One of the hardest things can be finding jeans that fit well, this goes for our kiddos as well as ourselves! You want them to be comfy, versatile, look cute, and of course last through all of that rough wear. The only problem with kid jeans, is the fact that they grow out of them so fast! Farrah of the Sewing Rabbit Team has a fabulous sewing tutorial today showing you how to extend the life of your jeans, in a fun and trendy way! This denim DIY will have you cutting up old jeans in no time, and taking those pants out of the recycle pile for another years use.
Upcycled Denim DIY
Looking for a quick, cool project that will also help you save a few extra bucks? Great! In this tutorial, I’m going to share with you how I up cycle denim jeans.
My two year old son is growing taller and his waist seems to be shrinking. As I was folding a pair of his shorts, I noticed they were sized 12-18 months. Just for kicks, I pulled a pair of 12-18 month jeans out of the box slated to go to the Goodwill, and tried them on him. To my surprise they actually fit—except they were about two inches too short. That’s a pretty easy fix for a momma that sews!
Here’s what you’ll need:
At least 2 pairs of jeans –
- A pair of jeans that you want to add length to
- A pair of jeans that you are willing to cut up to make the leg extensions and patches. If you are like me and refuse to buy shorts, you must have pant legs in your stash from all of the cut off shorts you made over the summer. I did not bother trying to match the denim colors exactly. I think the contrasting colors is what make these jeans so cool.
General sewing supplies – scissors, matching thread, pins
And there you have it! You have officially extended the life of your jeans, and made them look super mod in the process. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial showing you how to upcycle denim! After all,
What kid doesn’t love having a place to put their crayons.
Thanks so much for stopping by, and until next time…
Happy Sewing!
What a great tutorial! I’ve always been trying to figure out the best way to fix my son’s jeans, but had never thought to piece them together like this. This is perfect because though he hasn’t grown around the wait much, he’s getting taller. This makes it easy to keep those short, holey jeans for another few months! Thanks! 🙂
Thank you! I’m so happy you found it useful.
farrah
Oh my goodness, how awesome are those jeans!!! I’ve linked to your tutorial over at Craft Gossip:
http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-patchy-piecing-to-lengthen-boys-jeans/2013/09/17/
–Anne
What an awesome idea, My kids are always growing up but never out.
thank you
Oh, my goodness. So super cute! My boys always get holes in the knees of their jeans. This would be a great fix.
must be a boy thing, because my girl fits into 2T
These are so cute! And I’m loving your tutorial graphic! So great!
Thanks Erin. Took me FOREVER!
Love these! So cool.
Thanks Jen!
These pants are SO great! I need to make some for my 2 year old…all of his pants are too short too! 🙂
Thanks Elisa. Go for it! Make sure you #sewingrabbitfallcollection
love the crayon tabs!!
They are so necessary. lol
These are great! I have a lot of legs / busted trousers, and lots of little boys that keep growing. Thanks.
Great tutorial Farrah! Mingo looks so jazzy in his jeans. Lol. You did a great job.
Thanks Tamika. He is turning into a total picture HAM
Argh, now I’ll never get rid of another pair of pants lol
you know I am totally doing this. what little boy doesn’t have wholes in his knees? Girls too actually. Love the photos too. Awesome job!
I LOVE the crayon holder! Well done. These look great! Thanks for the inspiration.
I did a similar project for my sons jeans a few years ago, using picture patches http://www.recycled-fashion.com/2010/09/patchwork-jeans.html
Do you know what you would be paying for a pair of jeans like this if they were in a store. These are so cute!!! Now I can’t wait for my grandson grows out of his jeans, so I can make these “so CUTE!” jeans. Thank you so much for sharing.
What a fantastic idea, and the tutorial is awesome! My 11 y.o. daughter is about 5’3″ and weighs 80 lbs. the jeans that are long enough for her are HUGE in the waist. Instead of a crayon holder she requested a quiver so they can be her archery jeans 🙂
Thanks for the inspired idea!!!
j.
So seriously my boys pants are almost 3 inches too short now but the waists are loose still. You saved me a ton of sewing up new pants with this idea. Tall skinny boys are challenging to fit, sighs.
I have a ton of their old jeans still I can scavenge fot pockets patches and lengths.
Thanks so much!
Is splitting the hem inside necessary to add length only? No experience sewing, But want to try this.
I love his shoes. Would love to get a pair for my son. Where did you get them? Thanks.