DIY: How To Make High-Waisted Shorts

It’s getting hot again, so it’s time to bring out the high waisted shorts and crop tops!

A lot of girls are into the hipster, high-waisted distressed shorts, but aren’t really sure how to make them, so they spend $30-$50 for a pair. As college students, that is ENTIRELY too much to be spending on a pair of shorts, when you can make about 6-8 pair of shorts for that price!

The hardest part about making your own high-waisted shorts is finding the perfect pair of jeans. Although searching through racks and racks of jeans may seem tedious, just think of how much money you’ll be saving in the end by making your own pair instead of buying some.

The ideal place to purchase a cheap pair of high-waisted pants or “mom jeans” is a thrift store. Lucky for us here at VSU, we have a Goodwill not too far away from the school!

Jeans at Goodwill are $5.99, but if you’re lucky, you’ll find some jeans for the discounted color tag price for that week. Those are half off!

It is very important to stay patient while looking for the perfect pair of jeans at Goodwill, because the process can seem a bit overwhelming at first. Make sure you look very thoroughly.

For the best looks, try to find brands such as Levis, DKNY, Eddie Bauer, Old Navy, or Gap. Most of these brands are made of thicker denim, and the thicker the denim, the better your frays will turn out! The sizing is always different so I suggest you try on plenty of pairs. On average, I end up buying 2 out of every 7 jeans I try on. Make sure you try them all on, girl! All jeans fit differently, so it’s necessary to hit the fitting room. 

Now, for the step-by-step instructions after you’ve purchased your jeans:

1. Try your jeans on and mark where you want to cut them in the crotch area and on the back.

This part is very important! It is best to mark them a little longer than you want to cut them because after you wash them, they will be shorter.

(I typically mark about 1½ -2 inches from the crotch, then turn around and mark right below my butt cheeks.)

2. Take your jeans off and start cutting!

I start from the crotch mark and cut up slightly diagonally, making sure I stay below the mark I made under my butt.

(Remember, you can always make your shorts shorter, but once you cut off too much, there’s no going back!)

3.  Now that you have the first leg done, you can just fold it over the other leg.

Make sure they are lined up evenly! Follow the same cut as the other side.

4. Once your shorts are cut, it’s time to distress them.

You can use a knife, razor, exacto knife, or scissors. (I just use scissors!)

Slice little lines across the section you want to be frayed.

(I also like to make cuts in the fronts of my shorts. If you decide to do this, make sure you hold down the pockets so that you don’t accidentally cut them out.

5. When you’re all done with your cuts and slits, throw them in the washer and dryer.

When they’re done drying, your cuts and slits will be all frayed out.

Now you can rock your new high-waisted shorts and still have some spending money in your wallet! 

• clothes
• diy
• high waisted
• shorts
• thrifting