Who would have thought that I was crafty? Not me! A couple of days ago I was looking for a pair of shorts for the summer, but couldn’t find any that I liked. Too short, too tight, too big, wrong color, etc. So I walked back home and realized I still had an old pair of jeans that I put in the charity bag. I took them out, looked at them and thought that these would look really good as a pair of shorts! But how can I do that myself? The internet!! You got to love the internet! Last year I saved a few videos about sewing techniques and one on how to make your own shorts. I love a challenge, so let’s go!

Making a pair of shorts

The scariest part is the actual cutting of the jeans. I’m asking myself all of these questions in my head: ‘Am I cutting it the right way?’, ’Is it not going to be too short?’. Okay, here we go! Cutting into the jeans, and the first leg is falling on the floor! Well, there is no way back so let’s go for the other one! The video said to cut it into a diagonal, leaving the longest bit on the inside. (good tip!) I like a neat look, so I folded the ends of the cut pants and sewed it here. Now, I’m not experienced at all with sewing, so it’s not the nicest sewing, but who’s going to look with a magnifying glass? From a distance it looks very decent!  Pair of shorts? Check!! Sore fingers? Check!!

A summer bag

I looked at the leftover fabric and didn’t want to throw it away. Hmm, what can I make of the leftovers? A small bag!! Yes! Okay, how do I start? I’m folding it in all possible ways until I have a shape that I like, sewed the ends and had my foundation for a bag. Considering I have a lot of stuff to carry, I should probably make some extra compartments, so I made 2 extra compartments. Starting to look good! To carry a bag, a handle/strap will come in handy, I took some more of the leftover fabric and sewed a strap. But I still didn’t have a way to close the compartments. 

Don’t forget about the purse!

Hmm, I’m a bit bored now. This new hobby filled up my evening quite nicely. Hey, I have one more piece of fabric! Maybe I can make a small purse out of this one! I took the needle and thread again, a button, and made a cute purse to match my new summer bag. Awesome!!

A few tips:

• Pay attention when sewing! If not, you’ll end up with bloody fingers. 
• Pin the piece of fabric where you want to sew it for guidance
• Use the correct needle. A thicker needle works better for jeans fabric.
• Use the right sewing technique.
• Don’t underestimate yourself, you can do more than you think!

Are you crafty? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comment section below! Did you enjoy reading this post? Don’t forget to press ‘Like’.