How to Make Your Own Maternity Pants

Maternity pants provide support for your growing stomach.

When you become pregnant and your pants are getting snug, you can make your own maternity pants out of your current pants. Sewing a maternity panel into your current pants saves the cost of buying expensive maternity clothes and allows you to wear your clothes for the duration of the pregnancy. Maternity panels are stretchy and help to hold and support your baby bump comfortably.

Things You'll Need

• Pants
• Measuring tape
• Fabric marker
• Scissors
• Maternity panel
• Straight pins

Instructions

1. Place a pair of pants on a flat surface with the front side facing up. Place a measuring tape tip on the left side seam of the waistband. Measure the pants 3 inches from the left side seam over to the center of the waistband. Mark this area with a fabric marker. Mark 3 inches from the right side seam in to the middle and mark this area.

2. Measure and mark the area 3 inches from the crotch seam in the front or mark the bottom of the zipper. Mark the area to 3 inches from the side seams. Extend the marks for the side seams down to the bottom marking. This creates your cutting lines.

3. Cut along the marked fabric lines to remove the stomach portion of the pants or jeans.

4. Turn the pants inside out. Pin the maternity panel with straight pins to the cut lines of the jeans with about a ½-inch seam allowance. Right sides of both fabrics will be facing each other.

5. Sew the maternity panel onto the jeans with a straight stitch. Start sewing from the waistband down one side, across the bottom and up the other side to the waistband.

6. Remove the straight pins and turn your new maternity pants outside out.

Tips & Warnings

• Maternity panels are available at sewing centers in larger stores and also in fabric shops.

References

• Walmart: Maternity Clothes 101

Resources

• Craft Gossip: Tutorial: Add a Maternity Panel to Pair of Pants