How to Sew Your Own Pajama Pants

Step 6 Sew the waistband

If your recipient is available, now is a good time to have a fitting. You want to make sure the rise of the pants will be comfortable. The rise is the distance from the crotch to the waist. Too short and the pants will ride too low. Nothing says comfy and relaxed less than worrying that your coin slot will show in the Christmas pictures. If the rise is too high, you'll have grandpa pants that hike up to your armpits and you'll end up outside shouting at kids to get off your lawn. Get the person inside the pants (if you can) so you have an idea of how much you'll need to fold down the waist to get a comfortable rise. If you don't have the actual person, use the pants you used to make the pattern as a guide. Mark the hems on the legs after you've marked the rise.

Fold down the top of the fabric about 1 / 2 inch and press. Then fold it down again about 1 inch and press. This will hide the raw edge of the fabric inside and form the tunnel for the elastic waist. Pin all the way around the waist but leave an opening about 3 long and mark it with pins so that we'll have a place to thread the elastic in.

Sew around the waist close to the fold of the fabric, stopping when you get to the place where you marked the opening.

Comments

[marglover]

A great source for elastic is your hubby's worn out underwear. The underwear usually croaks way before the top band. Nice wide elastic and it didn't cost a thing! :)

[deborahabe]

Thanks for awesome instructions. I was able to make a toddler a matching pair of pajama bottoms out of a pajama top utilizing the sleeves as legs. I also appliqued a plain Toddler shirt to match the pants. (To find similar matching pajamas for my daughter & 2 granddaughters cost $160 total online.) Though I had to buy an additional pair of women's pajamas in order to make the toddler pants, I used just the top—allowing my other daughter to have the intact PJ pants. By doing it this way, I only spent $80 for all 4 people. I think they will be thrilled on Christmas Eve.

[lmohamedi]

jus made ma sista a pair and it luks wickid i want to sew the pyjama top now buh where to find it )

[magestuff]

Thank you so much for these instructions. I am making lounge pants for my daughter right now! I am at step 6 and it looks so pretty already. Got to go buy wide elastic as I think it will help to keep elastic from twisting after a few uses. Does this happen to you? any tips? By the way this is the first time I am making any kind of clothing for my kids and I am very excited.

[CoffeeWoman]

If you put a tack (several small stitches on top of each other - you can also use a brief zig-zag stitch with the stitch length set to 0) at the four compass points of the waistband, that helps considerably with the rolling/twisting factor without interfering with the stretch of the elastic.

[compwalla]

The wide elastic does help and so does sewing your casing as narrow as you can get away with. I try to sew mine just slightly wider than the elastic I'm using so there isn't as much room for the elastic to turn around in the casing in the washing machine. Good luck!

[magestuff]

thanks for the info. I finished two lounge pants for my kids. They look great and they love them too. I went with the wider elastic. but next time I'll use a narrow one. Now that I know I can sew something sucessfully I am moving onto coats for kids!

[lissa13082]

Thanks for this information. It was SO easy to follow and actually fun! I had the pattern out for PJ pants and was so confused, I thought I'd never figure it out! And I couldn't understand all the wording! It's a lot easier than I thought it would be! I'll be making a lot more of these for me and everyone around me! Thanks again! Have any tips on pajama tops by any chance????

[compwalla]

My tip for PJ tops? Buy a t-shirt that matches your pants! LOL! All kidding aside, I'm glad you enjoyed the tutorial. :)