How to Make an Adjustable Waistband the Easy Way

I have been searching for the perfect light wash jeans for about a year now.  I never really found any.  So I made something work, like I’ve learned to do recently.  I used this technique to fix all 5 of my professional dress pants that I got from target.

Some pants can be altered this way, and some can’t.  Here’s how to figure it out.  Take your fingers and try to pull apart the two layers of fabric that form your waistband on your pants.  If they can pull apart around the whole waistband, then you can use this technique.  If not, check out this tutorial for an alternative route.

You’ll need:

Pants

elastic (I use woven, and make sure it’s thinner than your waistband)

Buttons

Needle and Thread

Safety Pin

First, mark where you want your buttons to be on the inside of your pants.  I usually put them where a belt loop is on the outside of the pants so your stitches to hold your button don’t show. (Do this on both sides of your pants, I just pictured one side.)

Then lay your elastic on the inside of your pants, and cut it to size matching it up with your button marks.

Now we’ll mark where we want our buttonholes.  I did the first hole 1/2 inch from the edge, and then spaced the other two holes 1 1/2 inches apart.  I only do three holes, but you can do more if you’d like.

Make button holes on both ends of the elastic piece.  A little nervous about making button holes?  Check out this tutorial from Dana @ Made.  She makes it easy.

Sew both buttons on over your button marks.  I start the knot on the inside of the pants, and also end the knot of the inside to make it as invisible as possible.  I used yellow thread here, but you could use something that actually matches your pants.

Then take your seam ripper and make a slit to form a casing in your waistband.  The hole should be on the back side of the button.  You don’t want your hole closer to the zipper side.  (That was really hard to explain!  Let me know if you have questions.  The next pictures may help too.)

Now take one end of your elastic, roll it up so it makes it kind of bulky, and pin it.  Then thread your elastic through your casing.  When you get close to the end, make sure to button your elastic to your pants so your don’t lose the other end of your elastic inside the pants!

Here’s an inside view of them all done.  I usually wear my pants set to the second button.  As they wear and get washed, I usually can put it back at the first.  The waistband looks a little scrunchy when you’re not wearing them, but once they are on they look smooth.  Super simple, and now you won’t have falling-off pants!

And while we’re on the subject of jeans, I’ll show you what I did to these boring pockets!  Embroidery thread fun stitch, and that’s what I came up with.  I searched for a tutorial for you, but I couldn’t find it’s “generation,” correct stitch.  If you want to know how, let me know and I’ll make a quick tutorial.

Hope you’re having a fabulous day!

~Lynette~