How to Sew Your Own Shorts: A Step-by-Step Guide

Sewing your own shorts is a fun and rewarding project, whether you’re a beginner looking for a simple garment to practice on or an experienced sewist wanting to customize your wardrobe. Here’s how I sewed my own pair of shorts, step by step!

What You’ll Need

✅ A shorts sewing pattern (commercial or self-drafted)

✅ Fabric (lightweight cotton, linen, or knit fabrics work well)

✅ Matching thread

✅ Elastic (if making elastic-waist shorts)

✅ Scissors or rotary cutter

✅ Pins or clips

✅ Sewing machine

✅ Iron

Step 1: Choose a Pattern and Fabric

I started by picking a simple shorts pattern. There are many beginner-friendly patterns available online. I chose a basic elastic-waist style for comfort and ease.
Be sure to pre-wash your fabric to avoid shrinkage later.

Step 2: Cut Out the Fabric Pieces
I laid out my fabric on a flat surface and pinned my pattern pieces on top. Following the pattern instructions, I cut out two front pieces and two back pieces, plus waistband pieces if required.
Always remember to cut notches or mark any pattern markings—they’ll help with accurate assembly later!

Step 3: Sew Front and Back Pieces
First, I placed the two front pieces right sides together and sewed along the center front seam. I repeated this for the back pieces, sewing along the center back seam.
Then I pressed the seams open with my iron for a neat finish.

Step 4: Join Front and Back
Next, I placed the front and back pieces right sides together and stitched the side seams and inner leg seams. This created the basic shape of the shorts.
Step 5: Sew the Crotch Curve
I matched up the inner leg seams and carefully sewed the crotch curve in one continuous seam. This helps the shorts fit comfortably.
Step 6: Attach the Waistband
For an elastic waistband, I folded the top edge of the shorts over to form a casing, leaving a small opening to thread the elastic through. I stitched around the casing, then used a safety pin to guide the elastic through.
Once the elastic was in place, I overlapped and stitched the ends together, then closed the opening.
Step 7: Hem the Shorts
Finally, I folded the bottom edges of each leg up twice to create a clean hem. I pressed the folds and stitched around each leg opening.
Step 8: Give It a Final Press
I gave my new shorts a final press with the iron to smooth out the seams and hems. And voilà—my handmade shorts were ready to wear!

I will soon post on my tiktok a video of how it's made ! Follow @ladydi_ea !