Jeans to Shorts

This summer I discovered that I didn't have a lot of shorts/capris that I liked, so rather than buying some, I decided to make some...not from scratch. 

I have several pairs of jeans because most of them are from thrift stores or hand-me-down. I love jeans that are only a dollar or two! When they are free, even if they don't fit perfectly, I take them because I know I'll find something to do with them. 

I have a few pairs of jeans that are too short. In the winter, I tuck my jeans into my boots so it doesn't matter if they are too short. However, I have now purchased some skinny jeans which fit much better into those boots. This gives me some jeans to work with.

Turning jeans into shorts:

This is actually a very simple fix and is perfect for the hot summer weather! 

Both of these jeans were given to me and they both fit in all aspects except length...perfect to turn into shorts.

I first put the jeans on and mark the length I want. 

I then took the jeans off and laid them down, making sure both layers were laying flat. Using my rotary blade and cutting mat, I cut a straight line (parallel to the original hem of the jeans) about an inch below where I marked. 

I then used my measuring tape to make sure I was cutting both legs to be the same length and cut the other leg. After the legs were cut, I tried the jeans on again to pin to the length I wanted. I pinned all the way around both legs, and carefully took the shorts off. 

At this point, I adjusted any pins as needed. 

Using a jean needle and thread, I added a double line hem around the bottom of both pairs. On the pair on the left, the lines are about an inch apart and on the pair on the right, the lines are about 1/4 inch apart. 

And that's it! New shorts to wear!

~K.A.N.