Making cuffs for kids pants is easier than you think. Mama Can Do It will be releasing their Fit Pants for boys soon, and although it uses hemmed cuffs, it’s easy-peasy to add fabric cuffs instead.
Step One: Measure your pants. Measure the width of the bottom of your pants and multiply by two. For example, in this picture, the width of my pants is 5.5 inches, so my total width per cuff is 11 inches.
This measurement creates cuffs which will fit your pants with no need to stretch as you sew. You can also make your cuffs slightly smaller for a more tapered/fitted look. I chose a height of two inches which will create a narrow cuff. You can make it taller if you’d like.
Step Two: Make a Pattern Piece. I like to draw out a pattern piece with the cuff dimensions. This is especially helpful if I will be reusing the pattern frequently.
Step Three: Cut your cuffs. Using your pattern piece (or measurements), cut two cuffs. I used pictures from two different pairs of pants here, which is why my measurements differ in each picture.
Step Four: Assembling Your Cuffs. Serge or sew the short end of your cuffs. Then bring your raw ends together and pin or clip at quarter points.
Step Five: Attaching Cuffs. Mark the quarter points on your pants leg (where you want the cuff to go). Pin or clip your cuffs (right sides together).
Step Six: Sew/Serge Your Cuffs On. Carefully sew or serge your cuff to your pant leg. Take your time and don’t stretch the band or the pant leg.
Step 7: You’re Done! Flip your cuffs down, press, and topstitch if desired. It’s that easy!
Bonus Hack: Occasionally you may want to shorten pants before you’ve gotten to the cuffing/hemming stage, but after the pants themselves have been constructed. You can eliminate steps one and two by simply marking where you want your pants to end and cutting your cuffs from the excess fabric that you might otherwise throw away. This is a nice trick for creating cuffs which match your pant fabric.
