Tutorial: DIY Maternity Jeans

I'm not a fan of maternity jeans - I'm too cheap to buy jeans that can only be worn for a few months.  I usually try to get away with the rubber band around the button trick and a belly band.  With this being baby number five, my spare tire has gotten out of control a little sooner than I'd like and between that and my baby belly I've been stopping to pull up my ill-fitting pants constantly.

Finally, after reaching my "waste-band digging into my belly" limit, I sat down on the internet to order a pair of maternity jeans.  Boy are they expensive…the cute ones, anyway.  Plus, who knows if they're going to fit.  Ordering jeans online is quite a risk. 

This is where the DIY maternity jeans idea was born.

Let me start by saying I didn't prewash my fabric, I didn't plan, I didn't research and I didn't use heavy-duty thread, but they turned out great and cost under $30.

Supplies:  $10.50 Forever 21 stretchy skinny jeans

                 $16.99 Belly Band from Target
                 black thread

I started by cutting out the zipper and stitching the fly closed.  (My sewing machine isn't heavy-duty enough to handle sewing over a zipper).

After sewing the fly shut, cut around the front.  I cut lower in front to accommodate the belly.

If it's easier to visualize this way - this is the piece that was removed.

Put right sides together...

…and stitch along the seam of the belly band.

Flip them right-side out and try them on!

I ended up washing them after the fact and they did fine.  The combination of the stretch in the jeans and the lack of zipper make these feel like sweats.  I've now worn them three days in a row.   Shhh…don't tell.