Naptime Crafters is Here with a Tutorial!

I've got a special treat for you today! Amy from Naptime Crafters is here! Get excited because she has something super cute to share today! Go check me out over at her blog today, too!

Here's Amy!

I'm Amy from Nap Time Crafters and I'm so excited to be here today- I LOVE swapping!

I'd love it if you stop by and say hello:) And...don't miss your chance to audition for American Crafter!

Enough rambling...I do have a tutorial for you today:)

Earth Day is tomorrow!

So...in honor of Mother Earth I have an up-cycling project to share with you:

Going green is making us all pretty happy:)

 When my favorite pair of jeans bit the dust I just couldn't part with them, so I transformed my holey jeans into shorts for me and the little miss. 

Let's start with my pair

1. Cut off those jeans just below the knees

2. Zig zag stitch across the bottom to cut down on fraying

 

3. Roll up twice and then stitch in place along the side seams. This will keep everything held together and keep your shorts from raveling away to nothing in the wash (trust me- I learned this the hard way with my last pair of cut-offs)

Finished! Now for a pair for my mini me

1. Grab a pair of well fitting pants, fold them in half, and line up the outside seam of your kiddo's pants with the inside seam of the jeans-we'll be keeping the side seam of the jeans to save us a step. We're going to use the original hem of the jeans, so line up the pants so that when the hem is rolled once it will be at the right length (I wanted capri length). Leave a little room for seam allowances and some extra space for the waistband at the top and cut out your pant leg. Repeat for the 2nd leg. 

2. To keep the roll in place stitch along the very edge of the original hem

3. With right sides together stitch up the side seam of each leg- use a serger if you have one (sure wish I did!) or just straight stitch and then zig zag the stitches afterwards

4. With a leftover the bottom hem of the pants make some back pockets. Just tuck in the edges and topstitch it to the seat of the pants. You can make front pockets too if you want:) I was out of hem, so I just used a scrap of denim and tucked the top edge under. 

5. Slide one pant leg inside the other with right sides together and stitch up the crotch seam. 

6. Fold the waist band over twice to form a casing along the back half of the jeans. Thread some elastic through with a safety pin and then tack it down at each edge. 

7. Finish the wait band in the front. 

8. Add a button and some button loops for a bit of extra decoration (sorry about the sideways pic.) Later I also made a little belt for it:)

Enjoy your new old shorts:)

Thanks so much for having Allie! I'm loving your blog:)

Thanks so much Amy for swapping with me! It was so fun! :)