DIY Guest Post by Parrish from “Life With The Crust Off“

Ok so before I begin I have a few disclaimers.

1. I am not a seamstress, I do this for fun and have taught myself, probably the wrong way lol.
2. This is a quick and easy way to make shorts, if you want something fancier, there are patterns out there for that.
3. The pictures suck big time, it was raining and I was unaware Dean had smeared his fingers all over the lens until after I took the pictures.
4. Yes the fabric I am working with is wrinkly, it was down the bottom of my sewing bag.
5. You should use a wider elastic for the waistband, I used what I had on hand and it works fine, but thicker would be better.

So now that we have gotten that out of the way here is my tutorial on how I make Dean shorts out of his dad’s old shirts. I like doing this because the shorts are very light being that t-shirt material is very light and cool and it’s free, one quick run through daddy’s closet and you got yourself a whole summers worth of shorts for free, take that Baby Gap! Oh and you are recycling and reusing which is pretty awesome!

Sooooo here we go. I have never done a tutorial like this so let see what happens.

First find a shirt and fold it in half making sure to match up all seams and hems.

Next get a pair of shorts that already fit your toddler well, fold them in half and place them on the shirt, matching the bottom hem of the shorts to the bottom hem of the shirt. Cut along the outline of the shorts leaving space for seam allowance and enough space at the top for the wideness of your elastic for the waistband and waistband seam.

You will have a longer top than me if you are using wider elastic.

Now you have your two pieces of fabric, which you will want to unfold and line up with each other right sides facing in. Sew along the sides, only the areas I marked.

This part is hard to explain but you want to pick up the shorts and match the 2 seams you just sewed to each other, these will form your shorts.

Sew the crotch area with one seam all the way across. Turn right side out to double check everything and look your almost done!!

Now get the shorts that already fit and use the waistband as a guide for how long to cut your elastic. Just lay the elastic from one end of the waistband to the other and then double it and cut it.

Flip shorts wrong side out, fold over the waistband making sure you have given enough room for the elastic and seam. Then pin the waistband.

Flip shorts right side out again and sew along waistband, leave ample space for the width of the elastic waistband. DO NOT sew the waistband closed, you need to leave an opening to thread the elastic through and make to give yourself a big enough opening to work with.

Now take a safety pin and attach it to the end of the elastic and stick that in the waistband opening and work it all the way around the shorts till it come out the other side of the opening. Pull the ends a little so you have enough excess elastic to sew together.

Stitch the two ends of the elastic together and straighten out the elastic in the waistband and then finish sewing the waistband closed. You can additionally sew a small line from back seam to the top of the waistband to secure the elastic in place, and repeat with the front seam. This will prevent the elastic from twisting.

There you go!!

Shorts are done!!!

And didn’t cost me a penny!

Dean certainly loves them!!

Thanks so much, Parrish! ♥

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Hi, Ducks ‘N A Row readers. I am Scary from Shaffer Sisters, this is not actually my name but a nickname given to me by my sisters, Al and Jo, a long time ago with a great amount of love and it has stuck ever since.

I am a mommy to sweet almost 4 year old boy (Ryder) that has way too much energy and cuddly 1 1/2 year old girl (Boston). They both look like carbon copies of my husband’s genes which would bother me a whole lot more if he wasn’t such a good looking guy.

6 Years Ago Slim Jim and I were married, then we had these two cute kids that keep us on our toes. I was looking for our most recent family picture and I was horrified the last one we have was last Halloween, a situation I am hoping to remedy soon.

My favorite domestic chores to do are cooking and sewing. A week seems incomplete if I have not sat down to sew. 50% of what my kids wear is hand crafted. This really a win-win-win for our family because sewing and designing is so relaxing for me, I am able afford clothes that fit my tall skinny kids and they love having things that match their style and personality (click here for more sewing projects for boys or girls).

I am a strong believer that sewing doesn’t have to be a budget buster (Bold on Budget) you just have to be creative about where you get fabric from and when you get started don’t feel like you have to spend a fortune on patterns there are a lot of free tutorials and patterns that will give you great results.

Before moving to the Salt Lake Valley, we lived in a little college town in Idaho where knit was hard to come by. At the change of season, I would scour the clearance rack of Wally World looking for knits that I could refashion for my kids, prices ranging from $1-$3 (Most of them were 2XL or 3XL, whoot! whoot!).

When I got home I would throw my treasures in the washing machine (always prewash knit because it will always shrink, sometimes a little and sometimes a lot) and wait for the perfect moment to use it.

Pattern testing (for more on that check out our Beginners Guide to Pattern Testing) is a budget friendly way that I have been able to get several patterns lately. Though pattern testing is not for the faint of heart, it is great way to get a complimentary pattern.

This project was a $1 long sleeve Tee that I had found in the women’s section that I loved the fabric and have been waiting for over a year to find the perfect project to apply it to. I was lucky enough to get in on Sierra Dress (affiliate link) pattern test over at Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop.

I used the existing hem from the shirt for the bottom of the dress and the sleeves. The Sierra Dress (affiliate link) was easy to follow and has lots options; with a Dress, Tunic and Top Length, Short or Long Sleeves options, a Notched or Banded Neckline, an option for a cut out pockets with contrast trim and Color Blocking for Dress or Tunic Length.

When I buy patterns I like to know that it will be able to used a them a lot of different ways and this pattern has those options. I also love how well it moves with every direction that Boston is running.

I think this little black dress is going to be a staple in her fall wardrobe. What are your favorite ways to save money on your crafting or sewing projects? What is your most affordable project that you have done lately?
My sisters and I would love to have you come join our Inspire Us Link Up Party each Tuesday.
If you want to see what we will make next follow us with one of the following:

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Thanks so much, Shaffer Sisters!

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Daddy's Old Shirt Becomes New Toddler Shorts

DIY Guest Post by Parrish from “Life With The Crust Off“

$1 Sierra Dress