttons and buttonholes to the front of the pajama top.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're using stretchy knit fabric for the pajama top, you can skip cutting the center of the t-shirt and adding the buttons and just make a pullover t-shirt style pajama top.
• Use caution when working with scissors, pins and sewing machines.

References

• This video shows how to tie wrap-style pajama pants.