How do I Make a Dress Out of Jogging Pants?

Make a stylish yet casual dress with those comfy sweatpants you love.

Updating your wardrobe doesn't have to break the bank. With some basic sewing skills and a few pairs of recycled sweat pants you can create a one of a kind, casual maxi-dress that is not only stylish but eco-friendly. The number of jogging pants you'll need depends on the size of your dress.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Threaded sewing machine

Instructions

1. Measure around your hips, waist and bust and add two or three inches depending on how loose you'd like your finished dress to be. Measure the length from just under your bust line to where you'd like the hem of your dress to fall.

2. 

   You can use the top of the pants for another project.

   Cut the legs off each pair of jogging pants just below the crotch. Remove the inseam and side seam from each leg making four fabric panels from each pair of pants. Save these for the shoulder straps. Cut the bottom hem off each leg then measure and cut each panel so they are the same length. Ideally they should be the length plus a couple inches of the measurement from under your bust to the hem.

3. Pin all the panels together being sure to match the top and bottom edges. Pin enough panels together to equal the width of your widest point plus three inches. Remember to include the 1/2-inch seam allowance you are sewing on the panels. Double stitch all the panels together with a ½-inch seam connecting all the panels into one piece of fabric.

4. 

   A maxi dress like the blue one is a good way to emphasize certain curves while camouflaging others.

   Wrap this fabric panel right beneath your breast line to create an empire waist maxi-dress and pin in place. You want to be sure you have enough room to slip the dress over your head comfortably as this dress has no zippers or button closures. Stitch the fabric panel piece into a tube and trim away any excess fabric.

5. Stitch the bottom of the dress together into a tube of fabric

6. Take a sweat pant panel and wrap it around your bust. This is the top of your dress. If one panel is not long enough stitch two together into one long strip. Once you find a fit you like for the top of your dress pin the edges together.

7. Stitch the ends of the top of the dress together forming a tube. Cut off any extra fabric. Pin this tube to the bottom of the dress, right sides together. Double stitch the top of the dress to the bottom of the dress.

8. Take two lengths of side seam that you cut off the sweat pants and drape one over each shoulder where you'd like your shoulder straps to be. Cut each piece of seam twice the length you need for each shoulder strap. Cut four more pieces the same size.

9. Braid together three cut seam strips for each shoulder strap.

10. Poke holes in the front and back of the bodice panel where you'd like your shoulder straps about one inch from the top edge. Feed the braided strap into the back, through the front and back out the back hole. Tie the two ends of each strap together to finish.

Resources

• "Alther Nation"; Shannon Okey & Alexandra Underhill; 2007