How to lengthen children's trousers if the child has grown up

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Published: 07/10/2020

Reading time: 4 min

1 Knitted border
2 Ideas for lengthening women's trousers
3 How to lengthen pants
4 How to lengthen classic trousers (men's, women's) when there is no stock
5 cuffs
6 With lapels
7 With braid
8 Lengthening trousers at home

Knitted border

Another interesting way to lengthen your pants is to sew a knitted border or lace onto them. Needlewomen can knit such a border themselves or buy it in a specialized store. Fortunately, there is quite a large selection of different materials.

According to your taste, you can sew the border so that it extends the length of the product, and also so that it extends slightly onto the main trouser fabric. This solution will be very original, and the trousers will become more feminine.

In order to sew such a border to the trousers, you need to measure the required amount of material along the width of the trouser leg with an allowance for the side seams. Sew the knitted border along the bottom line of the trousers. Then baste and stitch the side seams on a sewing machine, and then smooth them out with an iron.

It is enough to simply lengthen any trousers using one of the listed methods. The main thing is to choose a method that suits the situation, the style of the trousers and have patience.

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Ideas for lengthening women's trousers

You can also lengthen women's pants quite easily. Because by using your imagination you can not only decorate your jeans, but also give them a unique style and personality. Nowadays, interesting solutions with lace or play of colors and textures of materials are very popular in fashion.

You can lengthen them using allowances, cuffs, lace or other textured fabrics that will brightly complement the look. However, it should be borne in mind that it is better not to use too bright elements if you plan to wear trousers to the office and to work. These options are better suited for everyday casual style.

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What materials to use

In order for overalls or pants to look beautiful after alteration, you need to responsibly choose the material used to lengthen the product. In this case, several rules should be followed:

the material of the product and insert must have the same texture and composition. The ideal option would be to use a similar fabric, but if this is not possible, then try to choose a material with the same thickness and density. In this case, you can use textured fabric, for example, corduroy or eco-leather;
The color of the insert can be any, but it must match the color of the overalls.

If the product has bright decor, then you should not additionally decorate the pant legs. But if it is appropriate, you can use sequins or ready-made embroidery.

How to lengthen pants

In order to lengthen them, you should acquire patience and the necessary materials. Also, it is quite important to have at least basic skills and understanding of the work so that the final product looks beautiful and neat.

The standard lengthening measurement is from the waist down the leg to the hem of the trousers. It is also important to consider that the correct length must be selected for the shoes with which the trousers will be worn in the future.

Important! You should consider standard trouser length standards before starting work.

Pants length standards:

European men's trouser models should be 1–2 centimeters shorter than classic ones.
The optimal length of women's trousers is to the middle of the heel of the shoe.
Classic ones should be worn so that when standing straight, there is one fold on the toe. Then the toe of the shoe will not be visible when moving.
Children's products should be comfortable for the child. However, the optimal length is ankle length.

In general, lengthening the length now will not be particularly difficult, since many manufacturers leave a sufficient amount of material during the processing of seams.

If children's pants become short - what to do?

A clipping from an old magazine will help us, where it very briefly, but succinctly, point by point, tells exactly how to make trousers or trousers for a child a little longer. And not only.

As you know, the weakest points in children's clothes are the elbows in sweaters and shirts, and the knees in pants. These places are the very first to be wiped, because children often fall straight onto their knees.

While simple patches can solve the problems of leaky fabric, they do not fulfill the task of lengthening trousers. What to do? Let's make an insert at knee level, as shown in the schematic picture of the second boy from the left. This option suits us.

Let us first list all the methods described here to lengthen children’s trousers that have become too short:

Insertion of an almost rectangular piece of fabric at knee level with partial replacement or addition of trouser material.
Lengthening the overall length of the pants by increasing the width of the trouser waistband.
Enlarging short pants by sewing additional fabric along the bottom of the product. This method is the most trivial, it is the first thing that comes to mind.
If you use a piece of waterproof material that is large enough in height along the bottom of the trouser legs, you will get additional protection from rain, moisture, and wet snow. After all, children love to run through puddles!
Convert trousers into overalls by adding straps. It is good to provide the straps with buttons or other fasteners that can be adjusted - if the child is older, slightly increase the size of the braces.

I don’t see any point in repeating the text from the picture; everyone can read it themselves and think about which option or several of the proposed ones would be more suitable in a particular case.

I have already talked about altering women's trousers in this article. This is my personal experience, it was a pity to throw away a completely good thing that for some reason I didn’t wear, and then I gained weight. This is not about how to lengthen, but about how to expand in volume. A fabric was found that was harmonious in color with the details - the belt, pocket trim and straps. Two identical strips were cut out for longitudinal inserts in the sides.

If the item has become small at the waist, the belt is so short that it does not fasten at the waist, but we do not want to increase the overall thickness of the product, then triangular additions will come to the rescue. This method, as you can see, is suitable even for leather trousers, and if there is no suitable piece of leather at home. Thick knitwear will fit nicely here. You will almost certainly have to add a small insert to lengthen the belt, and a leather belt loop can disguise it.

Children grow up very quickly. Before you have time to buy or sew trousers or overalls, after a short time they become too small. There are many ways to lengthen short children's pants

Method number 1. Insert

cuffs

An interesting way to lengthen it is to sew the cuffs to the bottom of the legs. In this option, it is not necessary to use a material with a similar texture (for example, denim) and you can take a fabric of a different color. Pants with wide cuffs will look quite elegant, and you can complement them with a fake button fastening along the side seam.

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Let's take a closer look at the stages of creating cuffs to lengthen trousers:

Select the material and cut out two rectangles of future cuffs from it, the width of which corresponds to the width of the trouser leg, and the length required with seam allowances.
Sew the pieces of fabric on a sewing machine and iron the seams.
Sew the side seams and finish the hems at the bottom.

To ensure that no one guesses about lengthening your trousers yourself, you can treat the pockets on your trousers with the same material. This decision will be very interesting, and jeans will continue to be in fashion.

Extending the sleeves

Most often it is the sleeves that have to be lengthened. The method of lengthening depends on what kind of clothing it is and what material it is made of.

The easiest way to lengthen knitted items is to simply knit them to the required length. Don't be discouraged if you don't have the right color thread. You can make symmetrical cuffs in a different color on both sleeves.

Sleeves on clothes for girls made of various materials can be lengthened using a wide strip of lace. Lace combines well with various materials and is always appropriate on girly clothes. White and black lace go well with a variety of colors. The same lace can be used to decorate other elements of clothing for symmetry - pockets, collars, hem.

Another way to lengthen sleeves is to create a layered effect. Shorten the sleeve to the middle, and then use the bottom layer to add length with a similar material of a different color. Layering is very relevant in modern fashion, so clothes will only benefit from such changes.

With lapels

An excellent option for increasing the length would be a lapel made of the same material. This addition will look very neat when finished. You need to cut out the details for the hem taking into account the height of the lapel - from 3 centimeters.

The process of performing an extension with a lapel:

Open the legs and about 2 centimeters of the side seam.
Sew the cuff pieces to the bottom edge of the trousers.
Iron the seams.
Sew the side seams of the trousers.
Treat the cuffs on the wrong side with adhesive tape and secure along the seams (if the product is made of stretch fabric, then there is no need to glue the tape).

Important! After each hemming process, you need to iron the trouser legs. This way you can be guaranteed to get high-quality lapels that will look neat in the finished version of the trousers.

How to add a bottom

The easiest way is to take your jeans to a tailor and they will do everything for you in the best possible way. But you can tinker a little, making an original thing and the only one of its kind.

So, you can add the bottom of your jeans using the following fabrics:

jeans (plain, contrasting or patterned);
genuine leather;
cotton, wool, silk or any other fabric, even brocade.

In addition to fabric, you can use:

twill tape;
braid, braid with fringe;
lace;
sewing (a strip of cotton with an ornament embossed along the edge, in the form of an embroidered pattern or hemstitch);
accessories (chains, hooks, laces and eyelets).

Let's take a closer look at how you can lengthen jeans with your own hands. First, use a foam (a part for easy ripping) to open the hem of the bottom. Remove the threads and steam with an iron.

Try it on and decide how short your jeans are now. If the length is optimal, hem it. Finish the bottom with a zigzag or overlock stitch and tuck it in one layer by 0.5 cm.

You can not hem the edge, but fluff it up, making a fringe or sew on a factory one.

Think about what style your jeans will look like after restoration: business (as much as possible in jeans), work, stylish or glamorous-eccentric.

To find out how much to add to the bottom, measure the length of the trouser leg along the midline from the top (waistband) to the bottom edge. Then measure yourself or the person you are altering for. For example, we took measurements - the required length of the jeans is 115 cm, and the trousers (with the hem cut) are 111 cm (of which minus 1 cm for the seam), which means that a strip 10 cm high is needed to fold it in half. Plus 2 cm per seam.

In total, we cut a strip 12 cm high and 1 cm wider than the bottom of the trousers. Glue, hide, sew the side seam and sew to the bottom of the trousers. The side seam and the seam along the cuff can be stitched with two lines, like on jeans.

If you want to make a cuff at the bottom of the trousers, then you need to add another height to the required height (multiplied by two, since we make the hem fabric in two layers), to which you will always tuck.

An insert or cuff made of genuine leather will be durable, but easy to care for. Poorly treated leather will bulge or shrink after washing. Jeans with leather inserts should not be dried on a radiator or heater to prevent the leather from becoming deformed.

If you choose an insert made of cotton, wool or other fabric, be sure to glue it with double-lined or non-woven fabric (strengthen it!).

Classic men's trousers are always hemmed at the bottom with twill tape to prevent the edge of the product from rubbing off. You can do the same with jeans, but first open the seam along the hemmed edge. Iron the bottom and sew on the ribbon.

The edge of the jeans does not need to be processed; it will remain inside. The tape needs to be placed on top, stitched, and then tucked inward and stitched along the other edge of the tape or sewn by hand. Finishing stitches can be made if desired.

To add decorative braid to the trousers, sewing, we do everything the same as with the tape, but sew the braid from the inside, and then turn it outside and stitch it.

To save time, you can simply sew braid, lace, frill, cuff or treated fabric to the edge of the leg.

With braid

The braid should be selected in such a way that it matches the color. To begin work, be sure to open the seams of the fabric hem and remove the threads. Then be sure to steam and smooth the fold seams well.

Important! It should be remembered that the width of the trouser leg in the front and back will be different.

In order to cut out the fabric on the part, you need to separately measure the width of both parts of the leg and the required length of the material. Be sure to take into account that there should be at least 3 centimeters left on the inside hem, and also add seam allowances. Then sew the cut pieces together and carefully press the seams. After this, baste the extensions to the trouser leg and try it on to make sure it is of sufficient length.

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The next step is to sew the seam on a sewing machine and iron it through gauze. Then baste the trouser tape and stitch it, and then sew the hem for the trouser leg and iron it again.

Lengthening trousers at home

In order to lengthen your pants at home, it is not necessary to have the same material. Other fabrics that work well include colored patches, lace or tape for trousers, and knit cuffs for sweatpants.

Other materials you may need:

sewing machine;
threads;
needle;
scissors;
piece of fabric.

Reference! In order to increase the length of your trousers, it is best to iron them before starting work. This reduces the possibility of wrinkles and, accordingly, facilitates correct measurements.

Another important point in preparing for work is measuring the width of the trouser leg and calculating the material for hemming with allowance for seams and overlock. You need to leave at least 1.5 centimeters on the sides, and at least 3 centimeters on the bottom.

Lengthen the legs

The situation with trousers is similar. The easiest way to increase the length of knitted pants is to simply knit them. Unlike sleeves, it is better to take yarn that matches the color and texture as closely as possible.

Trousers and jeans can also be lengthened. Part of the fabric always goes to the hem at the bottom, which is what we use to lengthen the legs. Open the hem and check the length. If possible, make a small fold inward, this will make the pant legs look neater. If it is not possible to make a hem, you need the entire free length, align the edge of the legs as much as possible and hem the inside with thick fabric or a special tape. This will allow the legs to keep their shape and make the lack of hem less noticeable.

In some cases, the legs cannot be lengthened, but this does not mean that the item can no longer be worn. Short jeans and sweatpants can be turned into breeches or shorts.

Advice: you shouldn’t buy clothes for your child “for future use.” Buying children's outerwear in bulk is important for stores, but it is very difficult for you to predict the growth rate of a child or his size.