Make Your Own Jean Skirt!

Sooo, sometimes I have to research a bit or do some test runs of a DIY before I get it to work the way I want to. But when it comes to making a jean skirt from a pair of jeans, well, let’s just say I made my fair share of them in high school, so I can do this project with my eyes closed. It’s totally a great way to upcycle and reuse a pair of jeans that you’ve grown a bit tired of or a good method to customize a skirt if you can’t find one the right size/color/length you want in the stores. Supplies:
-pair of jeans*
–seam ripper
– sewing machine
–fabric scissors and straight pins

*I like to use thicker jeans that don’t have much (if any) stretch in them for skirts. I find they make the best frayed hems compared to thin jeans that have a lot of spandex in the material blend.
Start by cutting off your jeans into jean shorts several inches longer than you think you’ll want your skirt to be. Use your seam ripper to carefully rip apart your main seam on the inside of your jeans along the crotch line. Pull out any loose strings. Now use your seam ripper to rip up the front of the crotch line just to the point where the zipper begins. Do the same on the back to the same point.Pin your crotch area flat onto your skirt so that it swoops to one side instead of going straight down. That should leave you with an open “V” shape in the front of your skirt that you can either leave open (and just sew those seams down so they stay folded inward) or cut a triangle piece of jean from your excess leg material to pin in place behind the opening to close it up if you’d like.Pin the seam flat on the back of your skirt as well. Depending on the length of your skirt you want, you can either add another triangle of fabric at the bottom (like I mentioned you could do in the front), or if you’ll be cutting the final length above that “V” shape, you don’t have to fill that spot in. Sew your seams with a sewing machine about 1/2″ from the edge of the seams on the front and back.Turn your skirt inside out and cut out any extra fabric. Try your skirt on and mark how short you want your skirt to be with a pin. Take your skirt off and cut your skirt your desired length. I did a “stepped” hem, so it was a little longer in the back.Wash your skirt so that it frays on the edges and you’re ready to wear it! See? Not too hard, huh? I took this skirt out on the road to visit my musician husband on tour and I wore it a ton. Super comfy and I could dress it up a little more when I paired with boots (like these tan boots with gold heels and a matching sweatshirt) or other heels, but it also reads really casual with sandals and a T-shirt. If you feel like sewing is just not a talent that you’ll ever possess, you can always buy your own skirt, but this is a great introductory project to start with if you’ve always wanted to learn (and why not learn on a pink sewing machine, right?). Making jean skirts was one of my favorite things growing up, so it’s so fun to get to do it again, and it’s totally a trend that I don’t mind revisiting! xo. Laura

Credits//Author: Laura Gummerman, Photography: Laura Gummerman and Todd Gummerman. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.