How to Cut Pants into Capris and Add a Cuff – Part 1

Show off some leg with a Capri Pant.

Capri pants are a stylish alternative to skirts and shorts. They can be worn to the office or the beach and look great with heels, flats, sandals or sneakers.

What’s the difference between Cropped and Capri Pants?

Both cropped and capri pants are shorter than traditional full-length pants or trousers.

• Cropped pants finish just above the ankle
• Capris end between knee and mid-calf.

A Capri Pant with Tapered Leg

Petite Plus Patterns offers a Capri Pant with tapered leg that finishes just below the knee. Pattern #604 has a tapered leg and a back vent over the calf.

A Capri Pant with Straight Leg

If you’d like a straighter leg, try your hand at this restyling project.This post will show how to cut a capri pant from your full-length pant pattern AND add a cuff for even more style.

Why cuff a Capri?

Why not just cut off the pant legs and hem? Well you could. But adding this cuff makes for a finished, dressed up look that we love.

Try this Super Sewing Technique!

This cuff will not droop or sag.

Select a pant pattern.

To start, choose a pant pattern that already fits you. We like:Flat Front Pant-601 or Classic Fly-Front Pant-606 If you’re using our Classic Fly-Front Pant – 606, the pattern includes suggested lines for a cuffed capri variation.

Prepare your pattern.

Mark your desired capri pant length onto the pattern front and back legs.To your desired length, add 2 cm (3/4 in) plus a cuff depth of your choice. (For a petite woman, we like a cuff depth of 6 cm (2 3/8 in).Clip notches at the 2 cm (3/4 in) line.

Lay your pattern and cut the fabric.

Lay out your restyled legs and cut all the pant pattern pieces for your pant. Mark and interface the pieces as you would normally.To complete your capri pant, join us for How to Cut Pants into Capris and Add a Cuff, Part 2 . In Part 2, we’ll show how to press, prepare and construct the cuff.