How to Make a Onesie
Detach the sweatshirt pockets., Cut off the sweatshirt waistband., Secure the zipper., Cut the zipper., Cut off the sweatpants waistband., Cut the pieces of elastic., Feed the elastic through the pant leg hem., Attach the elastic together., Close...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Detach the sweatshirt pockets.
Lay the sweatshirt on a flat surface, and use scissors to cut the threading connecting the sweatshirt pockets to the waistband of the sweatshirt.Make a small snip at the connected threading, making sure not to cut any of the actual sweatshirt fabric.
Once you have cut the thread connecting to pockets to the waistband, gently pull the pockets away from the waistband until the threading comes loose and unravels. -
Step 2: Cut off the sweatshirt waistband.
Starting at the area right next to the zipper, cut vertically, parallel to the sweatshirt zipper, and then turn the scissors horizontally to cut around the sweatshirt and remove the waistband from the sweatshirt.
Try to cut as close to sewn edge of the waistband as possible.
Once you cut all the way around the bottom of the sweatshirt and get back to the other side of the zipper, turn your scissors vertically to again, cut right alongside the edge of the zipper.
The zipper should look untouched, hanging about an inch or two longer than the cut edge of the bottom of the sweatshirt.It is very important that you leave the zipper intact by cutting along the sides of it.
You will use the zipper later to get into the onesie, and if you cut it, it will most likely not function later on. , Reinforce the portion of the zipper that is hanging from the sweatshirt with some fabric glue.Focus on applying the glue from the height where the waistband had been cut off, and extending a bit below that, toward the base of the zipper closure.
The zipper has to be fastened securely, so it won’t unravel later.
You could even use some needle and thread to sew around the zipper for added security.Consider stapling the zipper as well. , Once the zipper is tightly secured and the glue has had time to completely dry (approximately 2 hours), cut off the remaining zipper extending past the point of the waistband.
To be sure that the zipper won’t unravel, add a little bit more glue to the cut off edge of the zipper, and cover it with a small piece of left over fabric.The left over fabric will help keep the rough zipper edge contained, and prevent it from unraveling.
The added fabric will also make the rough zipper edge less irritating while wearing the onesie. , Just like you did with the sweatshirt, lay the pants on a flat surface and cut off the top waistband on the pants.Be sure to stay as close to the waistband edge as possible., This step is optional, but if you want the bottom of the pant legs to be scrunched and not loose, you can feed elastic into the pant leg hem to cinch the pant leg bottoms.Unravel the fabric elastic and cut off two pieces approximately 8” – 12” long, depending on the circumference of your ankle.
Attach a safety pin to one end of each elastic strip.
You can wrap the elastic around your ankle to see how much you need, but always err on the side of caution and cut extra elastic, rather than not cutting enough. , Use the scissors to make a small incision on the inside hemming of one of the pant legs, big enough that the safety pin and elastic could enter through the slit easily.Use the safety pin to guide the elastic inside the hem, and feed it around the hem of the pant, coming out the other side of the incision., Once the elastic is hanging out of the pant leg from both ends of the incision, use a needle and thread to sew the elastic ends together.The sewing of the elastic doesn’t require a lot of meticulous precision, because it’ll be hidden inside the pant leg hem.
However, do make sure that you sew and secure your stitching, so the elastic doesn’t come loose in the pant hem. , Use a thread with similar coloring as the sweat suit to sew and close the slit of the hem incision.Again, this closure sewing doesn’t require exact precision, but the stitchings should be secure enough that they won’t unravel later on and expose the elastic.
Repeat this entire process (feeding the elastic through the pant hem, sewing the elastic ends together, and sewing the incision point closed) for the other pant leg. , Turn the top and bottom of the sweat suit inside out.Moving in small sections, match up the top and bottom edges of the sweat suit, by lying either the top or bottom piece of the sweat suit on top of the other piece., Use sewing pins to fasten the matched edges, and keep them in place.Do this by pushing in a pin down into the matched up fabric (about 1/4 “ away from the fabric’s edge), then tilt and bring the pin back up through the fabric (a centimeter or so over from the entrance point), and even out the pin, so it acts as a skewer.
The pins should lie parallel to the edges of the sweat suit.
Weave sewing pins in this manner all around the matched edges of the sweat suit, until both free edges are evenly held in place. , Use a sewing machine to stitch the edges of the top and bottom pieces of the sweat suit together.
You do not have to remove the pins in order to sew the fabrics together; simply sew on the other side of the pins, toward the bulk of the fabric.However, if you are worried about the pins catching the sewing needle and potentially breaking it while you sew, you can remove each pin as you come up on the area of the fabric it's holding together.
You may need to change the sewing machine settings to a “stretch stitch,” to accommodate sewing on stretchy material.If you don’t change the settings, your sewing machine can jam the threading with the fabric.
Do not sew over the zipper. , Remove all the pins once you are finished sewing, and turn the onesie right side in.At this point, unzip the onesie, step into it, and try it on. -
Step 3: Secure the zipper.
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Step 4: Cut the zipper.
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Step 5: Cut off the sweatpants waistband.
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Step 6: Cut the pieces of elastic.
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Step 7: Feed the elastic through the pant leg hem.
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Step 8: Attach the elastic together.
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Step 9: Close the incision opening.
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Step 10: Line up the top and bottom edges.
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Step 11: Secure the edges together.
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Step 12: Sew the matched edges together.
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Step 13: Try on the onesie.
Detailed Guide
Lay the sweatshirt on a flat surface, and use scissors to cut the threading connecting the sweatshirt pockets to the waistband of the sweatshirt.Make a small snip at the connected threading, making sure not to cut any of the actual sweatshirt fabric.
Once you have cut the thread connecting to pockets to the waistband, gently pull the pockets away from the waistband until the threading comes loose and unravels.
Starting at the area right next to the zipper, cut vertically, parallel to the sweatshirt zipper, and then turn the scissors horizontally to cut around the sweatshirt and remove the waistband from the sweatshirt.
Try to cut as close to sewn edge of the waistband as possible.
Once you cut all the way around the bottom of the sweatshirt and get back to the other side of the zipper, turn your scissors vertically to again, cut right alongside the edge of the zipper.
The zipper should look untouched, hanging about an inch or two longer than the cut edge of the bottom of the sweatshirt.It is very important that you leave the zipper intact by cutting along the sides of it.
You will use the zipper later to get into the onesie, and if you cut it, it will most likely not function later on. , Reinforce the portion of the zipper that is hanging from the sweatshirt with some fabric glue.Focus on applying the glue from the height where the waistband had been cut off, and extending a bit below that, toward the base of the zipper closure.
The zipper has to be fastened securely, so it won’t unravel later.
You could even use some needle and thread to sew around the zipper for added security.Consider stapling the zipper as well. , Once the zipper is tightly secured and the glue has had time to completely dry (approximately 2 hours), cut off the remaining zipper extending past the point of the waistband.
To be sure that the zipper won’t unravel, add a little bit more glue to the cut off edge of the zipper, and cover it with a small piece of left over fabric.The left over fabric will help keep the rough zipper edge contained, and prevent it from unraveling.
The added fabric will also make the rough zipper edge less irritating while wearing the onesie. , Just like you did with the sweatshirt, lay the pants on a flat surface and cut off the top waistband on the pants.Be sure to stay as close to the waistband edge as possible., This step is optional, but if you want the bottom of the pant legs to be scrunched and not loose, you can feed elastic into the pant leg hem to cinch the pant leg bottoms.Unravel the fabric elastic and cut off two pieces approximately 8” – 12” long, depending on the circumference of your ankle.
Attach a safety pin to one end of each elastic strip.
You can wrap the elastic around your ankle to see how much you need, but always err on the side of caution and cut extra elastic, rather than not cutting enough. , Use the scissors to make a small incision on the inside hemming of one of the pant legs, big enough that the safety pin and elastic could enter through the slit easily.Use the safety pin to guide the elastic inside the hem, and feed it around the hem of the pant, coming out the other side of the incision., Once the elastic is hanging out of the pant leg from both ends of the incision, use a needle and thread to sew the elastic ends together.The sewing of the elastic doesn’t require a lot of meticulous precision, because it’ll be hidden inside the pant leg hem.
However, do make sure that you sew and secure your stitching, so the elastic doesn’t come loose in the pant hem. , Use a thread with similar coloring as the sweat suit to sew and close the slit of the hem incision.Again, this closure sewing doesn’t require exact precision, but the stitchings should be secure enough that they won’t unravel later on and expose the elastic.
Repeat this entire process (feeding the elastic through the pant hem, sewing the elastic ends together, and sewing the incision point closed) for the other pant leg. , Turn the top and bottom of the sweat suit inside out.Moving in small sections, match up the top and bottom edges of the sweat suit, by lying either the top or bottom piece of the sweat suit on top of the other piece., Use sewing pins to fasten the matched edges, and keep them in place.Do this by pushing in a pin down into the matched up fabric (about 1/4 “ away from the fabric’s edge), then tilt and bring the pin back up through the fabric (a centimeter or so over from the entrance point), and even out the pin, so it acts as a skewer.
The pins should lie parallel to the edges of the sweat suit.
Weave sewing pins in this manner all around the matched edges of the sweat suit, until both free edges are evenly held in place. , Use a sewing machine to stitch the edges of the top and bottom pieces of the sweat suit together.
You do not have to remove the pins in order to sew the fabrics together; simply sew on the other side of the pins, toward the bulk of the fabric.However, if you are worried about the pins catching the sewing needle and potentially breaking it while you sew, you can remove each pin as you come up on the area of the fabric it's holding together.
You may need to change the sewing machine settings to a “stretch stitch,” to accommodate sewing on stretchy material.If you don’t change the settings, your sewing machine can jam the threading with the fabric.
Do not sew over the zipper. , Remove all the pins once you are finished sewing, and turn the onesie right side in.At this point, unzip the onesie, step into it, and try it on.
About the Author
Catherine Kennedy
Specializes in breaking down complex DIY projects topics into simple steps.
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