Turn Jeans into a Funky Skirt

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Mary Ray, contributor

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An old pair of jeans, or any pants, can be  reincarnated as a hip skirt.

Photo: Carol Ruzicka

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Turning old, out-of-date jeans (bell-bottoms, good-bye!) into a cool skirt is a cinch. It’s so much fun that once you try your first jeans-turned-skirt, you’ll be tempted to sacrifice all sorts of jeans and pants to the creative process. This step-by-step transformation works great with any casual pants: cords, khakis, stiff linen, or even soft, fluid pants.

First, rrrrip!
Start by ripping out the inner leg seams and the center-front and center-back seams to just above the crotch curve. If the pants have a front or back zipper, release the front and back seams to just below the zipper. Press the seam allowances open.

Layer the legs
Working on a flat surface, lay the crotch extension of one front leg over the other and pin in place. Repeat on the back. Try on your new skirt to be sure it fits comfortably around the hips, and that the overlap lies smooth.

Fill the void

You’ll notice a void exists between the legs around the knee level. Fill it in with fabric, unless you’re making a super-short skirt. The cut-off leg fabric may give you enough material to fill in the void. Or, you can use a second pair of old jeans if you have them lying around. For a unique, funky look, you can also use a coordinating fabric that’s the same weight or lighter than your original jeans.

Sew it all in place

On the skirt front, turn under the crotch curve overlap section so it blends with the center-front seam. Or leave the overlap as is if you want a raw, deconstructed look.
Fold under the leg inseam allowances as well. (Or not.) Position the fill fabric under the void and pin in place. Edgestitch (i.e. stitch very close to the edge) through all the front layers to secure them.

If the skirt is full enough at the bottom to let you walk comfortably, complete the back in the same way. If your skirt is very narrow, add a slit or vent to the piece of fill fabric.


Finally, hem your new skirt. Decide on the desired finished length of the skirt, and mark with pins or chalk. Take the skirt off, add a hem allowance and cut off the excess fabric.

Adapted from “Turn Pants into a Skirt” by Mary Ray in Threads, Issue 130.

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