How to Sew Jeans into Skinny Jeans

Skinny jeans are very trendy right now. If you want to be in style, those flared jeans aren’t going to work. You need to learn how to sew jeans into skinny jeans.

Supplies You Will Need

In order to create skinny jeans, you will need: a pair of baggy or flared jeans, marker or felt tip pen, sewing machine, pins, and thread that matches the color of your jeans. You might also need a scissors and safety pins. Make sure your sewing machine is in good repair before beginning.

Step 1 – Measure Your Jeans

Take your pair of jeans and put them on inside out. Check to be sure the jeans fit well and then pull in the sides of the jean bottoms to your desired skinny fit. Draw where you want the excess material to be removed with lines on the pair of jeans. Take pins and put them into place on the lines where you want the jeans to be altered. Repeat this process on each side, maintaining consistent tightness. Look in a mirror to see that your jeans fit the way you intend them to fit. Carefully take the jeans off when you are done. If you don’t want to use pins, you can sew a few simple stitches in the excess fabric.

Step 2 – Sew the Jeans to be Skinny

Leaving the jeans inside out, sew the jeans along the lines you created with a simple running stitch. You can choose to use another stitch as well. This is not a step when you should sew the jeans very well since you still need to try on the jeans to be sure they are going to fit and look right. If you are not an expert at sewing, this might be a good time to take the jeans to a seamstress or tailor. You could use safety pins to keep the jeans in the skinny fit too, but that fix will not last long term.

Step 3 – Check Your Results

Put the jeans back on and see what the stitches look like. Walk around a bit to see how the jeans feel and how they look with shoes or other accessories. If you’re not sure about the fit, you can take the thread out and try a looser or a tighter stitch. If you are happy with the results, take the jeans off again and add another few stitches to make sure the skinny alteration stays in place. Cut away any excess fabric that might be leftover after the stitches. If the jeans are thin, this might not be necessary. It is crucial you look at the stitches to make sure they are as flat as possible. You don’t want bumps or other flaws showing up on your jeans.

Skinny jeans may be the current style, but that doesn’t mean you need to spend hundreds of dollars for a pair. Use an old pair of flares and make them new again.