How to Change Jeans Into a Skirt

If you have an old pair of jeans lying around that you don't wear anymore, give them new life and recycle the material by turning them into a skirt. This can be done quickly and easily. To change jeans into a skirt all you need are the jeans themselves and another fabric of your choice. In an afternoon you'll have a new outfit without having to spend any money.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Old pair of jeans
• Seam ripper
• Pins
• Sewing machine or needle and thread
• Newspaper
• Marker
• Scissors
• Coordinating insert fabric

1. Rip the inner seams of the jeans starting at the cuff of each leg and working upward. Continue ripping until you reach the base of the zipper in the front, and the base of the pockets in the back.

2. Lay the jeans on a flat surface and line up the front so one seam overlaps the other at the top where the crotch intersection was. Run the seams together side by side down to the bottom of the legs. Pin and baste the intersection at the top.

3. Adjust the back of the skirt to overlap the crotch portion in the same way as step two; however, do not attempt to run the seams together down the back. Pin and baste the intersection.

4. Try on the skirt to ensure you don't have any odd bulges or puckers at the front and back intersections. Remove the basting stitches and readjust as needed until the top of the skirt runs relatively flat when you have it on.

5. Sew the front intersection of the skirt and continue down the front seams to make a solid front for the skirt. Sew the back intersection but do not continue down the seams.

6. Lay the skirt out flat with the back facing up and slip some newspaper in between the front and back. Trace the triangular gap between the two back seams onto the newspaper.

7. Cut out the newspaper triangle, adding a half-inch around the drawn line for seam allowance. Place the newspaper piece over your coordinating fabric and cut out your pattern.

8. Align and pin the triangular fabric with the skirt back. Sew into place along the two side seams. Hem along the bottom, or add some stabilizing stitches an inch from the bottom and allow the bottom edges to fray.

Tips & Warnings

• Your coordinating insert fabric can be any fabric you wish from novelty cottons or batiks to linen or corduroy. Select something that makes a statement. For a fuller skirt, only secure the crotch intersection seams and add fabric inserts to both the front and back triangular gaps.
• If you are sewing the jean material by hand, use a thimble to protect your fingers. If you want to sew with a machine, purchase a denim needle so your machine will be able to do the job for you without the needle breaking.

References

• Making a skirt out of a pair of jeans