How to Make Skinny Pants

Before you delve into this post hoping for miracles, allow me to clarify that I am not a master seamstress. This "tutorial" comes to you from someone who is an advanced beginner at best (jumbo shrimp? Oxymoron?). It probably would have worked better if I made a video for you. If you are still terribly, terribly confused and need a video, please let me know. If you live in Maryland, I might be able to help out in person...unless you're creepy. In that case, no.

Because I like images and think they're easier to understand--even if it's just a bunch of words in the form of an image--the entirety of this tutorial is comprised in "images."

If you have suggestions for other readers, please leave them in the comments. If you have crummy rebukes to toss my direction, keep your fingers silent. I'll delete your crankiness because I don't need anyone raining on my parade. Hey, my pants made it through an entire day without falling off of me or ripping at the newly-sewn seams, so I did something right.

(Look at me making you a pinnable image in case you want it.)

Straight pins ($2.74)

Seam ripper ($1.99)

Sewing scissors options

Measuring tape ($2.24)

Fabric Markers ($2.99)

(All images and links from JoAnn Fabrics)

(When I say increasingly larger, I'm referring to larger at the bottom, by the cuff, and less fabric to pin closer to your crotch.) Note: there's an extra "in" in step two side note #2. Darnit. I'm sorry.

(When I say even, I mean that you're skinnifying both pant legs the same amount at every section of the leg. Otherwise, you'll look lopsided, which might not be the look you're trying to achieve.) 

The hardest part for me was the very last stitches closest to my crotch. I found that I had to fight with this portion the most. What was most helpful was gradually tapering off and making sure the fabric was very taught. If you sew over the slightest wrinkle, it will create bubbling.

(Keep in mind that extra fabric, which you will eventually cut, is stuck inside the pant leg with you.)

EDIT: I meant to include a link to a helpful little "how to hem without sewing" tutorial, but I forgot. Must be because it's from Wal Mart and not Target. Either way, Wal Mart does a good job explaining how to hem using fusible webbing: here's the pin which will obviously take you to the tutorial.

Again, if you need a video because the pictures and explanations really didn't help, please let me know.

Remember that whatever you do is absolutely salvageable as long as you do not cut ANYTHING until you're satisfied with the result. Anything you sew can be undone with a seam ripper, so do not be afraid to try this project! I was terrified I'd ruin a pair of pants and then decided to just bite the bullet. I'm glad I did because I realized that, regardless of how terrible I sewed it the first time, I had several more chances to get it right. (Note: seam ripping sucks, so put on a good show to watch while you have at it.) 

If you're not sure how to rip seams, just watch this less-than-two-minute video. 

Lizzie B's tutorial (it's a video!) was most helpful, but she uses a marker to mark off the pants no pins. That did not work for me because I couldn't tell if it would be the right fit the entire way down the pant leg, which is why I opted for pinning. 

Good luck!

:)

The skinny on my skinnies

I own a lot of work pants. The problem with about ten pairs is that they don't look good with flats and heels. In fact, I struggle to find any shoes that go well with them. (I bought most of them years ago, and I bought them solely because I liked the color and the price.)

I decided to keep the pants because I thought I might have an epiphany about how to wear them. And an epiphany I had. I realized that the only part of these pants that annoyed me was the cut. Plus, every time I hunted for the same colors in a fit that I liked, I came up empty. Enter my epiphany. I did a little search on Pinterest for "making skinny pants." (Feel free to peruse my DIY Fashion board here.) Note: I could have taken these pants to a tailor, but that was money I did not want to spend. I also like learning new things :)

For these pants, I read this tutorial and this one. However, after my troubles, I viewed this video, which comes from this blog. I like her method much better. Plus, she explains how to avoid some of the same problems I ran into while on my adventure of pant fixing.

I'm not going to provide you a tutorial because these work just fine, but I'll tell you some tips (from a novice) and materials.

Necessary materials: seam ripper, sewing scissors, pins, chalk/fabric marker, and sewing machine.

Tips:

• Do NOT cut your pants until you've tried them on with the new stitching. For the first leg I did, I couldn't squeeze my calf into the pants. I needed my handy seam ripper to fix that mistake. 
• If you don't have a fabric marker, chalk works just fine. You moms out there probably have sidewalk chalk just chilling in your house. (One tutorial recommends a Sharpie. If you use the first two tutorials, I do not recommend Sharpie because it can get on the pants you're using as a pattern, which is another reason I suggest the video.) 
• Read both tutorials and watch the video before you begin. 
• I completely finished one leg before the other, which I thought was good because I could measure the unfinished leg against the finished one. I sort of used the finished leg as a pattern for the other one. It helped me keep them identical. 
• If you don't want to sew and have a good tailor, they can do this for you :) 

pant leg comparison in my seemingly yellow hallway...

My pseudo emo look 

Originally, I had "charcoal straight/skinny work pants (must have belt loops)" on my closet holes list. I now can cross that item off the list without having spent any money. Win! 

The shirt is recent and from Old Navy. The heels are NOT recent and are Aerosoles from Marshall's. 

Once we sell this house and I don't have to worry constantly about not making messes, I will move on to my pair of brown work pants. I think I'll go for more of a straight leg with those. 

I hope this post prevents you from donating/selling a pair of pants just because you dislike the bottom half of your bottoms :)