Tutorial Mashup: Turn a pair of shorts into a maternity skirt

Somewhere in the last few weeks, my baby bump popped right out, and suddenly none of my bottoms fit anymore! Getting dressed was starting to be a challenge, so I whipped up a maternity skirt to flesh out my wardrobe a little bit. That project went swimmingly, but one skirt does not a new wardrobe make. Instead of making another skirt from scratch, I decided to turn a pair of old denim shorts into a maternity skirt.

This tutorial is actually three tutorials mashed into one, since three things needed to happen:

1. The shorts had to become a skirt.
2. The skirt needed a maternity waistband.
3. I wanted a maternity waistband that didn’t require buying anything new.

Choosing the Right Pair of Shorts

You want a pair of shorts that were a little bit big on you before you got pregnant. You don’t want them to be huge, just maybe one size bigger than you were wearing, since you’ll lose a little bit of room when you convert them into a skirt.

Also very important: do not use short shorts! The ones I used came just above mid-thigh on me before I got pregnant, and the resulting skirt is…risque. I’ll still wear it with tights or leggings, but it is a micromini, to be sure! If you’re going for a little bit more modesty, choose something longer – it’s much easier to hem than to make a too-short skirt more decent! With those caveats, let’s get sewing!

Click here for the tutorial!