12 Days of Christmas: Day 9

Christmas is only 68 days away!

It's day 9 of our 12 Days of Christmas celebration, and we've got a tutorial for making everyone's favorite winter wearable: flannel pants! Be sure to check out the other holiday decor-themed tutorials and fabric lines we're featuring, and don't miss the giveaways--win some of our favorite holiday fabrics to get your own project started!

On the ninth day of Christmas, we have:

Flannel pants featuring the Christmas Flannel collection

This pattern works for any size because you use a pair of existing pants as your template! Then we use the pillowcase burrito method to add a contrasting cuff--no exposed seams! Just flannel coziness for your legs for those chilly winter days!

Here are the flannels we used, making three different sizes of kids' pants (but these don't have to be just for kids--we tell you how to calculate your fabric needs for adult pants below):

Materials:

Main fabric:

Yardage needed varies based on pants size.* You'll need to fold the fabric over and fit a pair of folded pants on it (see photo below under Step 1). In general, a folded pair of pants that measures 19-20" wide or less will fit on half the fabric width between the selvedges, folded in half (you'll need to cut two), and your required fabric will be the length of your pants plus 4". If your folded pants are wider than 19-20", you'll need double the length of your pants plus 4".

Contrasting fabric: 

1/4 yard for kids' pants;  1/2 yard for adults

1/2" or 3/4" wide elastic: enough to fit your waist

*As a frame of reference, the pants featured in the photo below are boys' size 5/6. You can see how they fit on fabric--they are narrow enough to fit on half the width from selvedge to selvedge, folded in half.

Step 1: Fold the pants in half so the outer seams match up as shown. Fold the fabric in half, noting fabric pattern directionality if that's an issue. Your doubled fabric should be at least 2" wider than your folded pants. 

Step 2: Cut out around the pants. Leave an extra 2" above the waistband. Leave an extra 1" along the folded pant edge and the inner leg seam. Using a ruler, trim the bottom fabric edge 1" shorter than bottom of pants (this trim not pictured below). Cut 2.

This is what your unfolded pant leg will look like.

Step 3: Cut a strip of contrasting fabric for the cuff. The cuff will be folded in half, so choose your width with that in mind. The cut width on the size 5/6 pants is 7". Do not cut a width less than 5", as it makes the burrito method tricky. Note: For kids' pants, you can get both cuffs out of one WOF strip. Depending on width of pant legs, adult pants may require two strips (one for each cuff). 

Step 4: Trim a cuff strip so it's just slightly wider than the pant leg. Lay the strip right side up and pant leg on top, right side down. 

Step 5: Roll the pant leg tightly as shown.

Step 6: Fold the bottom edge of the red strip over the rolled fabric, matching raw edges of top of strip and the aligned pant leg edge. Pin in place. Make sure the fabric roll is clear of your pinned edges.

Step 7: Sew along the long pinned edge. Turn right side out, pulling rolled fabric out of the tube. Press the tube to create the finished edge cuff. Trim excess cuff even with the pant edges. Repeat with remaining strip on opposite pant leg.

Step 8: Align the two pant pieces right sides together and pin along the curved edges as shown. Stitch between the arrows, backstitching at beginning and end.

Step 9: Adjust the pants so the seams sewn in Step 8 align. Pin the raw edges together to create the pants' two legs as shown. 

Step 10: Stitch along the inseam to finish the pant legs. 

Step 11: Square up the top of the pants as close to the raw edges as possible. With the pants still wrong side out, fold the top edge down 1". (You can just eyeball it--we did!). Fold over 1" again and pin in place. 

Step 12: Sew along the bottom folded edge to create a casing along the waist of the pants. Leave a 2" opening for inserting the elastic (see arrow).

Step 13: Attach a safety pin to one end of the elastic piece. Feed through the casing and pin the ends together. Turn the pants right side out and try them on. Find the right elastic length for a comfortable fit, trim ends, and sew together to secure. Stitch the opening in the casing closed.

Pants in action!

Which fabric do you like best for flannel pants?

Want to win a 3-yard cut of one of our Christmas flannels to make your own pants? Leave a comment below letting us know that you follow our blog via a blog reader or email (both options in the right hand sidebar) and/or that you follow us on Facebook. In the comment, also let us know which print you like best of the three flannels we used for these pants. This giveaway will remain open through Tuesday, October 21st at 11:59 pm EST.

The 12 Days of Christmas:

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12