How to Add Cuffs to Pajama Pants
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Learn how to add cuffs to pajama pants. The knit fabric cuffs will lengthen any pajama pants that are made from woven or knit fabric.
I recently got some new pajama pants for myself. They were simple and basic and, unfortunately, too short. I almost always have this problem when buying ready-to-wear because I’m taller than average.
I decided to add some cuffs to my pajama pants to make them look like joggers and add a couple of inches of length to make them longer.
What is refashioning?
Refashioning is to fashion clothing again or differently. I usually use this to describe when I’m sewing clothing to fit different or to look different, but the majority of the item stays the same.
Do you love to upcycle and refashion? Try one of these fun projects:
- Ways to refashion clothes
- Pants upcycle tutorials
- How to cuff jean shorts
- Sew knit fabric
- Sew knit fabric with just a sewing machine
- How to lengthen jacket sleeves
- How to lengthen pants
- Jersey knit sewing projects
How to Add Cuffs to Pajama Pants
supplies
- Pajama pants
- Knit fabric with good recovery like ribbing or cotton spandex jersey
- Sewing Supplies
- Sewing machine
Instructions
Cut the hem off the bottom off the pants or unpick the hem. (I tried unpicking the hem and it starting creating holes in the fabric so I just decided to cut it off.)
Measure the entire circumference of the bottom of the pant leg. Multiply it by .8. This is the width of the cuff and should go with the stretch of the fabric.
Cut a two pieces of knit fabric that is the width you found by 5 inches tall.
Sew the short edges of the knit rectangles together at 1/4 inch.
Fold the cuffs in half matching up raw edges with wrong sides together to enclose the seams. Do the same to the other cuff.
Divide the cuffs into four sections and pin. Divide the pants hem into four sections and pin. Match up the sections of the cuff with the sections of the pants hem and pin.
Sew the three layers together with 1/4 inch seam allowance and a zigzag stitch or serger. Finish the edges with a serger or zigzag stitch. Do the same to the other leg.
Fold the cuff down. Press the cuff down and the seam allowance up towards the pants.
You finished! Enjoy your now longer pants!
How to Add Cuffs to Pajama Pants
Learn how to add cuffs to pajama pants. The knit fabric cuffs will lengthen any pajama pants that are made from woven or knit fabric.
Materials
- Pajama pants without a cuff
- Matching knit fabric
Tools
- Sewing tools
- Sewing machine
Instructions
- Cut the hem off the bottom off the pants or unpick the hem. (I tried unpicking the hem and it starting creating holes in the fabric so I just decided to cut it off.)
- Measure the bottom of the pant leg. Multiply it by .8. This is the width of the cuff and should go with the stretch of the fabric.
- Cut a two pieces of knit fabric that is the width you found by 5 inches tall.
- Sew the short edges of the knit rectangles together at 1/4 inch.
- Fold the cuffs in half matching up raw edges with wrong sides together to enclose the seams. Do the same to the other cuff.
- Divide the cuffs into four sections and pin. Divide the pants hem into four sections and pin. Match up the sections of the cuff with the sections of the pants hem and pin.
- Sew the three layers together with 1/4 inch seam allowance and a zigzag stitch or serger. Finish the edges with a serger or zigzag stitch. Do the same to the other leg.
- Fold the cuff down. Press the cuff down and the seam allowance up towards the pants.
- You finished! Enjoy your now longer pants!
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If you make something using this sewing project, I’d love to see! Please share it on social media with the hashtag #heatherhandmade and tag me!
I believe small sewing moments can create great joy. Find your own “right” way to sew. -Heather
i’m trying to follow the directions for adding the cuff to a pair of pajamas. I am confused as to how to measure. Do you mean to measure the width of the leg of the pajamas and divide that by .8 or are you measuring all the way around and dividing that by .8? For example my pajamas are 9 1/2 inches wide one side which would make it 19 1/2 inches all the way around. Do you mean to divide 9 1/2 x .8 which would be 7.6 or are you talking about dividing 19×.8 which would be 15.2?
please help.
Thanks,
It’s the total measurement of the bottom of the pajama pants
I missed the part where you insert the elastic- can you tell me when to do that?
Thank you.
Oops, I forgot to remove that since I had another tutorial added in. I removed it!
Elastic hack I figured out: Loop a pipe cleaner through the safety pin before inserting the pin into the elastic space. Pull the pipe cleaner through. Takes less than half the time.