How many other mother's go crazy spending money over and over again on pants that end up looking like this?

how to repurpose girls jeans

I'm so tired of it.  You can't donate them, and yet you feel guilty for throwing them out.  Today I decided to add a little something to these and turn them into new summer pants for Marisol. 

So I chopped off the torn bottoms.

turn kids jeans into long shorts

Cut up some sweet flower fabric (that I picked up on clearance this week at Beverly's for $2 a yard).  I stitched up the sides and attached it to the bottom.

how to turn jeans into cropped pants for girls

Then I hand-stitched a pretty lace trim (I really need an industrial strength sewing machine). And viola!

how to add flowers and frills to girls jeans

Such a simple way to bring new life to old jeans, and perfect for the weather we are currently experiencing.  More importantly, there is a very happy little girl who loves them.

011-14

As seen on:

The Mother Huddle

This post linked to:

No Time For Flash Cards

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26 comments

karen June 18, 2010 - 9:37 pm

cute. can you come down and fix my jeans next ;p

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Ali @PickleSugarPlum June 18, 2010 - 10:58 pm

I am all for recycling, reusing, and repurposing tattered, torn, and worn clothing! Great fabrics! They turned out adorable! Just think, you’d have paid a TON for those at a boutique! Gotta Love DIY for less!

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Kathy June 19, 2010 - 2:50 am

Those are so cute and such a great idea.

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Barbara Manatee June 19, 2010 - 4:30 am

That is super adorable!!! I have to laugh though..chances are my kids wont ever have pants like that. Being so tall, my pants were always too short – NEVER had dragging/frayed pants, and I Doubt my kids will either! haha! BUT…if they DO, I’ll remember this trick for Sarah!

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Tonya Staab June 19, 2010 - 10:54 am

My problem is going over the seams of the denim, it’s so thick, it barely fits under my foot ha ha. I broke 3 needles just making the canvas bags for the Teachers. See, this is how little I know about sewing, I had no idea there were denim needles. I will investigate this further. Thanks Nat. Miss ya.

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Tonya Staab June 19, 2010 - 10:55 am

Anything for you beautiful lady.

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Nat June 19, 2010 - 8:49 am

Can you switch your needles out for denim needles? I’ve been sewing pillow case covers for our couch and they have worked great on upholstery fabric. Cute jeans! Marisol is getting so big! I’m working on fixing up my blog and starting a new one- hope you can check it out when I’m done! 🙂 Miss ya!

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Vixanne June 19, 2010 - 12:45 pm

Oh, I love how these have turned out! I was just going through a lot of my daughters old clothes and thinking the same thing about a whole bunch of her trousers, so I may be “borrowing” this idea! Thanks 🙂

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Jenny @Home is Where... June 19, 2010 - 2:53 pm

oh wow, that is awesome! you almost have me believing that I could do that!

I admire your skill!

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colleen June 19, 2010 - 11:48 pm

very cute Tonya…and simple! I like it!

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ericka @ alabaster cow June 20, 2010 - 8:33 am

hi from SITS! this is a very cute idea! 🙂

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Tonya Staab June 21, 2010 - 9:00 pm

Simple is about as good as I get ha ha. I aspire to be you one day :).

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Janna @ The Adventure of Motherhood June 22, 2010 - 11:56 am

Adorable! I have several pairs I could do this with! Her expression is priceless.

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Liz@Its A Blog Party June 22, 2010 - 1:58 pm

Those are very cute!
Thanks for linking up!
~Liz

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Becca June 24, 2010 - 4:32 pm

This is a really cute idea! I’m visiting from Somewhat Simple. I’d love it if you’d stop by and link up to my Home and Family Friday Linky Party. I host each Friday. Hope you’ll come join us!

Becca
becca-homeiswheremystorybegins.blogspot.com

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Tonya Staab July 3, 2010 - 6:37 pm

Thank you Becca. I’ve added your site to my list of link parties to participate in.

P.S. Love those butterfly shots 🙂

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Supra Shoes May 28, 2011 - 12:53 am

The films in the lower gallery deploy traditional painting subjects such as still life, bathers, landscape and portraiture. By pushing the painterly fields to the edge of abstraction, Olivier makes a departure from storytelling of his smaller projections. The aerial view of Landscape, painted from memory, lends tasdfo a feeling of flying over ever changing abstracted fields. In Reflection, Olivier binds together three slowly changing landscapes, layered one above the other, through what appears as four figures on a beach reflected on the surface of water.

Consistent with the classical themes, Bath concentrates upon a bather – famously the subject of Renoir, Degas, Matisse and Cézanne – drying herself with a towel. Freed from complex narratives and the subject’s surroundings, Olivier’s film draws attention to the solitary woman alone and the simple act she is performing. In contrast Transition shows a naked figure of a man walking into a pool of water. The increasingly abstracted setting enveloping the bather, until he disappears completely.

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Leonard and Georgia Hamilton November 19, 2011 - 1:26 pm

I have made and worn cutoffs for years and never thought of dressing them up the way you did. Wonderful idea!

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Kathleen Mills May 11, 2012 - 5:38 am

I have been known to leave the presser foot UP to sew through something thick…or sew along with it down, pull it up to go over the seam, then put it back down on the other side. I have a slightly heavier machine (a Denim Loc it’s called, by Baby Loc obviously) because I had a ribbon belt wholesale business for years and was burning up the others sewing through the webbing (and for sometimes 10 hrs. a day). See, if you just find something to sew and SELL you can justify the new machine :). love that you jump in and sew and make it work! I popped over from Time Warp Wife blog.

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Heather May 11, 2012 - 7:07 am

Love this idea!!

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Tonya Staab May 13, 2012 - 7:09 am

Great idea Kathleen.  I'll take a look at the denim loc too, my sewing machine is very basic, it might be time for an upgrade 🙂

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Mira (Sewing the Littleheart Collection) September 23, 2012 - 1:48 pm

Thank you so much for this tutorial! I wrote a post on easy changes you can make to patterns to get different outcomes and linked back to your tutorial. http://sewtlc.blogspot.com/2012/09/little-changes-big-outcomes-how-to.html
I am eager to try this idea!

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Tonya Staab January 19, 2013 - 7:04 pm

So glad I could help Malinda :).

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Malinda January 19, 2013 - 4:15 pm

LOVE this! My daughter is tall and thin. She outgrows the length of her jeans, but they still fit in the waist. Great idea to make capris out of them and get a little more life out of her jeans. Thanks!

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Melissa M. May 18, 2013 - 6:12 pm

I have a question…it looks like the sides of the fabric are left open. Are there two pieces per pant leg?

Thanks for the great idea. My daughter has some jeans with frayed bottoms, and I think I’m going to do this. 🙂

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Timi July 19, 2015 - 12:40 am

It’ such a great idea!!! I love it! :o)

Reply

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