Want to make your own cutoff shorts? I'm all for just cutting them off and letting them fray, but sometimes I like to add my own little touches to help them look not quite so "homemade". For this pair of cutoff jeans, I added a bit of lace at the bottom. I think it pairs quite nicely with the stitching around the pockets.

Do you follow me on Instagram? If not, you're missing out. You will get a sneak peak at what I'm working on before it hits the blog. These shorts are one example.

Recently, during a shopping trip, my daughter was pestering me about getting her some shorts. There was not even one pair that I felt were long enough. So we came home and made our own. I've made my share of cut off shorts over the years. One summer, I did a whole series on them. I made ric rac and button shorts, flag pocket shorts, shorts with simple ribbon accents, and even painted shorts. This time I added lace accents along the cuffed edge.

Cutoff Shorts with Lace Accents

Let's get started:

How to Make cutoff Shorts with Lace

You will need:
jeans
lace
coordinating thread
sewing machine
scissors

To begin, cut off the shorts about two inches longer than the desired length. Then fold them inside about one inch, fold again one inch more and pin in place.

With matching thread, sew all the way around each leg to secure.

Now it's time to add the lace. First, I sewed under about 1/4 inch of the lace on the short end, to prevent fraying. Then I started pinning it in place around the bottom of the shorts. I've found that it's best to sew the lace on and cut it when you're almost done with the stitching. Sometimes my measuring is wrong or my sewing a bit crooked. If I wait to cut it, then I'm sure to have enough lace to go all the way around.

I begin sewing about an inch or two after the start of the lace. Be sure to change your thread to coordinate with the lace.

Once I get all the way around, I flip it up so the pieces are overlapping and the finished edge is on top.

Continue to sew until you reach where you started. I also stitched along the bottom to secure the lace and so that it would stay flat even after washing.

Repeat with the other leg and you're done!

Coming soon - I'm sharing a regular cuffed pair of shorts. I'm excited because I've got VIDEO! You'll be able to see how I hem the shorts by hand, so that they look like they're just rolled up, but they stay in place.

Also, I'm putting together a roundup of lots of cutoff shorts ideas for your kids. You don't want to miss it. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to get my latest posts right in your inbox!


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