diy skinny jeans

Fads are funny. I remember back in middle school when I got my first pair of super flare jeans. In that moment I knew I had reached a expert level of fashionability. Paired with my platform flip-flops, ridiculous neck choker, & sleeveless turtleneck (what was I thinking?), & I was the hippest thing since Mandy Moore. 

But super flares are a thing of the past, & now we've moved on to skinny jeans. & just as in middle school, I am all over this fashion fad.

The problem is I love skinny jeans too much. As a result, I've abandoned every non-skinny pair of jeans in my wardrobe. As I was about to throw them out I decided against it in the spirit of DIY.  

As it turns out, transforming a pair of boot-cut or flare jeans into skinny jeans is as easy as four seams! 

All you'll need for this tutorial are:

• Flare or boot-cut jeans
• Heavy duty thread
• Pins
• A sewing machine

First, put your pants on inside out. Button them & make sure they're sitting on your body where they would normally.

Pin along the sides of your legs. Start pinning at the point where your jeans start to flare (mine was at the knees). If you're having trouble, find a friend you trust (those pins are sharp!) to help you out. Don't pin too close to your legs as you'll need about a 1/2 inch slack so you can actually put these jeans on when you're done. If your jeans are a stretchy material, you can pin them closer to your body. 

Next, take your pants off CAREFULLY. I cannot stress this enough. I may or may not have gotten a pin in my leg during this step.

Keeping them inside out, take your pants to the sewing machine & sew along your pin line. Start at the bottom of your jeans & work your way up. 

Your pin line should taper into the natural hem line of the jeans. Take the seam all the way into the natural hem line, merging the two. 

After you've sewn both sides of each leg, turn your jeans right side out & try them on. Make sure they look right before moving on to the next step! If you see any puckering this means your sewn line may not be straight enough. Go over the sewn line again & make adjustments if needed. 

With your jeans turned inside out, trim off the excess fabric. 

& finally, jump for joy in your new skinnys!

xoxo,

m.e.

P.S. Transform a t-shirt into a bag.