How to Make Arm Gaiters

Gaiters have been used for centuries as protection for your clothing, primarily for your pant legs, but their usefulness has also been discovered for use on your arms. Make arm gaiters to cover your sleeves to guard against burrs and stickers while gardening, paint or art supplies while crafting or any other messy project materials. Arm gaiters are cone-shaped fabric tubes with elastic bands to hold them in place over your forearms. Once soiled, simply toss in the washer and dryer to clean.

Things You'll Need

• 1/4 yard outside fabric
• 1/4 yard lining fabric
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• 30 inches elastic, 1/4-inch wide
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Iron
• Disappearing-ink pen
• Safety pin

Instructions

1. Cut 2 rectangles 9 inches wide by 16 inches long for the outside of adult-size gaiters. Cut 2 rectangles 9 inches wide by 16 inches long for the lining. Cut 2 pieces of 1/4-inch-wide elastic, each 7 inches long, and 2 pieces each 8 inches long.

2. Place 1 outside rectangle on your work surface with the right side up. Lay a lining rectangle on top with the wrong side up and the edges matching. Pin the pieces together. Sew a 1/4-inch seam allowance along both long edges. Do not sew the short edges. Turn the sewn rectangles right-side out and press. Place the remaining 2 rectangles together and repeat for the other arm gaiter.

3. Top stitch 1 long edge 1/2 inch from the edge of 1 gaiter. This is the wrist casing. Measure in 3 inches from the wrist casing and mark along the length of the rectangle with a disappearing-ink pen. Measure 1/2 inch further and mark in the same way. Top stitch along each line, creating the forearm casing. Repeat on the other gaiter.

4. Attach a safety pin to 1 end of a 7-inch length of elastic. Using the safety pin as a guide, thread the elastic through the wrist casing of 1 gaiter. Pin 1 end of the elastic through the layers of the casing at 1 open end of the casing. Repeat with the other end of the elastic at the other casing opening. This will gather the casing to the length of the elastic. Thread an 8-inch length of elastic through the forearm casing and pin in the same way. Repeat on the other gaiter with the remaining elastic lengths.

5. Fold 1 gaiter in half with right sides together, matching the short edges and the pinned elastic ends. Pin the short edges together. Sew the pinned edge using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. This creates the back seam and secures the elastic ends. Repeat with the remaining arm gaiter. Turn the gaiters right-side out to complete.

Tips & Warnings

• This pattern is for an adult-size gaiter. For a child-size gaiter, subtract 2 inches from the length and width of the fabric rectangles and 2 inches from each of the elastic length measurements.