DIY: Floral Shorts

I have yet to find some perfect floral shorts, and it's nearing the end of the summer, so I finally decided to just make my own!  It's really easy, and I am no expert sewer, trust me!  First, you'll need to find a pair of floral capris/pants, but make sure they actually fit you.  They won't make cute shorts if they're too small or big!  I got mine at a local thrift store for $3.  They had tons of different ones.

You will need:

• your floral pants/capris
• a sewing machine
• an iron
•  thread (in a color to match your shorts)
• fray check
• scissors
• seam ripper
• needle and button (optional)

Step 1: Cut off your pants just short enough so that you can try them on and fold them up to the desired length.  Keep in mind that you'll be folding them up more to finish the hem, so don't make them too short.  Take them off carefully so that they remain folded up.

Step 2: Turn on the iron and press the fold to make a crease.

Step 3: Unfold the shorts, and cut along the crease you made by ironing them.  Try them on again and fold them up twice to see if the length is good.  If not, fold them up again and cut a little more off.

Step 4: Apply fray check to the ends of the fabric according to the directions on the bottle.  Don't stab yourself trying to open it like I did, haha.  Let it dry for 15-30 minutes.

Step 5: Turn the shorts inside out and fold up the ends of the shorts slightly.  Press.  Fold up the end again and press.  You can use pins if you want your folds to be more precise, but I think the creases are a good enough guideline for me.  Try them on again to make sure the length is still okay!

Step 6: It's time to start sewing!  I recommend starting at the inseam, so that if there's any ugliness created by starting and stopping, it'll be on the inside.  Make sure you reinforce the beginning and end of your seam by sewing backwards or using settings on your machine.  Sew evenly all the way around.  You might have to press when you're finished.  If you mess up, don't worry, just rip out the seam and try again.

Step 7: You now have a pair of floral shorts!  Try them on to make sure everything looks okay.  You can add a button using the needle and thread if you want, like I did.

Now you're done!

I hope this was helpful!  Let me know if any directions are unclear.