Easy Tutorial on How to Make Jeans Into Shorts With Pictures

Do you want to repurpose your old pair of jeans? Learn how to make jeans into shorts.

Sometimes you don’t want to throw away your good pair of jeans just because it’s old. Don’t do it. Put together your old jeans to good use with a variety of repurposing DIY projects. 

The most popular way to repurpose your old jeans is to cut them out into shorts. You can learn to make jeans into shorts and give them to your close friends. These will be your best summer clothing items.

Learning how to cut off jeans to make shorts helps you save money and allow you to make your own shorts. This DIY project is easy and simpler to make if you got the right instructions. 

In this article, we will help you learn how to make jeans into shorts with some advanced tips and tricks. 

Ready to start a new creative DIY project? Let’s begin.

How to Make Cut Off Shorts: Different Styles and Ideas

Different types of Jeans are ruling women’s wardrobes. They have become an integral part of daily wear. As you wear jeans on a regular basis, the color of the jeans starts to fade, and it looks like old jeans. 

Image Source: Engin Akyurt On Unsplash

Are you going to throw those old jeans? Do not throw away your old jeans.

Men and women both love to wear shorts. They are the most comfortable summer outfits. You can use your favorite pair of jeans and learn how to make cut-off shorts.

Before jumping to the tutorial on how to make old jeans into shorts, check out these amazing shorts-making ideas from old jeans. 

Skinny Jeans Shorts

Everyone loves to have types of clothes that are fitted to the body. Do you have skinny-fit jeans in your wardrobe that you don’t wear anymore? 

It’s time to repurpose those skinny jeans. Skinny jeans are made from denim types of fabric, making them perfect for thicker denim shorts. 

Turn your old pair of skinny jeans into perfect shorts that you can wear at parties. 

Boyfriend Jeans Shorts

Nothing better than upcycling clothes like boyfriend jeans into shorts. The baggy style boyfriend jeans appeal from being a roomie. 

Image Source: The Jeans Blog

They are the perfect jeans for learning how to make cut-off shorts. You can play with crotches and thighs to make them a unique look. 

The Double-cuff Shorts

You can not forget this double cuff shorts pattern when you learn to sew jeans into shorts. These double-cuff shorts look amazing when styled with an off-shoulder top. 

To make it, you will need to identify knee-length and cut halfway up the leg from there. Start cuffing the legs into two wide folds. 

Image Source: Pinterest

Don’t worry if you don’t cut the straight line. You will be folding the cuff so it will be hidden inside it.

Basic Daisy Duke Shorts

The basic daisy duke shorts can be made from high-waisted boyfriend jeans. These shorts look amazing when paired with a classic, laid-back cropped tank top. 

It’s easy to make and takes less time to complete. The most challenging part of making basic daisy duke shorts is the crotched movement. 

Jeans are made to accommodate women’s backside. While cutting your old jeans, you need to pay attention to the placement of the center X. 

If it’s missed, then you will end with the right cutting in the front, but it will be too short in the back. 

Slouchy Bermuda

Wondering how to make cut-off denim shorts or Bermuda to wear at beaches? Just find an old pair of jeans, two sizes big and a little baggy around the waist. 

Image Source: The Fashion Tag Blog

Want to make jeans’ waist smaller? Read our guide on how to make jeans waist smaller.

Bonus: Avoid using high-waisted knee-length jeans as they are difficult to work with. For the DIY Bermuda project, choose mid to low rise jeans. 

The Destroyed Short

Want to know how to make skinny jeans into shorts? Choose this short style. It’s similar to basic daisy duke shorts. Just decide your short length and use horizontal cuts. 

Keep it asymmetrical and cut one centimeter apart. If you are obsessed with making straight lines straightway, don’t worry. The more hacked-up, the better it is. 

How to Make Cut Off Jean Shorts: 4 Tips For Making Perfect Shorts

Now that you know the different styles of shorts you can make at home using your old jeans, it’s time to learn some tips.

Learning how to make cut-off jean shorts becomes a much easier DIY project when you get some exciting and innovative sewing tips. 

Image Source: Engin Akyurt On Unsplash

These best tips will be helpful to you while learning how to sew shorts and jeans or any other denim fabric.

The following are the top four tips for making cut-off jeans into shorts. 

Choose Jeans That Are Two Sizes Big

This is one of the essential things you need to keep in mind. When you think of how to make shorts from old jeans, make sure you have old jeans in your closet, two sizes big. 

Image Source: Jason Leung On Unsplash

If you can’t find any of those jeans, you can visit the vintage store and find a pair of jeans. The roomy jeans will give you the most flattering cut-off shorts. 

Measure the Inseam

The key to determining your best short style is to measure the inseam. Ensure the inseam is long enough to create an appropriate, natural angle look. 

You should leave at least three inches at the seam. You can adjust the inseam based on how long or shorter you want your shorts to be. This is the most challenging area of how to cut jeans to make shorts. 

Make Perfect Fray

Once you have determined your short’s length, it’s time to focus on the fray. You will need to run pinking shears at the short’s edges to make it fray. 

Image Source: Kresent

Voila! You have just made the effortless, unraveled frayed edges. 

Use Chalk to Draw the Desired Hemline

It may not look necessary at the start of how to make cute cut off jean shorts. Once you have determined your desired length, you should use chalk to draw lines for a not-to-short and not-to-long hemline. 

How to Make Jeans Into Shorts: 8-Step Tutorial

If you have been searching for cute denim shorts in stores but can’t find the one that suits your style. It’s time to look at your closet. 

You will find an old pair of perfect jeans that you no longer wear but don’t want to throw away. They are your favorite jeans. So why not repurpose those jeans and make something out of them?

Image Source: Arnel Hasanovic On Unsplash 

Learning how to make jeans into shorts is the most important DIY project you should consider. It is easy to sew and takes less time to complete from start to end. This DIY project will help you upcycle your old jeans into beautiful summer shorts. 

Ahead, we will be giving you some simple steps right from measuring the jeans to cutting them into shorts and decorating your DIY shorts at home. This is not just a sustainable project but also an affordable option.

Rather than buying new shorts, use your old jeans and turn them into cute summer shorts. Follow these steps. 

Supplies You’ll Need

The followings are some of the things you will need to start your process of how to make jeans into shorts:

Image Source: Darling Arias On Unsplash

• • An old pair of your favorite jeans to cut off
  • Tailor’s chalk
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Tweezer for fraying
  • Sandpaper 

Choose a Pair of Jeans

The first thing you need to do to start learning how to make jean shorts shorter is to choose the right pair of jeans. Make sure your jeans fit you well in the hips, thighs, and butt. 

Baggy jeans can be used to make baggy shorts, while tight, skinny jeans will be used to make skin-tight shorts. The different types of cotton fabric pants and jeans can be used for making summer Bermuda.

Go to your closet and see which jeans you can use to convert them into shorts. Do not choose stretchy jeans for turning into shorts. 

They have rubber or plastic woven into the fabric, making them less suitable. 

If you find some khaki fabric in your wardrobe, check the fabric’s care labels to see if it is 100% cotton. They can be used for making shorts. 

Pre-shrink the Jeans

Once you have found your ideal pair of jeans from your closet, it’s time to wash them. Pre-shrinking the old pair of jeans you have not worn for a long time is important. 

Image Source: The Better India

Just run those jeans through the washer and dryer before you start cutting the jeans. This will ensure that the jeans won’t be shorter than you want them to be. 

Measure, Measure, and Measure Your Jeans

The next step of how to make cut off jeans is to determine the size of the shorts. Based on how loose and tight your jeans are, you can choose from the following lengths:

• • Capri
    • The capris are not shorts as they hit right at your calves. Some people count capris in shorts. Making capris from old jeans is a beginner-level DIY project as you won’t need to make major alterations. 
    • It also allows you to polish your skills on how to make your own jean shorts.
  • Choose skinny jeans to make capris as the Capri’s bottom should hug your calves.
  • Bermuda
    • Bermuda hits right above the knee. The Bermudas can be super comfy and look amazing.  If you want to make comfy and roomy shorts, choose loose-fitting jeans and turn them into the Bermudas. 
    • If you choose tight-fitting jeans to make the Bermudas, then style them with a flowy top as they look super sexy.

• • Classic
    • Classic shorts are the ones that hit three to five inches above the knee. These are the most common styles of shorts. 
    • You can choose both loose and tight-fitting jeans for making classic shorts.

• • Mini
    • Mini shorts are the one that covers just your buttocks and a small portion of your thighs. The hemline of mini shorts is just two to three inches at the crotch. 
    • If you want, you can customize the length of the mini shorts as per your comfort level. 
    • Choose hot pants or skinny jeans to convert them into better-looking mini shorts. If you are going for a beach vacation, then learning how to make hot pants from old jeans is worth it. 

Cutting Your Jeans into Shorts

Now it’s time to cut off your jeans into shorts. To start this process, you need to wear your jeans. Use fabric chalk to mark the length of the short. 

It can be at the calves, mid-thighs, knees, or upper thighs. Once you have marked the points, you can remove the jeans. 

Now put your jeans on a table, desk, or any flat surface. Use a ruler to make cut-off marks. Make sure you are marking on the outer part of the jeans. Trace the cutting with the chalk. Repeat the same for the other leg.

Image Source: InStyle

Once you are done with the tracing, it’s time to cut the jeans. The cutting path should be at the slight point below the crotch. It should be forming a “V” shape, making it easy to cut the jeans. The “V” shouldn’t be too much. It should be subtle.

Use fabric scissors which are made for cutting heavy fabrics like denim. Start cutting on the marks. Don’t worry if the cutting line is not straight, as this will not be visible. 

Try your DIY shorts once you are done with the cutting part. See how it looks. 

DIY Finishing Touches

When you have cut your jeans into shorts, you can proceed to give them some finishing touch so that it looks nice. Remove the excess fraying and hem the shorts to prevent them from unweaving.

Use a sewing machine to hem the raw edges of the shorts. In case you don’t have a sewing machine, you can just fold the edges under 1/4th inch and sew them by hand. 

There are three basic ways to hem the shorts.

• • Cuffing the Shorts
    • Fold your shorts up and then fold again to create a cuff. A cuff is bigger than the hem. 
    • Use a sewing machine and start stitching around the edges to prevent them from fraying. You can use iron to press the cuffs.

Image Source: LunaVida

• • Create a fringe
    • Want a classic fringe look? Just throw your shorts into the washing machine. 
    • Use a regular wash and dry cycle to get an amazing fringe line. 
    • Want more fringe? Repeat the wash and dry cycle one more time.

• • Add fabric
    • Want to add more style to your cut-off shorts? You can use another piece of fabric and reinforce the edges. 
    • Use lace or cotton fabric. Just measure the fabric and sew it on the edges. 

Image Source: Create Kids Couture

Voila! Your Shorts are Ready to Wear!

Till this step of how to make pants into shorts, you have made a basic short style. Head to Superlabel Store and place your order for, 

• • Customized woven labels
  • Hang tags 

Superlabel Store encourages enthusiast sewists, small business owners, and home-based sewers to boost the professionalism of handmade clothing items. Don’t forget to use super customizable labels from the Superlabel Store. 

Decorate DIY Shorts

This is the optional step of making shorts from old jeans. 

If you want to give a personalized touch to your handmade shorts or want to style handmade shorts so that it looks professional, then this is for you.

Here are three ways to decorate your handmade shorts:

• • Use Embellishments
    • You can use some beads or sequins or paint to decorate your shorts. Create an eye-catching pattern on the shorts that people can’t take their eyes from.

Image Source: Collective Gen

• • Distress Your Shorts
    • Do you want to give your shorts a look as they have been for years? Just take sandpaper, steel wool, or a cheese grater to destroy the shorts. 
    • Destroying the shorts means you need to rub the tool on the shorts’ pockets in a way that they look “distressed.” 

Image Source: Pinterest

• • Make Your Shorts Holey
    • Use a pair of fabric scissors or an Exacto-knife and cut slits on the front of your shorts. You can customize the pattern and look as per your need. 

Conclusion

The process of how to make jeans shorts is easy so that you can try them at home. With minimum supplies, you can turn your favorite pair of jeans into shorts. 

Others will no longer see them. So you can just fold them and give your shorts a nice finishing look. Don’t worry about minor mistakes such as inaccurate measurements, cutting lines, etc.

If you are a beginner, then this is the easiest DIY project you can start with. 

The above information will help you avoid any mistakes while turning your jeans into shorts.

Once you know how to make jeans into shorts, you can try your hands on other creative DIY projects and learn,

• • How to make clothes
  • How to make ripped jeans
  • How to make pants
  • How to make pants bigger

Happy learning and happy sewing!