DIY (Easy Sew) Star Wars pajama pants!

Many thanks to Terminix for sponsoring this post. As always, opinions and photos of cute kids are all my own. 

My son has been growing, growing, growing. I feel like I’m always looking for clothes deals for this kid, and on occasion I do come across many great things for him. However, pajamas can be an issue, now that he’s at this in between size. Earlier this summer, I bought Star Wars fabric, with my husband in mind. Oh yes. I was going to make him Star Wars pajama pants for Father’s Day. (Spoiler alert: I haven’t made them yet.) I made my husband pajama pants a few years ago and he wears them weekly. I’m only a tiny bit surprised at how well they’ve held up. (So really, I need to get going on that Father’s Day present!)

Anyway, do you know what is fun, cute and takes an hour to make? Star Wars pajama pants that I sewed myself. Without a real pattern. Just flying by the seat of my pants. (Pun kind of intended.) 

What you need: 

Wrapping paper (for the pattern)
Fabric of your choice
Elastic about 3/8″ or half inch in width.
Basic sewing skills and a sewing machine

Take a pair of pajama pants and fold in half/flatten them so you can trace the profile of the pajamas onto wrapping paper. (You can do this with pattern paper, but I had wrapping paper on hand.) Then draw an outline about 1 to 2 inches around your profile. This will allow for hem allowance. Make sure you add about 2 inches at the waist and the bottom of the pants. I wanted mine to be longer so my son can wear them for a while longer.

Fold your fabric in half. Because these were kid pajamas, I was able to fold my fabric in on both sides and the wrapping paper pattern would fit on both “halves.” The long straight side of the pattern was on the fold, and I cut around the pattern. Do this for both sides so you have two pieces. 

Fold the fabric so the right sides are touching (see that top left photo – I’m pointing to where I pinned the fabric together). Sew along the straight part of the leg, from the ankle to the crotch. Do this for both legs. Turn one of the legs right side out. Slide one of the legs into the other, so the right sides are facing each other. (Just make sure that the crotch areas are matched up.) Sew along the crotch using about a 3/8″ inch seam allowance. Turn turn the pants inside out. 

Next you’ll work on the waistband. Fold the waist over about an inch. Then fold over again. Press with an iron, and sew around the bottom portion of this folded piece all the way around the waist, leaving about 2 to 3 inches open. (I used that opening as the “back” of the pants.) Using a safety pin to help guide the elastic, slide the elastic in your 2-3 inch opening, and pull through the entire waist. 

I actually fit the elastic it on my son before cutting it to the length I needed – and I kept it long while I threaded it through the waist. I wanted to be sure it was snug enough without being too tight. 

Once the elastic is all the way through, sew the elastic closed. Slide the rest of the elastic back into the waist band of the pants, and sew the 2-3 inch opening closed. 

Finally hem the bottom of the pants. I hemmed about an inch. I want the pants to still be a little long. My son will get some wear out of these until he’s too tall for them. (And then I will make them into shorts!) 

Also I realize this last photo is a little blurry. My son was actually on the move, tired of photos, and we were headed back inside. But note the length of the pants. They come over his feet. And the poor baby was upset that she wasn’t with us for pictures.