How to Sew an Elastic Waistband Casing to Pants
Making a casing for an elastic waistband is fairly simple, even for beginners. Whether you're making pajama bottoms or a pair of comfortable lounging pants, the method is the same. Once you've mastered the basic technique, experiment with wider elastic and make several parallel rows of stitching for a decorative effect.
Things You'll Need
- Elastic, any width
- Fabric, matching or contrasting
- Scissors
- Small safety pin
- Sewing machine and thread
Instructions
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1
Cut a piece of fabric measuring twice as wide as your elastic, plus 1 inch, and as long as the top of your pants, plus 1 inch. Cut a piece of elastic measuring 4 inches less than your waist measurement.
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2
Press under 1 to 2 inches along one long edge of the fabric. Press under 1/2 inch on each short end.
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3
Sew the pressed short ends of the fabric.
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4
Start at the center back seam, and place the raw, unpressed edge of the fabric even with the top edge of the pants. Pin the right side of the fabric to the wrong side of the pants, ending at the center back seam.
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5
Sew the casing to the pants along the top edge, using a 1/2-inch seam allowance.
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6
Turn the casing to the outside of the pants.
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7
Pin the pressed-under edge of the casing to the top edge of the pants.
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8
Top-stitch the casing to the pants on the outside, using a 1/4-inch seam allowance.
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9
Pin a small safety pin to one end of the elastic and thread it through the casing, holding the free end of the elastic to keep it from entering the casing.
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10
Remove the safety pin and overlap the two ends of the elastic. Tack through them several times to secure them.
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11
Hand-sew the ends of the casing closed.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Make a casing from the same fabric as the pants, or use contrasting fabric for a decorative waistband that doesn't need to be hidden by a shirt.
