How to Turn Regular Jeans into Maternity Jeans

Since I've been pregnant, my life has been a perfect example of the saying "when it rains, it pours". Most specifically in the financial department. I was hit with the realization that my job does not provide paid maternity leave, and I'll only have three weeks of paid time off. My car is currently at the shop with an unknown problem that will cost an unknown amount. We purchased a new home and our monthly bills have gone up. So when I started looking at maternity clothes and saw just how much more expensive than normal clothes they are, I about died.

The majority of my maternity clothes are borrowed from my sister-in-law. My Mama recently purchased me a lot of maternity shirts off of ebay, but that leaves me with just two pair of maternity pants: my work pants, and a pair of jeans that has the nasty elastic that sits below your bump, which I hate. 

Being broke, I couldn't afford to drop $35 or more on one pair of maternity jeans which I'll only wear for a few months. I decided that since I could buy my normal jeans for anywhere from $7-$10, I would turn a pair of non-maternity jeans into maternity jeans.

What you'll need:

1. A pair of regular jeans in your pre-pregnancy size, or whatever size is fitting your butt best now.
2. Two tank tops a size or two smaller than you normally wear
3. A sewing machine, or lots of patience
4. Thread
5. Needles
6. Scissors

1. Cut the waistband of the jeans out, staying right against the hem around the back, and dipping the front to accommodate the growing belly. I cut one half of the front, and then folded the jeans over and traced that cut to ensure the dip for my belly was even. I would recommend using a higher waisted pant than I did. If you have a weak pair of scissors, you might wants to cut the zipper out prior to this step. While cutting, bear in mind whether or not you will be upset if you lose pocket function. After cutting you will be left with something like this:

2. Sew the flap that once was your zipper shut.

3. Take your tank top(s) and lay them out flat. Decide how high you would like your comfort top to ride, and then cut straight across the tank top. You could hem the raw edge if you would like, however you'll be sewing the raw edge to the jeans, so it is wholly unnecessary. For best results, use a thick tank top a few sizes smaller than your pre-pregnancy size. I bought a $4 tank top in size small from WalMart. If your tank top is thin, then it is best to sew two tank tops together. Of course, you can use a belly band if you have an extra/can afford it. I couldn't afford a pair of maternity jeans, so buying an extra belly band and a pair of jeans was out of the question, as they would cost the same amount. I spent a whopping $8 on the jeans and tank top to make this. You will end up with a tube, like thus:

4. Flip your tube inside out, and slide it over the top of your jeans so that the right sides are facing each other. I did a poor job of explaining in the video, but what I did was literally just slide the tube over the jeans, and then mark with pins where the bottom of the curve was. In the video it seems like I say to sew the band to the jeans straight across at the pockets, but I just meant to pin the tank top straight across below where you're sewing, to ensure that it doesn't move as you sew, and to ensure that it doesn't bunch and cause an uneven finish.

5. Pin along the the curve you cut into the pants to make a guideline for where to sew. 

6. Sew all the way around, using a zigzag stitch. Be sure to leave the pockets open if you were trying to save their usability. I sewed around again with a straight stitch, to perfect the seam and add durability.

7. Try them on to be sure they fit like you want, and alter as needed!