How to Cut Jeans to Make a Wider Leg

Co-authored by Lois Wade

Last Updated: September 16, 2021 Approved

Found the perfect fitting pair of jeans, but aren't fond of the ankle-hugging look? Whether you want to convert straight leg jeans to accommodate boots or make a fashionable pair of bell bottoms, putting your sewing skills to work will allow you to widen the bottom of your pants and make them uniquely yours at the same time.

Steps

1
Determine how wide you want the bell to be and how far up the leg you want it to begin. To work well, the opening should not extend any further up than 1 inch below the knee.
2
Choose your insert material.
- Try to keep your insert fabric close to the weight of the pants fabric. Denim with denim, twill with twill, etc.
- Choose a patterned fabric, an alternating color, or paint or embroider on your insert for contrast. You might also match the color and weight closely for a more a subtle version.
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3
Start at the bottom of the leg on each side, using a seam ripper to open the seam to your desired length. You will sew the top of these slits closed (so that it doesn't tear anymore) later, when you add the insert (known as a 'gusset').
4
Use the seam ripper to open the hem of the leg several inches on each side of the slit. You will sew this back into place later when you hem the edge of the gusset.
5
Measure your openings.
6
Transfer measurement to gusset material.
7
Fold two pieces of your gusset material in half, one over the other, and mark your cutting line diagonally on the wrong side of the fabric.
- Be certain the diagonal cut is slightly longer than your slit length.
- When measuring where the bottom cut should begin, keep in mind that you are cutting twice the width that you are looking at because of the fold in your material (e.g. 4.5 inches will open to 9 inches).
- The reason for doing two pieces at once is to ensure that your gussets match in size and shape.
8
Cut both sides of your triangle gusset at the same time, keeping them symmetrical.
9
Turn the pants inside out.
10
Pin the gusset edges to the raw edges of the slit legs, with right sides together.
11
Stitch down the edges of your pinned gusset. It is best if you use the same amount of seam allowance as was used to create the pants.
12
Press your seams away from the gusset.
13
Turn the pants right side out and top stitch the seams. This will reinforce both your long seam as well as the top of the slit opening. You may want to backstitch several times over the top point of the slit to prevent unraveling later.
- As you top stitch, you will need to hold the area being sewn flat while allowing the pant leg to bunch up around the presser foot.
14
Roll the hems together and re-stitch the hem line.
15
Turn the pants right side out and repeat the process for the other leg.
16
Trim any loose threads. Wear them proudly!

Community Q&A

Question

Do you cut both sides of the jeans?

Community Answer

It is not necessary but it looks really cool if you cut both sides. Ripped jeans always look cooler if both the sides are ripped. Just measure the size you want to cut out and use sharp scissors to cut them.