April 9, 2013

Take out your jean's waistband tutorial...aka make your pants bigger!

 Oli the photo-bomber

I'm so excited about this tutorial! Everyone has a pair of pants in their closest that just doesn't' fit for whatever reason, and now, you can make them fit!! Just by easily seam ripping and adding a few pieces of extra matching fabric. Or you can make your pants 2-toned or unique by mixing in a unique fabric. Like some black leather or a fun pattern to add a completely new twist to yours pants. Now you don't have to throw out those pants that don't fit anymore or maybe you can make a pair you have just a little more comfortable. This is how you can do it!
Thanks to Hana from foggy dress for letting me use her pants, help with the kiddos, and the modeling for this tutorial!
wearing...my red peplum top (tutorial here) and thrifted levi jeans.


 Supplies:
tight pants
extra strong material (I used denim but you can use something patterned and fun)
thread that matches the topstitch on your jeans (I used a beige color)

Instructions:
1. Try on pants, and determine how many inches need to be added to the waistband. Do this by measuring the gap between your button and button hole.
2. Seam rip your side seams 2 to 4 inches down, and your waistband 4 to 5 inches apart.
3. Now cut the waistband, aligning it with your seam rippedside seam. 
4.Cut your extra piece of denim to match your measurements, then cut that piece in half. Give 1 inch seam allowance for each piece (that extra piece will look like sewn in piece on image 6).
5. Pin & sew the piece of denim, right side together (the top side of your jean with the top side of the denim piece), to one end of the gap in your waistband.
6. Take the other end of the same denim piece, and pin & sew to the other end of the cut waistband, joining the two ends together. 
7. Fold new piece back down in half, and align with how the waistband was before. Iron the new waistband edges under mimicking the old waistband, so they fold nice and flat aligning with the old waistband.



8. Add a square piece of fabric behind the V shaped opening between the newly opened side seams.
9. Pin under the newly opened side seams, so the raw edges are hidden, creating a "V", lining them up with the newly sewn waistband piece's seams.

 10. Now slide the newly inserted fabric and the pinned under side seams in between the opening of the waist band (try to get it to line up with the newly added waistband's seams). Pin closed.
11. Topstitch everything closed, including the top of the waistband, the edge of the waistband, and where the side seams are now. Mimic how the jeans topstitch. You can make the thread match the thread of the jeans, sometimes its a dark blue, sometimes its a yellow, but you don't have to.

26 comments:

  1. I'm bookmarking this in case I need it later! Will never let go of my favorite jeans!

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  2. That's a really cool DIY <3 And the pictures are just GORGEOUS !!!

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  3. Thanks! You post the best tutorials!!

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  4. Such an innovative idea!! I'd love to see some posted pictures of the waist band taken out and "fun fabric" added in! :)

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  5. This is great!! I've got quite a few that need this done. I'm assuming once the extra pounds are gone that I can go back and take out the extra fabric?

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  6. Smart fix. I don't know if it's my ever-changing, matronly body, or the quality of jeans lately, but they are rarely comfortable for me after a few washes.

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  7. Very smart!! Going to try this and no one would know! :-)

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  8. This is how I made my maternity jeans - I just used extra wide elastic where you put in new fabric. Stayed on much better than the store bought kind, and I loved that the fly still functioned.

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  9. Love your blog! I would LOVE a tutorial on doing this in reverse - I have a very curvy figure, so the waist of jeans always gaps in the back. How do I take them in?

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  10. Brilliant! I can save all my fav old jeans!!

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  11. a pregnant womans favorite post!

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  12. that's a good and handy tut ! thanks !

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  13. I have been looking for a tutorial like this forever! I bought these pants last summer that I absolutely loved, but never fit in (stupid buy I know), now I can actually make them fit! Thank you!

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  14. AMAZING IDEA!!! LOVE IT! http://inspiringtrend.blogspot.com/

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  15. Any way to use some sort of elastic fabric? Then you won't have your waistline cutting into your belly.

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  16. You are so clever! Love your tutorials!!

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  17. Love this! Is there any chance you might do a video of this, I just can't seem to wrap my brain around the sewing part.

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  18. such a wonderful idea - i have many pairs of jeans that just hardly fit me (super skinny jeans!), before i had my little one and now no longer button. i really love them and can't seem to part with them... secretly hoping that someday my hips will miraculously shrink an inch.

    i am so going to be doing this!

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  19. Ahh! I saw the subject in Feedly, but presumed it was for baby pants!!! Shortly after, I found an amazing pair of jeans at the op shop that were too small...if only I had read it!!!!!!

    But I'll keep it in mind for future great thrifted denim...

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  20. brilliant!! my biggest problem is the waist (unfortunately) giving me the dreaded muffin top. thanks so much for posting this!!

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  21. I need this!! YAY! Thank you thank you!

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  22. I think it would be great to put some stretchy material in for someone like me that can't wear tight fitting things around my waist!

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  23. Thank you for this tutorial- it is exactly what I have been looking for! Can't wait to try it.

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  24. Oh my goodness what a GREAT idea! I would have never ever thought of this!

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  25. Great Idea can't wait to use this.

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