Tutorial: Making Maternity Pants

So, I'm finally at the point where I can no longer wear regular pants and have had to make the move into maternity pants. I have one of the Belly Bands from Motherhood Maternity store, which was like $15.. and it's ok. I don't love it, but I don't hate it, I just have to constantly tug at it to keep it in place. But it's a great idea and it works for a quick solution.
Lord knows I'm not about to buy maternity jeans at that store or any other store that charges over $30 a pair. Sorry, but I don't even spend that much on regular jeans that I wear all the time. Plus, now that I'm working at Target, I needed some khakis. I lucked out and found a pair at the Goodwill that were maternity, so that was awesome, but I needed more than one pair. So this is my tutorial on how I turned a pair of cheap Goodwill-bought khaki's into maternity-wear. I've watched a few other video tutorials. This is basically the same concept.


First I took an old stretchy camisole that I was no longer wearing and cut the top part off, leaving just a tube of material:

Next I took the lucky pair of pants, and cut around the top, basically above the seam of the pants all the way around:

I cut above the seam to give about a half-inch inseam, and I will be sewing right underneath the hard seam of the pants. If that makes any sense.. ?


So next, I take the tube of material, and pull it over the pants, bringing the cut sides together, like so:

Basically, this is how it will look after it's sewn. All right sides are facing out and I pin it together and sew all around the pants.

This picture may appear confusing.. the white panel on the left is the other side of the pants. Where I'm sewing is the inside of the pants and the white material is underneath that. But you see how I'm sewing under the original seam of the pants. I also use that as my guide to make it straight.


I start sewing at the side seam and work my way around. You may need to adjust and tug a little at the stretchy material to make sure it all fits around right... especially around the zipper part. I am careful about sewing over the zipper metal and take this part quite slowly. This particular pair, I left the zipper in, because I can still zip these pants up, but otherwise, you may need to make adjustments to the zipper area.. i.e. sewing it closed.

But you should end up with this basically when you're finished.

and this when you put them on:

this is with the panel all the way up. I actually wear mine with the panel folded down, which is why I sew it the way I do, so that that the inside seams aren't showing when it's rolled down:

Not that you can really even see it when I wear a shirt over it, but, you know, just in case.


and tada!!! Maternity pants that aren't $40!!
Khaki's at Goodwill: $5.00
Old shirt I wasn't wearing anyways: Basically free


Hope this helps!!!