Remember how I made my daughter’s jeans smaller by tapering the legs? Well, we had to do some more altering on another pair of jeans. These jeans still fit my daughter but were getting to be too short so I said, “Hey, how about we make these jeans into denim capris?” My daughter was thrilled. If you’re a teenage girl who’s responsible for buying your own clothes, when you’re offered a “new” pair of denim capris, you’re very excited.
How Jeans Became Capris
These jeans were just getting to be too short and it looked like my daughter was waiting for a flood to happen. When kids are getting taller, they grow out of their clothes almost overnight. I can’t bear to get rid of clothes that can still be worn but don’t quite fit any longer. This was a great way to keep from having to get rid of a pair of perfectly good jeans that were just a bit too short to wear.
Follow the instructions from “how to make jeans smaller”and then use your rotary cutter to cut the jeans to the length you’d like. I tapered the side seams of the legs slightly since the didn’t need too much tapering because I cut off most of the pant leg below the knee. I just took the jeans in a small amount near the seam where I hemmed them.
Before cutting your jeans, be sure to add 1” for a hem. Turn hem up 1/2” and then another 1/2” again.
Use a handy little piece of folded cardboard to raise the back of your presser foot so you can sew through the side seams of your jeans. I use this piece of cardboard often and used it here to mend pillowcases.
This project only took a few minutes. Who knew you could lengthen the life of a pair of jeans by shortening them? I’m guessing by summer these capris will be shorts!
Do you like to re-make clothing? Have you tried the folded card board trick?
Go Gingham 
Such a great idea, Sara! I love that your daughter appreciates all of your handy-dandy-frugal ways!!!
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Thanks Annie! I’m not sure she appreciates all of my handy-dandy frugal ways…but most of them she does!
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What a great idea! I really need to get a sewing machine that can handle jeans. One of these days…
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Hi Brenna! You may not need a special machine…try a heavy duty needle first. My sewing machine does only basic stitches but by using a special “leather” needle, I was able to fix a leather wallet. There are lots of different needles available and sometimes that’s all you need. Good luck!
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That’s good to know! My sewing machine is not a very good one. I nearly destroyed it last year making crayon rolls. I should really take a class and learn how to use it right. 🙂
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Hi Sara, Handy-dandy -frugal, you must use that in a post title, it’s excellent and so catchy!
The capri pants idea is fantastic and one I so appreciate as my youngest daughter (13) is still growing a little, although slowing down now. It’s her feet though that just don’t seem to stop growing and the problem is I can’t nip the end off her converse shoes to make room for her toes (!), well I could.. but I’d have to duck flying debris:-)lol
Rebecca x
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Ever heard of a Dritz Jean-A-Ma-Jig? It’s a great tool that lifts the presser foot to sew over seams.
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I have not heard of that but it sounds like a fancy, schmancy version of my folded up cardboard! Thanks for the tip 🙂
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