 Lo Sew PANT HEM MAKEOVER
Bored with the same old pants but can’t afford a new wardrobe? Update your look by stitching retro braid around the hem of old pants or jeans. This project is so quick, it’ll take you longer to pick out the trim!
Before you can shop stuff, find a tape measure and measure around your pant hem. Add 2” to this length for overlap and multiply by two for both legs! Buy this much of each trim you like – maybe even 2 or 3 different trims that look good together.
Get everything together:
- One pair of pants – Do yourself a favor and pick a pair that’s been laundered.
- Trims or ribbons
- Threads to match
- Sewing machine
- Scissors
Sew away:
1. If your machine has a free arm for stitching pant legs, set it up. (Diagram 1). If it doesn’t have one, turn your pant legs wrong sides out and sew on the inside (Diagram 2). If you are sewing jeans or something with thick seams, make sure your machine needle is right – maybe a size 14 or 16 (for plowing through dense layers).
 2. Cut  trims in half. Decide which trim goes around the bottom and then next.
3. Fold under ˝” on the cut end of the bottom trim. Pin around bottom of pant legs. Fold under opposite end to overlap opposite end (Diagram 3). If this end is longer than 1”, trim it off. Stitch down the center or along both sides (you can decide what looks best). Repeat for other leg.
4. Stitch added rows of trim depending on what you picked out.
5. Turn pant legs right side out  if necessary. Press. 
 6. Try them on and check it out in a long mirror.
Tip: If your pants have gotten too short because your mom keeps putting them in the dryer, add wide trim to make them longer. Pin bottom row off the edge of the pant hem and stitch top edge just along the very bottom of your old hem. (Diagram 4). Top stitch overlap.
***Special thanks to Offray Ribbons for all the cool trims used here. Look for them - plus tons more - at your store.
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