Easy Breezy Wrap Pants Tutorial

In my last post, I showed off some photos of the wrap pants I made. Today I’m going to show you how to make your own!

Note: Please don’t use this tutorial for commercial purposes. I made the decision to post this tutorial despite the fact that I’m currently offering these pants for sale in my Etsy shop, http://Laupre.Etsy.com, because I love to share. If you like this tutorial, please take a moment to stop by my shop and have a look. Thanks!

These pants are the perfect solution for hot summer days. The slit sides allow for a cool breeze while still giving you plenty of coverage. For a long time I thought I couldn’t make myself a pair of pants. I struggled with a number of different patterns and could never manage to make anything I’d be willing to wear out of the house. Now that I’ve worked out how to make these, I never want to take mine off! In this tutorial I won’t be giving you many specific measurements, and you won’t need to calculate any formulas to get started. I use an organic, freeform way to get the right size and I’ll explain how I do it as we go.

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There are just a few supplies that you’ll need to make these pants:

Fabric: I used two yards for this tutorial. I cut the width of the fabric to fit the waist and cut the length to the length I wanted the pant.

Ribbon or Ties: Good quality grosgrain ribbon makes excellant ties and are a quick and easy way to do it. You can also make your own ties with lengths of fabric sewn into tubes or straps. You’ll need four pieces as long as you want then (mine are about an arm’s length).

Sewing supplies: Thread, Scissors, Sewing machine or needle, Iron

Step 1

You’ll want two rectangles of fabric. They should be wide enough to wrap all the way around your waist with some overlap. (for those of you that need a measurement, an extra 12 inches over your waist measurement or so should do) It will need to be wide enough to cut out the crotch area and to make a hem at each end. I suggest going bigger than you think you’ll need the first time you try it. It’s really easy to make a larger hem or trim it down once it’s together if they’re too big. If you end up with pants that are too small, though, you can always add extra panels to the sides. They look great in a contrasting color! The rectangles should be the length you want them to hang plus enough for a hem on top and on the bottom.

Place right sides together and fold the rectangles together so that the sides of the pants are all together and the top and bottom of the pants are at opposite ends.

Step 2

Cut out the crotch area. You’re going to cut a shape like a half of a U along the center fold. If you want an exact shape you can borrow a piece from a pants pattern and follow that line. Otherwise you should be able to wing it. Take a look at the curve on a regular pair of pants if you’re unsure. I use the width of my hand at the knuckles to gauge how far to cut in from the center fold and about about a hand and a half (wrist to fingertips wise) from the top of the pants. The deeper you cut from the top of the pants in this step, the higher you waistline will be. For a rough estimate, I’d say to make the cut about 4 inches wide and about 11 inches from the top of the pant. This measurement doesn’t have to be precise, the design of the pant is very simple!

When you unfold the rectangles you’ll see your U:

Make a curved seam along this U. This is the only curved seam you’ll have to worry about! Stitch it, serge it, bind it… however you like to finish it, just make sure it’s a nice strong seam. I like to top stitch it as well for extra strength

Step 3

Now you’ve got a giant pair of pants!

It’s time to hem all the rough edges. Yes, there are a lot of edges to hem. This is my least favorite activity because it’s just a bunch of straight lines, I suggest turning on some music and singing along so loudly that the neighbor’s dog starts to howl while you do it (or at least that works for me when I start to get bored). As a little tip, use your iron to press your hems well before you begin to sew! A good press will make it remarkably easier to get good straight lines for your hems. I usually do the sides first, then the bottom hem, and I’ll cover the waistband in the next step. In other words, hem all of the lengths of fabric that don’t have the crotch seam in them.

Step 4

All that is left to sew now is the waistband and add the ties. These are done together as one step. First, fold and press the hems for the two waistband sections (the two sides that have a seam in them.) Take your four ties and pin one to each end of the waistband, inside the fold.

Now stitch up the waistband along your hem. Be sure that your ties are sewn on securely. I like to use multiple rows of stitching. (If you’re using ribbon for your ties be sure that the free ends are finished either by hemming, tying a knot, or however you like.)

And now your pants are complete!

Wear them tied in front or tied in back and enjoy.

Just in case you missed it in my last post, here are the instructions on how to tie them on: