Summer is such a fun and exciting time of the year. Summer is full of vacations, relaxation, warm weather and hot summer trends. A fun DIY for the summer is turning jeans into shorts. This is a popular trend that is easy and fun to create. After cutting your shorts to the perfect length it is up to you to customize your shorts any way you would like. Here are the steps to creating fun summer shorts.
Supplies
*Pair of jeans
*Scissors
*Pencil or chalk
*Sewing kit, sewing machine, fabric glue
*Decorating materials beads, sequins, paint, lace, and bleach (optional)
Step 1 (Choose a pair of jeans to turn into shorts)
The best jeans to choose will fit you comfortably in the hips, bottom and thighs.
*Remember that baggy jeans will become baggy shorts, and tight jeans will be tight shorts.
Jeans made with stretchy material are not the best candidates to turn into shorts, make sure the tag says 100 percent cotton, or close to it.
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Step 2 (getting ready to make the cut)
Put the jeans on, use chalk or a safety pin to mark where you plan to cut them off: mid-thighs or upper thighs. Remove the jeans once you’ve marked the spot.
- Remember that the jeans will get shorter as they fray. If you want a line of fringe, the spot you mark should be about an inch below the length you want the finished shorts to be.
- If you don’t want fringe, mark a spot about 1/2 an inch below your desired final length.
- If you plan to cuff the shorts, or fold them over a few times, mark a spot at least three inches below your desired final length.
Step 3 (Lay the jeans on a flat surface)
A table or desk would be preferable. Align a ruler with the cut off mark that you made. Tilt it slightly up toward the outer part of the jeans. Lightly trace the cutting path with chalk. Repeat with the other leg. The cutting paths should come to a slight point below the crotch, forming a “v” shape. This will result in a more flattering final look than simply cutting the jeans straight across. *Don’t pronounce the “v” too much; it should be a subtle change, unless you want the shorts to look shorter toward the thighs.
Step 4 (Cut the shorts)
Carefully cut in a straight line along the path you traced. To get the best results, use fabric scissors, which are designed to cut through heavy fabrics like denim.Don’t panic if your line isn’t perfectly even. When the shorts fray the crooked areas won’t be visible.
Step 5 (Consider hemming the shorts)
If you want to prevent excess fraying, or if you prefer not to have a line of fringe around the bottom of the shorts, you’ll need to hem the shorts to prevent the fabric from unweaving. Fold the edges under one-fourth of an inch and use a sewing machine to hem the shorts. If you don’t have a sewing machine, fold the edges under one-fourth of an inch and hand stitch around the edge of the shorts.
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| Fray | Fray |
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| Cuffed | Fray |
Step 6 ( Decorating!!!!)
This is the fun part where you can choose to decorate your new shorts any way you would like. You can dye, bleach, or destroy the shorts or add fun designs to the back pockets.
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Adding Lace To The Back Pockets
*Trace the pocket outline on the lace with chalk
*Cut out the outline, adding ½ in of extra space to fold under for a clean finish.
*If you want two layers of fabric on the pocket, follow the same steps as one layer but for two.
* Pin the pockets in place, and use a sewing machine to stitch in place by top stitching around the corners. (If you can’t sew, fabric glue works just as fine)
*And they are finished!!!!
Get ready to show off your new shorts!!!!
*There are numerous ways to create fun and exciting shorts, these where just a few ideas to get more inspiration Google new ideas or look at videos on YouTube. =D!
Alycia Hill