What you’ll need:
· Waterproof fabric – I prefer polyester PUL (polyurethane laminate). It has fabric on one side and plastic on the other.
· Flannel or other absorbent material
· Stretchable fabric – I use power-stretch microfleece from maldenmills. You could use a stretch fleece, poly/lycra blend, or even stretchy minky.
· 3/8” polybraid or lastin elastic
· 3/8” or ½” underwear elastic
· Polyester thread
· Normal sewing notions/machine, etc
· 2 sheets paper
· Pair of children’s underwear in the size you want for your pull-ups
~Getting started~
This project is probably considered intermediate, but I think if I can explain it well enough that you know what the heck I’m talking about, it shouldn’t be too hard.
First, let’s talk about fabrics. The outer fabric I use, PUL, is not available in retail stores. You will need to find it online at a diaper supply store. I recommend buying PUL that is made from 100% polyester fabric to help keep moisture in. The inner fabric should be an absorbent material like cotton, thin hemp, or bamboo. I don’t recommend heavy absorbency fabrics like microfiber because they are too bulky. Remember these are training pants, not diapers. The goal is to have enough absorbency to keep the floor and the bed from getting messy without getting so thick that he/she feeling like they are in a diaper. You could also make an underwear variant without the waterproof layer. Just use a natural fabric for the outer as well.
*PREWASH AND DRY ALL NATURAL FIBERS ON HOT BEFORE YOU BEGIN*
3. Cut 2 rectangular pieces out of your stretchy fabric. These will go on the sides of the training pants. The length should be equal to the sum of your side measurements minus ¾”. For my daughter’s pants, the length was ~7.5”. The width should be 2.5”. If your fabric only stretches in one direction, be careful to make sure that the fabric stretches short-ways, not long-ways.
Line up one of the stretchy pieces along the edge, right sides together and pin it in place. Now use a straight stitch to sew a 3/8” seam. Use a zig-zag stitch to go back over the edges if you are using fabrics that might fray over time. If you have a serger, you could use that instead to replace both stitches.
3. Now you will want to manipulate the layers so that the right side of the pants is facing out so you can visualize what the final product should look like. In this way, you will be able to identify where the matching edge is for the other side of the stretchy piece you just sewed on. Once you identify the correct side, match up the edges right sides together and sew a 3/8” seam just like the last one.
4. Repeat on the other side. Your pants should now look like this:
2. There is not an exact length for the waist elastic. There are 2 good ways to determine its length. You can stretch the elastic around your child’s waist and cut it where you feel it would be comfortable for him or her. Or, you can lay the elastic across the waist of the pants without stretching it and cut a little bit longer than the width of the waist (one half the circumference).
3. Sew the ends of the elastic together, right sides together.
4. Tack the elastic down evenly in four corners, right side facing out. With the elastic overlapping the pant’s top edge, use a straight stitch to sew the elastic on. Carefully stretch the elastic as you go so it is evenly distributed between the 2 areas where it was tacked down.
That’s it, You’re Done! Rock on Sew Master!!
· Waterproof fabric – I prefer polyester PUL (polyurethane laminate). It has fabric on one side and plastic on the other.
· Flannel or other absorbent material
· Stretchable fabric – I use power-stretch microfleece from maldenmills. You could use a stretch fleece, poly/lycra blend, or even stretchy minky.
· 3/8” polybraid or lastin elastic
· 3/8” or ½” underwear elastic
· Polyester thread
· Normal sewing notions/machine, etc
· 2 sheets paper
· Pair of children’s underwear in the size you want for your pull-ups
~Getting started~
This project is probably considered intermediate, but I think if I can explain it well enough that you know what the heck I’m talking about, it shouldn’t be too hard.
First, let’s talk about fabrics. The outer fabric I use, PUL, is not available in retail stores. You will need to find it online at a diaper supply store. I recommend buying PUL that is made from 100% polyester fabric to help keep moisture in. The inner fabric should be an absorbent material like cotton, thin hemp, or bamboo. I don’t recommend heavy absorbency fabrics like microfiber because they are too bulky. Remember these are training pants, not diapers. The goal is to have enough absorbency to keep the floor and the bed from getting messy without getting so thick that he/she feeling like they are in a diaper. You could also make an underwear variant without the waterproof layer. Just use a natural fabric for the outer as well.
*PREWASH AND DRY ALL NATURAL FIBERS ON HOT BEFORE YOU BEGIN*
~Making Your Pattern~
1. Lay the children’s underwear onto one of your sheets of paper. First trace the back of the underwear adding ~ 1.5” to the top, ~1” to the leg holes and crotch, and ~.5” to the sides (you will see why you don’t need extra later on). Cut out one side of the pattern and then fold it onto itself, trying to match the outline you already made. You want the piece to be exactly the same on both sides.
2. Turn the underwear over so the front is showing, tuck in the back so you only see the front, and make an outline in the same way you did for the back piece. The picture I have doesn’t show quite enough on top, you will want a little more paper showing than what I have there. Before you cut, measure the sides of the outline and the crotch area and make sure they are the same length as they were on the sides and crotch of the back piece.
You want them to match up like this: 
3. Once you have that piece cut, match the crotches of the two pattern pieces and tape them together.
1. Lay the children’s underwear onto one of your sheets of paper. First trace the back of the underwear adding ~ 1.5” to the top, ~1” to the leg holes and crotch, and ~.5” to the sides (you will see why you don’t need extra later on). Cut out one side of the pattern and then fold it onto itself, trying to match the outline you already made. You want the piece to be exactly the same on both sides.
2. Turn the underwear over so the front is showing, tuck in the back so you only see the front, and make an outline in the same way you did for the back piece. The picture I have doesn’t show quite enough on top, you will want a little more paper showing than what I have there. Before you cut, measure the sides of the outline and the crotch area and make sure they are the same length as they were on the sides and crotch of the back piece.
You want them to match up like this: 3. Once you have that piece cut, match the crotches of the two pattern pieces and tape them together.
~ Cut out your fabric~
1. Use this pattern to cut out 1 piece of outer fabric and 1 piece of inner fabric.
1. Use this pattern to cut out 1 piece of outer fabric and 1 piece of inner fabric.
2. Next, use the pattern as a guide for cutting out some slightly smaller pieces of the absorbent fabric that you will be using as hidden layers. You may also want to cut smaller pieces to place in your child’s target zones.
3. Cut 2 rectangular pieces out of your stretchy fabric. These will go on the sides of the training pants. The length should be equal to the sum of your side measurements minus ¾”. For my daughter’s pants, the length was ~7.5”. The width should be 2.5”. If your fabric only stretches in one direction, be careful to make sure that the fabric stretches short-ways, not long-ways.
~Let’s Start Sewing! ~
Inner layers:
Machine Settings
Inner layers:
Machine Settings
The first stitch is a zig-zag stitch. I set both the length and the width to 2.5.
1. Pin your absorbent layers to the wrong side of the large absorbent body layer.
2. Use a zig-zag stitch to sew down the middle of the layers and then sew all the way around your hidden layers so that they will not bunch inside the pants later.
2. Use a zig-zag stitch to sew down the middle of the layers and then sew all the way around your hidden layers so that they will not bunch inside the pants later.
Leg Elastic:
Machine Settings
Straight stitch – length 2.5 to 3 is fine
3 step zig-zag – length 2, width 3.5
1. Match the outer and inner layers with the right sides together and pin them along the leg holes. Use a straight stitch to make a 3/8” seam
. 
2. You can either use 3/8” polybraid or lastin elastic. Start your elastic about ¾” in and end ¾” from the edge. If you use polybraid, you will need to tack it down at one end and then sew with a straight stitch. Pull the elastic firmly as you go. If you choose to use lastin, you must use a 3 step zig-zag. Lastin naturally has a lot of pull, so you do not need to stretch it as firmly as the polybraid as you sew. Just pull gently and evenly as you go. If you haven’t used it before, you may want to practice a little on some scrap material.
2. You can either use 3/8” polybraid or lastin elastic. Start your elastic about ¾” in and end ¾” from the edge. If you use polybraid, you will need to tack it down at one end and then sew with a straight stitch. Pull the elastic firmly as you go. If you choose to use lastin, you must use a 3 step zig-zag. Lastin naturally has a lot of pull, so you do not need to stretch it as firmly as the polybraid as you sew. Just pull gently and evenly as you go. If you haven’t used it before, you may want to practice a little on some scrap material.
Attaching the stretch sides:
Machine Settings
Straight stitch – length 2.5 to 3 is fine
Zig-zag stitch – length and width 2.5
1. This is where it gets tricky! It isn’t hard to do, just difficult to explain. Your pant now has 4 long exposed side edges. We are going to use the stretch material to attach 2 respective edges on each side of the pants. It doesn’t matter where you start because all the edges are ~ the same length (even if they aren’t it won’t matter because the fabric stretches).
2. Pick a side to begin and open the fabric like so:
2. Pick a side to begin and open the fabric like so:
Line up one of the stretchy pieces along the edge, right sides together and pin it in place. Now use a straight stitch to sew a 3/8” seam. Use a zig-zag stitch to go back over the edges if you are using fabrics that might fray over time. If you have a serger, you could use that instead to replace both stitches.
3. Now you will want to manipulate the layers so that the right side of the pants is facing out so you can visualize what the final product should look like. In this way, you will be able to identify where the matching edge is for the other side of the stretchy piece you just sewed on. Once you identify the correct side, match up the edges right sides together and sew a 3/8” seam just like the last one.
4. Repeat on the other side. Your pants should now look like this:
Finishing the Top:
Machine Settings
Straight stitch – length 2.5 to 3 is fine, you will be switching to 4 when you sew across the stretchy sides.
1. Match up the seams, turn the materials in 3/8”, and pin the 2 layers together all the way around. Top stitch with a straight stitch 1/8” in all the way around. As you go across the stretchy part, switch the stitch length to 4 and stretch the material as you sew across it.
2. There is not an exact length for the waist elastic. There are 2 good ways to determine its length. You can stretch the elastic around your child’s waist and cut it where you feel it would be comfortable for him or her. Or, you can lay the elastic across the waist of the pants without stretching it and cut a little bit longer than the width of the waist (one half the circumference).
3. Sew the ends of the elastic together, right sides together.
4. Tack the elastic down evenly in four corners, right side facing out. With the elastic overlapping the pant’s top edge, use a straight stitch to sew the elastic on. Carefully stretch the elastic as you go so it is evenly distributed between the 2 areas where it was tacked down.
That’s it, You’re Done! Rock on Sew Master!!
If this "How To" has really helped you, and you'd like to pay me for my time in making it, you are more than welcome to send me paypal.
Happy sewing and good luck!
Happy sewing and good luck!
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