How to Cut Skinny Jeans Into Cutoffs

By: Elana Kluner

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If your skinny jeans still fit but have seen better days, crafting them into cutoff shorts gives you a new pair of bottoms for free. Whether your pants have holes, tears or bleach stains, cutting off the majority of the legs can make them look brand new. Don’t waste money on a new pair of shorts when you can grab your old skinny jeans out of the closet and alter them yourself.

Step 1

Put the skinny jeans on. Button and zip them up like you normally would to make sure they still fit.

Step 2

Decide on the length for your new cutoffs. Use the pen or fabric marker to make a mark about an inch or two below that point to allow for any mistakes. It’s always easier to cut more material off than to be stuck cutoffs that are too short.

Step 3

Take off the jeans and lay them on a flat surface. A table or the floor will suffice.

Step 4

Use a ruler to draw a line or to guide you as you cut. Cut with sharp scissors across one leg of your skinny jeans. Cut on a slight downward angle toward the inside of the pants for a more flattering fit.

Step 5

Fold the jeans in half so the cut leg is on top of the uncut leg. Line up the seams and waistband of the jeans.

Step 6

Use the top pant leg as a guideline to cut the other leg along the same line. You can also trace the line of the pant leg onto the uncut leg first for more precision.

Step 7

Put the jeans back on. Check that each pant leg is even. If your desired length is shorter than what you see, repeat the process again, cutting a small amount off until you reach the right length.