There are few things that are more upsetting than finding a hole in your favorite pair of jeans. You know, the pair that fits just right and goes with everything? It’s a tragedy, I tell ya! But don’t get rid of those pants just yet! You can give those jeans a second chance at life by turning them into cut-offs. Not necessarily Daisy Duke-style cut-offs (unless that’s your thing!) but a pair of stylish, cuffed denim shorts.
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The whole process takes only a few minutes to complete, and all you need is a pair of scissors, a needle, and some thread. And of course, your trusty pair of jeans.
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Selecting the Perfect Pants
If you don’t already have a pair of pants you’d like to use, hit the thrift shop! Search for a pair of jeans that fits well through your hips and thighs. It doesn’t matter how long they are, since you’ll be cutting off a lot of the leg anyway.
If anything, you want the pants to be just a little baggy, rather than skin-tight. They make for more flattering shorts.
Don’t use “jeggings” or any other type of jean that has a lot of stretch. You want there to be a little bit of give, but not too much.
Making the Cut
Once you’ve chosen your pants, it’s time to get to work! Measure your preferred length of shorts at the inseam. Shorter shorts have a 3″ inseam, medium-length shorts have a 5″ inseam, and longer shorts have a 7″ inseam. Having a 9″ inseam will create shorts that are about knee-length.
Take your preferred measurement and add 2 inches to the length, to allow for a cuff. (Cuffing your cut-offs not only looks nice, but it also makes it easy to cover up any mistakes such as a less-than-straight cut or the legs being uneven.)
Mark off where you are going to cut the jeans using a piece of chalk. It rubs right off when you’re done!
Now it’s time to cut the legs off. If you use pinking shears, you won’t have to worry as much about the cut edges fraying.
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Cut off one leg and then fold the jeans over and use that cut as a guide for the other leg to ensure they are the same length.
“Cuff ‘Em, Boys”
After your cut has been made, fold the cut end of each pant leg up about one inch.
Iron the fold in, then fold each leg up once more, and iron in the fold again. Adjust as you go to make sure the legs line up and the cuffs look similar.
To keep the cuff in place, I like to add a couple of stitches to the sides and back of each cuff. That way, the cuff won’t unfold itself when you sit down, or in the wash. I just used a needle and thread to hand-sew my stitches, but you could always use a sewing machine if you prefer.
There you have it! You’ve successfully transformed your old pair of pants into a stylish pair of shorts you’ll want to wear all summer long. Enjoy! :-)
I use the same idea for the cuffs but I use the iron on seam tape. I use the heavy duty for denim and lighter duty for lighter material. No ironing ever again! I especially like to do this when it is a cotton material that always loses it’s nice cuff after being washed. It stays put after numerous washes too!
I used to cut off the legs of my jeans and make a nice bag out of the pants part. Use the legs for the straps, and put a belt through the belt hooks.
I’m using one now that I made from my daughter’s old size 12 jeans. I made an oval bottom out of leg material so it sits up nicely, Like you, I used legs for straps, cutting a strip 4″ wide with the side seam down the middle, and hemming the edges toward the side seam to make a sturdy 2″ wide strap. I keep my change in a front pocket and my cell phone in a back pocket. So handy! I don’t think I’ll ever use anything else for an everyday purse.
What a clever idea!
In the picture, it looks like the chalk line has a curve to it. Why is that not explained?
That’s just the angle of the photo + an imperfect line. You want it to be straight! :-)
These are really cute. It’s funny you posted this because I was just thinking how I need to get rid of some of the jeans that I don’t wear much anymore, but I also need new jean shorts. Both problems solved!
Perfect!