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You are here: Home / Upcycled Crafts / Toddler Knit Shorts

Toddler Knit Shorts

July 3, 2011 by Craft Passion 23 Comments

Upcycled Crafts, Crafts, Intermediate, Kid, Sewing, Summer, Wearables | Costumes

5 from 11 reviews:
toddler knit shorts


As an addition to the shorts patterns, this is the toddler size shorts sewing pattern as promised. This pair of toddler knit shorts have the same original design as the kid shorts with graded measurements to fit around the age of 3. If you wish to sew the toddler shorts with the original design, please refer to the kid shorts tutorial. Please scroll down to download the pdf pattern from the link in the tutorial section.

toddler knit shorts with elastic band

If you have been following through all the shorts sewing in Craft Passion, from boxer shorts, fully lined weekend shorts, kid shorts, Pre-teenager shorts, and this one – toddler shorts, you should be able to handle this sewing project pretty well. I am not going to repeat the whole basic sewing for the toddler version because it is basically a repetition of the kid shorts. Today, I am going to make a little variation on the basic shorts sewing pattern that includes:


1. recycle your old polo shirt to toddler knit shorts.
2. add a ribbed band on the pocket by using a T-shirt ribbed sleeves band.
3. sew the elastic band directly to the shorts’ waist.

Front vs Back

Go grab an old unwanted jersey polo shirt, ripped it off, and sew it into a pair of knit shorts for your boy.

 

Toddler Knit Shorts

Download basic sewing pattern: Toddler shorts (3 years old), Kid shorts (7 years old), Pre-teenager Shorts (12 years old) [updated in 2016]

Material:
1. Knit fabric, 1/2 yard or a woman polo-shirt (at least a medium size, the bigger the easier)
2. Ribbed sleeve band (normally used on polo-shirt collar or sleeve)
3. 1 1/2″ Elastic band, length of the wearer’s waist measurement.
4. Ribbon, short length
5. Embroidery patch (optional)

Tools:
1. Sewing machine with matching threads
2. 4-thread Serger/overlock machine or zigzag stitch
3. Printer, letter size (8.5″ x 11″) paper 6 pcs. & glue (to print and join pattern)
4. Carbon and tracing wheel
5. Scissors
6. Seam ripper
7. Sewing kits
8. Iron
9. Safety pin

Note: Even though the material calls for knit fabric, you can use cotton to make a cotton shorts.

 
toddler shorts sewing pattern

Download the toddler shorts sewing pattern in a pdf document and print it with your inkjet printer.
Feed the letter-size paper into your printer and print the pattern without setting any scale on the printing.
It is a 6 pages pattern, glue them together according to the page number on the corners.
Cut the paper pattern out.
{the pdf download will either open in a new tab or open a small window asking you to save it as a file. If you can’t find the saved file in your computer, the default folder usually is in “/downloads”}
{If you can’t download the pdf pattern, probably you don’t have acrobat reader, download the latest version for free, here.}

 
original polo shirt medium size

The original woman jersey polo-shirt of mine before turning into a toddler knit shorts.
Use scissors to cut along the seams to separate out the front, back, and the sleeves. Use a seam ripper to separate the ribbed band from the sleeves, don’t cut.
Place the paper patterns on the cut polo shirt, arrange them to get the best cut.
I have to shorten the length of the shorts about 1″ in order to fit in the woman M size polo shirt. Cutting and arranging of the pattern are easier if you have a bigger & plain polo T-shirt.
If your polo shirt has stripes like mine, aligned the stripes when pinning and cutting so that it looks neat and matched after sewn.

 
jersey shorts pocket from sleeves rib

Pin and sew the ribbed band along the pocket curve on the right side of the front shorts. Cut away the extra length.

 
sew jersey shorts pocket

Place Pocket A onto them, with right side facing the front shorts. The ribbed band is in between the shorts and the pocket. Align and pin from the shorts side.
Turn to the shorts side, sew on the first seam line.

 
sewing jersey shorts with ribbed band pocket

Flip Pocket A to the shorts side, press with a warm iron.
Double top-stitch near the edge and 1/4″ apart.

 
sew jersey shorts with pocket

Attach Pocket B, pin and sew it with pocket A. Neaten the raw edges with 4-thread over-lock stitch by using a serger or zig-zag stitch.
Personally, I like 4-thread over-locking, it gave a neater look.

 
sew jersey shorts elastic band

Repeat the same sewing steps to the other pocket.
Join the front, back, left & right of the shorts by following the kid shorts tutorial.
Neaten the rest of the raw edges by a 4-thread over-locking stitch or zig-zag stitch.
Fold the hem of the shorts and double top-stitch on the seam.
Measure the wearer’s waist with the elastic band, cut the exact length. Overlap the ends by 1/2″, zig-zag stitch with matching color thread to join the ends.

 
embellished elastic band

Cover both sides of the seam with ribbon, sew the edges with same color thread as the ribbon. Sew another ribbon approximate 3″ apart. Attach iron-on embroidery patch on the center but don’t iron, instead, stitch along the edge.

 
sew elastic band directly to shorts

Split the elastic band to approximate 4 equal parts. Pin the elastic band evenly across the waist, approximate 2″ – 3″ between pins.

 
stretch and sew elastic band onto shorts

Stretch the elastic to match the length of the waist between the pins, sew a short length at a time. Sew with same color thread as the elastic band.
Top-stitch another line 1/4″ above the first seam line.

 
sewing toddler knit shorts

The front view of the toddler knit shorts with rib-edge pocket.

 
sewing toddler knit shorts with direct elastic band

The back view of the toddler knit shorts with an embroidery patch on the elastic band.

 

During the weekends, I love to sit in a corner and watch them play while doing my craft, though the shouting and screaming are hardly bearable and I have to intervene to control the situation a little so that they won’t do something beyond the limit. But, all in all, I do enjoy seeing the bonding between the siblings……

PREVIOUSBasic Kid Shorts With Pocket Pattern
Girl Shorts Sewing PatternNEXT

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Comments

  1. Claire -

    May 3, 2019 at 11:52 am

    Cute shorts!! Where did you buy the hot pink windowpane fabric? It’s adorable!

    Reply
    • Craft Passion -

      May 3, 2019 at 5:19 pm

      Thank you, Claire. It has been many years, I really can’t remember where I bought this fabric from.

      Reply
  2. MisMandie -

    May 5, 2012 at 1:47 pm

    Just put a pair together for my little girl with grosgrain ribbon instead of the ribbed band and added a cute little button to give it a nice little detail…turned out sooo cute! Couldn’t be happier, came together in about 2 hours and was very easy to follow your instructions! Going to try the tie variation next!

    Reply
    • Craft Passion -

      May 6, 2012 at 12:14 pm

      Please post some photos in your blogs when it is ready. Can’t wait to see your daughter wearing them. Cheers 🙂

      Reply
  3. Mrs.M -

    April 23, 2012 at 10:48 pm

    This was a great tutorial! Thank you so much for posting it. I remixed the pattern a little and posted a blog about it on my site.

    http://www.justpaintitred.com/blog/make-toddler-shorts-mens-workshirt

    Reply
  4. Susie Artes -

    March 18, 2012 at 1:44 am

    I have been looking for exactly these shorts – thanks sooo much! Can’t wait to make them for my gandchild!
    Susie

    Reply
  5. Ruthie -

    September 13, 2011 at 11:09 pm

    Thanks for this free pattern!
    I used your great pattern as the base for my own. I wanted something a little more fitted for my 4 year old daughter to wear for P.E. at school. I also wanted no side seams. So I didn’t cut out the pocket on the front panel and lined up the bottom seams, and slided one over the other until I got a tighter fit, then drew a new waist line. Then I traced around the new pattern, so that I still have your pattern to make her some cotton shorts. The whole process (cutting pattern, editing pattern etc to sewing in a name label), was about 2 hours. Now I have two shorts patterns!

    Reply
    • Craft Passion -

      September 14, 2011 at 7:56 am

      That’s fast, Ruthie 🙂

      Reply
  6. Meggie -

    July 17, 2011 at 11:36 pm

    Wow! Love this- my little girl would like to wear these too!

    Reply
  7. RoseNoir -

    July 17, 2011 at 7:45 pm

    Ce que tu fais est vraiment extra ordinaire, c’est vraiment super
    I love what you do
    Il fallait y penser.

    Bonne continuation

    RoseNoir

    Translation (by Google):
    What you do is really extra ordinary, it’s really great
    I love what you do
    He had to think.

    good luck

    Reply
  8. Shantel -

    July 9, 2011 at 11:52 pm

    This is so cute! I am featuring it on my blog today!
    seemesew.blogspot.com

    Reply
    • Craft Passion -

      July 10, 2011 at 12:44 am

      Hi Shantel, thanks for featuring 🙂

      Reply
  9. Iryna -

    July 9, 2011 at 7:15 am

    Thank you so much for the tutorial. I used to sew a lot, but now I mostly knit and crochet. My 4-yo is incredibly curious girl and I try to keep my sewing things away from her. I printed out the pattern and compared it to her shorts – if I add seam allowances, it will be her size! Thank you! I am going to try.
    PS – there is always Rit for those who wants to dye elastic bands….
    ~ Iryna

    Reply
    • Craft Passion -

      July 9, 2011 at 10:28 am

      Hi Iryna, thanks for the tip to dye the elastic band with RIT.
      As for sewing with toddler or kid, I usually do it while they are asleep, either nap or night. It is safer without them in my sewing room, with needles, scissors all around when I am busy and concentrate on my project 🙂

      Reply
      • Iryna -

        July 10, 2011 at 1:49 am

        You are right – when they go to sleep, mommies start working!

        Reply
        • Craft Passion -

          July 10, 2011 at 2:17 am

          Give me a high 5!!!!!! :))

          Reply
          • Ruthie -

            September 13, 2011 at 11:11 pm

            Now my daughter has started full time school, I sew while she is there!

  10. Pattij -

    July 4, 2011 at 9:05 pm

    These shorts are SO CUTE! But oh where did you get the colored elastic??? I’ve looked so many places and can only find white, black or colored foldover!!!!

    Reply
    • Craft Passion -

      July 4, 2011 at 9:18 pm

      Good question, Pattij. It is not as common as those normal elastic band meant for encasing. You will need to search for it.

      Reply
  11. Anne Weaver -

    July 4, 2011 at 8:41 pm

    Cute shorts!! I linked to your pattern over at Craft Gossip Sewing:
    http://sewing.craftgossip.com/free-pattern-knit-shorts-for-toddler-girls-and-boys/2011/07/04/

    –Anne

    Reply
    • Craft Passion -

      July 4, 2011 at 8:54 pm

      Thank you, Anne and thanks for featuring the tutorial in Craft Gossip 🙂

      Reply
  12. Donna -

    July 4, 2011 at 1:21 am

    Those are absolutely adorable.

    Reply
    • Craft Passion -

      July 4, 2011 at 7:35 am

      Thank you, Donna. It is very comfortable too.

      Reply

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