How To Cut Jeans Into Shorts

Give an old pair of jeans a new life by learning how to cut jeans into shorts. You can cut the jeans into shorts that have frayed edges or if, if you have the time and inclination, fold the hems under and stitch them to conceal the cut side. After you've cut the jeans, you can embellish the shorts any way you want or leave them plain, perfect for relaxing in on a weekend or while on vacation.

To cut jeans into shorts, you will need:

• Ruler or measuring tape
• Disappearing ink pen
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Matching thread (optional)
• Sewing machine (optional)

1. Pull the jeans on. Measure down from your waist to the spot that you want the shorts to hit and mark it with the disappearing ink pen. If you plan on folding the hem and stitching it, add about an inch to your measurements.
2. Take the jeans off. Trace all along the circumference of the jeans' thighs with the pen.  Use the ruler to make sure the line is even all the way around.
3. Make a small cut at one point on the line with the scissors. Cut the jeans into shorts with the scissors, following the line all the way around. You want cut to cut one layer of the jeans at a time, instead of doubling the jeans over and cutting through all layers at once.
4. Fold the hem up half an inch, then another half an inch if you want to conceal the raw edge. Pin the folded hem in place, then stitch around the leg openings of the shorts, about 3/8 of inch away from the bottom edge.
5. Embellish your new jeans shorts as you wish. You can add some decorative tears and rips on the legs or rough up the top edges of the front pockets. You can also cut the belt loops off to give your shorts a deconstructed look. If you decided to leave the hems unsewn, you can cuff them by folding them up one inch.