DIY: POM-POM BEACH SHORTS

Inspired by Merrick's Art

I love DIY's of all kinds and when i saw this one, it had to feature on my blog. Hope this is helpful to your too!

OUTFIT DETAILS: j.crew tee (similar here) || pom-pom shorts, made by me (tutorial below) || gorjana beach bag (similar here and here) || j.crew swimsuit (not pictured), similar here and here || tassel necklaces, made by me (tutorial here) || alexis drake leather bracelet, c/o || j.crew panama hat || urban outfitters sunglasses

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANA LAURENE

A few months ago I ran across some pom-pom shorts on Pinterest and instantly fell in love.  I planned to make them this summer for all of our beach days, but when Philip and I decided to go to Hawaii, I was suddenly motivated to whip them up a little sooner. 

I found this cute cotton tropical print fabric at Jo-Ann's a few weeks ago, and stole a couple yards of white pom-pom trim from Leanne (since she had some leftover from a project and I couldn't find any white pom-poms at my local fabric shops -- she found hers at the LA fabric district), and then made them last week. They were a super easy project and I love how they turned out. And they've been great for hiking, the pool, and the beach while we've been here in Hawaii -- you can see them in action over on my instagram! 

If you're not a seamstress, you can shop my favorite pom-pom shorts in the widget below, or find the sewing tutorial by clicking through!

           

Click through to find the tutorial!

Materials: 

1 yard fabric (I used 100% cotton, but you can use pretty much anything you'd like)

matching thread

1" elastic

1. Using a pair of shorts (or pajama pants, in my case) as a pattern, cut 2 FRONT pieces and two BACK pieces for your shorts. Cut the sides to be slightly higher, and make sure to cut your BACK pieces longer so they completely cover your cheeks :) Also cut a WAISTBAND, 1 1/2 to 2 times the circumference of your waist and 3" tall. 

2. Sew your two FRONT pieces together from waistband to crotch. 

3. Repeat step 2 for your BACK pieces. 

4. Put the FRONT and BACK pieces of your shorts together with right sides together. 

5. With right sides together, sew the ends of your waistband together, forming a loop. 

6. Fold the waistband in half so it's now 1 1/2 inches tall and has a folded edge on one side and two selvaged edges on the other side. 

7. Pin the waistband of the fabric around the top of the shorts. Make sure the folded side of the waistband is facing down toward the bottom of the shorts, as marked in this step. Sew around the entire waistband with a straight stitch and a 1/2" seam allowance, but leave 3-4 inches open so you have a spot to slide your elastic inside.

8. Measure your natural waist and cut a piece of to this size. Attach a pin to one end and use it to feed the elastic through the waistband casing you just created. Make sure the other end of the elastic doesn't disappear into your casing -- secure it with a pin as it gets close. Once both ends of the elastic are sticking out of your casing and the elastic is completely fed through, sew the ends of the elastic together. I typically use a serged seam to securely sew them together, but you can use a straight stitch or a zigzag stitch. 

9. With the waistband still folded down, like before, sew up the little opening in the casing.  Fold your waistband up and press in place. 

10. Hem the shorts to your desired length. 

11. Cut the pom-pom trim to your desired length for each leg, then pin to the shorts hem and sew around the leg holes one more time, attaching the trim to the bottom of your shorts. And you're done!

Lots of Love!!!

XOXO