So with the heat of August, which means a cooler on and off during the day–we’ve needed something to add to the babies’ summer wardrobe that will keep her legs from getting too chilly. She does spend more time on the floor where all the cool air lands.
We’ve found a simple solution in Baby Pants, made from T-shirts. With all the grown-ups around here we are always having T-shirts being passed around. When they finally go through all hands, and no one claims one, we either put in the box for donations or we try to make something else out of it. In this case Baby Pants.
Are you ready?
First, smooth out the shirt nice and flat so that you have two side folds.
Using a pair of pants that already fit baby, fold them in half and lay the side edge along one of the folded sides of the the T-shirt with the bottom of the pants lined up on the bottom of the T-shirt.
Cut around the pants being sure to leave about 1/2 inch seam allowance on the sides, and at least 2 inches at the top. If you are using jeans as a pattern–as I am–be sure to leave a little more because they cut them low these days…even for babies.
Sorry this is harder to see but flip the piece you just cut out over to the other folded edge and cut it out the same way.
You’ll have two pieces the same.
Open them up and place them right sides together.
Sew down the curved edge on each side, stopping at the point.
Now, re-orient the pants by matching those two seams together by laying them on top of each other. Now they should look a bit more like pants.
Sew the inside leg seam being careful to match the bottoms and the middle seams.
Fold down the top about 1 inch and sew it down, to form a casing–leaving an opening of about 1-1/2 inches.
Measure around baby’s waist and add one inch. Cut 3/4 inch wide elastic using this measurment. With a safety pin, guide elastic through the opening, around the waistband and out the other side.
Sew the two ends of the elastic securely together.
Sew the opening closed.
And now you have them…
Soft and squishy, long and cozy, cuddly and warm baby pants! Wahoo!
Our donation bag is in serious trouble now.
