How to Make MC Hammer Pants

Stop---Hammer Time! MC Hammer ruled the late '80s and early '90s with his hit songs and one-of-a-kind fashion sense. His parachute pants hit the world by storm, and suddenly everyone was trying to get their hands on a pair of the unflattering garments. While the look has gone out of style, it's never too late to bring back MC Hammer Pants for a costume party or as a fun gift to a friend with a sense of humor.

Things You'll Need

• Sewing machine
• 2 yards jersey-knit material
• Thread
• Straight pins
• Scissors
• Fabric pencil

Instructions

Making the Waistband

1. Measure the length around your hips with sewing measuring tape. You want your Hammer pants to hang low, so pin them around the widest part of your hip and well below the waist.

2. Cut a 3-inch tall band of fabric to the length you just measured. Fold your fabric in half, print-side-in and sew along the length of your fabric.

3. Turn the waistband right-side-out by pulling your fabric through the opening on one side of the waistband. Set aside.

Making the Drop Crotch

1. Measure the length from the belly button to right above the knee. This will be the length of your drop crotch.

2. Measure the outseam of your pant legs. You want your pants to be loose and baggy, so add a couple of inches for extra gather.

3. Fold your fabric print-side-in vertically. Doubling your fabric will ensure that both sides of your pant leg are identical.

Drawing the Pattern for Hammer Pants

1. 

   Follow the picture to the side for drawing out your pants. Length 1 is your outseam. Length 2 is your measurement from belly button to knee.

2. Draw a line 4-6-inches to the left from the bottom of your bellybutton to knee measurement. This will be the length of hang between your pant legs that give it that "parachute" quality. This is shown in the diagram as Length 3.

3. Measure about 4 to 5 inches from the bottom of your fabric fold out. This will be the bottom of your pant leg, so whatever size if comfortable for you to slip your pants on is fine. Do remember that the pant is supposed to taper around the ankles, so don't be too loose with the measurement or the pants will look too baggy. This is shown in the diagram as Length 4.

4. Draw the length between the leftmost part of Length 3 and the rightmost part of Length 4 to connect your pant leg. This is shown as Length 5 on the diagram.

Cutting and Sewing

1. Cut out along your drawn lines, but do not cut along the fold.

2. Fold another piece in fabric in half to make your second pant leg. This time, fold your fabric print-side-out. Lay your cut pant leg on top of this and pin to your fabric. Trace out the pant leg and cut, remembering not to cut along the fold.

3. Turn your pant legs print-side-out and pin together along Length 2 on the front of your pant leg. Sew together with your sewing machine.

4. Repeat this stitch for the back of your pant leg. This should connect your pant legs together so your can start to see the parachute quality.

5. Sew along Length 3 of both pant legs, connecting the front and back of your pants.

6. Sew along Length 5 on both pant legs. By now your pants have taken shape.

Finishing the Pants

1. Fold the bottom of your pant leg over to form a clean hem. Stitch around the bottom edge.

2. Gather the top of your pants together and pin along the length of your waistband. Once you are pleased with the gather, sew in place.

3. Add a zipper to the back of your pants if desired. Or, sew elastic into your waistband so you can easily take the pants on and off.

References

• Homemade MC Hammer Pants