How to Make Britches With Dish Cloths

Dish cloths can be bought very cheaply at almost any store, including dollar stores. They can be sewn into a pair of pants in less than an hour, making for cute and inexpensive children or doll pants. These can be made for girls or boys, depending on the colors and design of the dish cloth and the decorations you put on them.

Things You'll Need

• One dish towel
• Sewing machine
• Elastic
• Scissors
• Pins
• Thread

Instructions

1. Lay the dish towel out on the table.

2. Cut it in half in the short direction so that you have two smaller rectangles.

3. Lay the two rectangles on top of each other with the right sides together. Fold them in half again, making sure the edges all meet up. Ensure that the hemmed edges of the dish towel are at the bottom, as this creates the hemmed bottom of the shorts.

4. Cut out a curve at the top of the pants. This is for the crotch, so start at the top, about 2 inches in from the loose edges and cut almost halfway down the rectangle. Curve back out to the edge just before you finish your cut.

5. Unfold the pieces of towel and lay them on top of each other with right sides together. Match the edges and curved cuts.

6. Pin along the curves and sew together with a 1/2-inch seam. Clip the curves when you are finished sewing so that they lie flatter.

7. Open the towel pieces and lay them on top of each other again, this time lining up the curved pieces. It should look similar to a pair of shorts at this point.

8. Pin along the entire inseam, from the bottom of one leg, up along the crotch area and back down the other pant leg. Sew them together using a 1/2-inch seam.

9. Fold the top under toward the inside of the pants about 1 inch and pin.

10. Sew along the rough edge of the waistband, but leave an opening so that you can slip the elastic into the waist.

11. Insert elastic through the waist casing. Try them on your child to make sure you get the appropriate amount of elastic and sew the edges together.

12. Sew the waistband casing closed. You may want to sew through the waistband and elastic at the side seams so that the elastic won't twist and flip inside the waistband.

13. Turn the shorts right side out.

Tips & Warnings

• This fits children under 12 months the best, unless you have an older child who is small.

• Consider adding a pocket on one or both legs out of coordinating fabric.

References

• Craft Bits: Dish Cloth Pants
• Dollar Store Crafts: Dish Towel Shorts