DIY Maternity Jeans

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 If you don’t follow me on Instagram (@sewmuchado), you may be surprised to see the photo above, but it’s me! Yep, number four is on the way and due at the end of March. We find out the gender today, and I can’t wait! I’ll be sure to keep you all posted :).

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I spent the other evening in a maternity store, trying on every pair of maternity jeans that they have. Most of the maternity jeans I already have fit best later on in pregnancy, and I was sick of feeling frumpy in my regular jeans. I came home with one pair, but wasn’t thrilled with them. I was even less thrilled when I tried them on again at home.

The next morning I woke up and had another look through my closet and bin of maternity clothes. I came across a pair of jeans that I always liked, but had a broken zipper, and then it dawned on me that I should use them to make my own maternity jeans.

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I grabbed a pair of old maternity jeans that I had been given from my sister (who had been given them by her sister-in-law, lol), that were not exactly in style anymore, but had a band that I liked. I cut the waistband off as close to where it was sewn to the jeans as I could, and took it in quite a bit on one side so it would be snug enough on my mid-pregnancy belly to hold my jeans up. If you don’t have a pair of maternity jeans that you can steal a band from, you could use a belly band, or make your own with knit fabric. If making your own, make sure to add the curve for the front of the jeans when you cut it out, and I’d also recommend using knit with lycra or spandex in it. Without the lycra or spandex, the knit will likely stretch out and you’ll have issues keeping your pants up :).

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Next I cut the waistband of the jeans off, right under the waistband on the back, and dipping down into a curve in the front. I then stitched around the top, securing the pockets and belt loops to the top raw edge where I had cut.

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Right sides together, I pinned the band to the top of the jeans, adjusting so that the band would evenly stretch around the entire top of the jeans. I used a zigzag stitch to stitch them together, and they were done!

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The transformation literally took about 20 minutes from start to finish, and these are the best mid-pregnancy jeans I’ve had yet out of all my pregnancies. The band holds the jeans up well without me having to constantly adjust them, and the jeans themselves are comfortable. The best part is that they actually look like regular jeans rather than maternity jeans (because they are!), which makes me love wearing them even more.

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The top above is one of my Seafarer Tops – they’ve been so great so far with pregnancy, and I’ll be posting a tutorial soon on how to alter the pattern for a full belly! Stay tuned for some fun posts this week, including a book review and a fabric giveaway! Hope you have a happy Monday!

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19 Comments

  1. how did I think I already knew this? Other than ig? I’m a clairvoyant! congrats lady! and family! and the switch to WP is so pretty, need to do that one of these days. I suppose you did it all yourself though.

    1. Definitely clairvoyant :). And thanks! As for WP, I did the design myself but hired out the actual switch – email me when you’re ready and I can give you all the details!

  2. Oh wow, such happy news- congrats! I am at 6 months along with #2. I would love to see a maternity tutorial on the Seafarer Top (you know, whenever you have time between wrangling 3 kiddos…!)

    1. Congrats to you Julie! And a tutorial will definitely be coming soon, I’m not sure how much longer my regular Seafarer’s will fit :).

  3. HAHAHA YES if you don’t use something with lycra/spandex your pants WILL have some major difficulties partway through the day. GUILTY!
    You look so darn cute and congrats congrats congrats! So excited to find out the gender, babies are just the best!

  4. I did this, but I used old cami tops that were stained. Just flipped them upside down, so the hem became the top. They worked perfect!
    I also made me a jean skirt, using this same idea, cami for the stretchy part. Took an old pair of my hubby’s jeans that he never wore. Unpicked the inseam. Flipped the jeans upside down, so the knees/ankle part would be my waist, and the crotch would be where it would hit on my knees. Sewed it up, and wore the heck out of it for a couple of months. So comfy! It is awesome to see what you can make work when you are desperate for clothes, and don’t want to spend a bunch while you are pregnant.

  5. Um…so I definitely follow you on IG but I have been off IG for while so I have not heard the news yet! I am SO excited for you! Congrats!! Great job on the jeans too!

  6. I’m also pregnant with #4!! Not as far along with you tho but I’m excited to use this tut in the future. I’d love to make more maternity clothes this time around and I knew the seafarer top would be perfect for it! Thanks for sharing!

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