Maternity Monday-DIY Maternity Shorts

And pants too! I tried on several pairs of maternity shorts recently knowing that hot humid New England summer is quickly approaching. I couldn't find a pair that looked good enough on me (think poofy diaper) to make me want to spend $35-$50. So I realized I needed to explore other options. A few months ago, inspired by this tutorial, I converted a pair of regular pink skinny jeans I got for a few bucks into maternity jeans. It worked great, but the way I did the belly band is a little bunchy and I figured I could make a few improvements to the concept. I personally like the full belly panel, as it is smoother and doesn't allow for flashes of pregnant belly. I decided to keep my eye out at the thrift store for some shorts and try my hand at it again, this time with my added improvements.

I found these shorts for $2.50 at Goodwill:

 

I bought a hideous pair of maternity cords for $5 (forgot to take before pictures) and cut the belly band off:

 

I then removed the waist band from the shorts:

 

working in quarter sections (making sure there was a little more of the material in the front than the back) I pinned and sewed the belly band to the shorts:

 

I used a zigzag stitch so that the thread would stretch with the fabric since I wasn't using elastic thread:

 

I left the zipper in and just sewed the top part shut. That way the shorts have a "real" shorts look.

 

Here is the finished product:

 

So there you have it, a pair of non-diaperesque maternity shorts for $7.50. Not bad!

 

*Using shorts or pants that have a little stretch to them works best, so that the shorts themselves also stretch a little with the belly band and create a smoother look.  

 

 

I also made a pair of white skinny jeans, from a pair of jeans I found in the juniors section at Marshall's for $15.

 

Before

 

After

 

Close up

 













My next project is to convert a pair of navy blue capris from Goodwill into shorts too.

I hope your week is swell!