DIY: Turn Shorts into a Skirt!

When I go shopping or thrifting I always make sure to keep an eye out for pieces with "potential." I figured out how to turn a pair of shorts into a skirt after mistaking several vintage rompers for dresses, and I've successfully converted quite a few into totally wearable pieces. Now I know not everyone is super-crafty and you may not have a sewing machine at your disposal, but I promise you this is easy!

You'll need:

- 1 pair of shorts

- scissors or fabric shears

- seam ripper

- sewing machine or needle & thread

- pins

FIRST, turn your shorts inside-out. Then locate the seam that runs across the crotch of your shorts from one pant leg to the other. This is the thread you're going to rip out. This is easiest to accomplish with a seam ripper, but if you don't have one you can use a pair of scissors. Just take your time and be careful not to cut any holes in the fabric.

SECOND, pin together the front two edges and the back edges of your skirt. You are basically extending the seam that runs front-to-back, so use the existing stitches as a guideline. I find it easiest to do so by pulling the new edges taught. Having a bit of extra fabric along the inside of the new seam is normal, you'll just trim it off after you're done sewing.

THIRDLY, sew the two front edges together. Remember that you're extending the existing front-to-back seam, so you should either start or end as closely as possible to that existing seam.

Do the same for the back, following the line of the existing seam to make sure your new stitches blend in. After you've sewn both the back and front edges together, you should see a garment that looks like a skirt! You're almost done!

LASTLY, finish the hem. This is easily accomplished by folding the raw bits of fabric under and aligning their folded edge with the existing hem. Make sure you sew along the thread line of the existing hem so that your new stitches blend in. If you'd like to be especially thorough, you can press these new seams (but they should fall into place after you wash your new garment).

That's it! This project shouldn't take more than half an hour to complete. I didn't think to showcase this DIY until someone asked me about it on tumblr, but it's one that I do rather frequently. Next time I turn a pair of shorts into a skirt I'll be sure to photograph each step. If anyone takes a swing at it post a photo and let me know!