How To Make Elastics On Pant Legs Better
Elastics on pant legs are for convenience and great fit. But what happens when the elastic is too tight or too loose, or if you want to insert elastics into those pant legs? Well, none of it is too difficult for you to handle.
You can make elastics on your pant legs better in a matter of minutes. It only needs a bit of basic sewing skills, and in some cases, even sewing isn’t needed. Though it depends on what you aim to do with your pant legs, working with elastics is pretty easy.
So, if you want to loosen or tighten the elastics or insert elastic bands into the pant legs, you have come to the right place. Here’s showing you three ways to make elastics on your pant legs better.
How to Make Elastics on Your Pant Legs Better?
Contents
The answer to this question depends on exactly what you want to do in order to make the pant legs better. For instance, if the elastics are too tight, you can heat the fabric of that part of the pant legs to make it fit better. On the other hand, if the elastics get too loose, there is a super-simple way to pull them tighter.
Finally, you can even sew elastics in the pant legs to make them fit and look better. And for that, you will have to sew in an elastic band inside the pant legs.
So, there are three methods to make elastics on pant legs better:
- Pulling the loose elastics on pant legs tighter
- Stretching out the elastics that are too tight
- Sewing fabric-covered elastic cuffs on your pants
Procedure for Making Elastics on Your Pant Legs Better
You need to start by gathering all the supplies you will need. Here is a list:
To tighten pant elastics:
- A new elastic band
- A safety pin
- Electrical tape
- Scissors
- Needle and thread
To loosen pant elastics:
- Hot iron
- Ironing board
- Pins
- A piece of cloth
- A chair
To put elastics in pant legs:
- Your chosen trouser patterns
- Extra bit of fabric
- Elastics (8 cm wide or smaller)
Method 1: Pulling the Loose Elastics on Pant Legs Tighter
It is a common problem faced by tall and skinny people where any pants that are long enough for them are too big for their waist. As such, though jeans come with the convenience of side inserts, the leggings are different.
The elastic in the waistband of most leggings get sewn in at the time of construction and they cannot be pulled tighter. So, here is what you can do if you face this problem:
Step 1:
Use your scissors to cut a small slit in the interior part of the fabric
Step 2:
Put a smaller elastic through a safety pin. Then, put electric tape around the safety pin to prevent it from getting opened during the next step.
Step 3:
Thread a smaller piece of elastic beside the bigger one.
Step 4:
Pull the elastics to the desired size before knitting or sewing.
Step 5:
Finally, put in a few stitches for sewing the cut shut. And in five minutes you have the perfect fit!
Method 2: Stretching Out the Pant Elastics That Are Too Tight
You might have pants that are not fitting right due to the tight elastic. There are two ways for you to make the adjustments to stretch out the pant elastics that are too tight. Also, you would not need a sewing machine for any of these two techniques.
Heating Your Pants’ Elastics:
Step 1: Heat Your Iron and Get a Damp Cloth
Get your iron on and set that to the highest setting. After this, run a hand towel or a face cloth under water until it gets damp, but make sure that the cloth is not soaked.
Step 2: Get the Pants Prepared For the Iron
You can pin both sides of the pants to that ironing board, while stretching the pants to your desired length. Also, if you find that convenient, you can slide your pants around that ironing board until they have a good amount of stretch on them.
Step 3: Put a Damp Piece of Cloth over the Pants Elastic
You need to ensure that it completely covers the elastic of the pants that you are trying to stretch out. In this regard, you can even use two clothes if one feels too thin.
Step 4: Start Ironing over the Cloth
Put a damp cloth over the elastic band and start ironing on the highest setting. So, you will iron it for about ten seconds and let it sit for another ten seconds. Keep doing this for five to ten minutes.
It will help your pants to fit better because when the elastic gets heated up its breaking weight increases. Thus, the elastic is able to stretch more before hitting its limit.
Step 5: Repeat the Process If You Need
If the pants need more stretch, you should try flipping the elastic band and continue the steps mentioned before one more time. And keep on doing the same steps until you get the fit that you are looking for.
Stretching Your Pants’ Elastics:
Step 1: Use a Chair for Stretching the Elastic
If you have a chair of the right size for stretching the elastic, you can use that for your pants. And if you do not have such a chair, try using the side of a poster frame, a drawer, or a small table. Of course, empty out the table, drawer, and poster frame before you start.
Step 2: Stretch the Elastic Clothing over That Chair
If possible, line up the sides with the sides of your chair to make sure the elastic gets evenly stretched.
Step 3: Allow the Elastic to Sit For a Day
Now, you will have to let the elastic sit in that manner for 24 hours. Also, if the desired size is still not reached, you can put the elastic back in its stretching position and keep it for a few days. Furthermore, it helps if you leave the chair in a warm place because that will help the elastic band stretch.
Method 3: Sewing Fabric Covered Elastic Cuffs on Your Pants
If you want your pant legs to fit better, you can put in an elastic waistband. And here are the steps to follow for that purpose.
Step 1: Get the Bottom of Your Pants Folded
You need to fold the bottom of the pants twice to create a casing for the elastic. Also, you will have to hem the pants to make space for the elastic to go through. But remember the width of the elastic when making the folds.
Step 2: Start Sewing along the Hem’s Edge
You need to start sewing along the hem’s edge for securing the casing. You need to leave a gap as an opening to insert your elastic after you are done.
Step 3: Inserting the Elastic in the gap
After you make the casing, attach a safety pin to the end of the elastic and start inserting that through the gap you left. Also, put electric tape around the safety pin to prevent it from getting opened. Put the safety pin gradually through the gap to make your work easier.
Step 4: Sew the Ends of the Elastic Together
As you reach the end, you need to pull out the safety pin and remove it. Finally, get the ends of the elastic band sewed together using a sewing machine or by hand. After this, use a needle and thread or a sewing machine for closing up the opening through which you inserted that elastic.
After you have successfully done these steps on one of the pants’ legs, repeat the same on the other leg. Make sure that the elastic does not get twisted at any point because that will destroy the look of the pants. So, you will have to fix it whenever you feel that the elastic has got twisted at any point along the hem.
How Can You Take Care Of Elastic Bands On Your Pants?
Taking care of elastic bands ensures that they remain in good condition and do not loosen or stretch beyond use. Though you can always tighten the elastic bands using the method stated above, it still helps to take care of them beforehand.
Here are the five things to remember about caring for pants having elastics:
1. You should always hand wash elastic for preventing excess stretching
2. Never use detergent having chlorine on elastics because that will destroy the elastic’s structure and get it loose. In fact, you should use a mild detergent that has no chlorine in it.
3. You need to keep washing the pants in water until all the soap residue comes out of it.
4. The washing water needs to get squeezed out instead of wringing it.
5. If you put the pants in your washing machine, keep the “delicate” setting so that the machine spins slowly.
Crafting has always been a deep-seated passion of mine, one that has flourished and evolved over the years.
I've dedicated considerable time to both studying and practicing in the realm of fashion and sewing, amassing a wealth of experience and skills.
It brings me great joy to share these insights and experiences with you all, hoping to inspire and foster a similar passion for the art of sewing.
- How To Hem Chiffon With Tape - January 21, 2024
- How To Fix Ripped Jeans That Ripped Too Much? - January 9, 2024
- How To Make Pants Waist Smaller Without Sewing? - January 8, 2024
