This is a great way to get a little more wear out of pants which have become too short.

1. Measure the width of the pant leg. Multiply by 2 and then add 2 cm (or 1") for the seam allowances.

e.g. Width is 10 cm: (10 x 2) + 2 = 22cm

OR Width is 4": (4 x 2) + 1 = 9"

2. Decide on the length of the cuff that you want to add. 5 cm (2") is a good size if you are unsure. Multiply by 2 and then add 2.5 cm (1 1/4") for the seam allowances.

e.g. Cuff length will be 5cm: (5 x 2) + 2.5 = 12.5 cm

OR Cuff length will be 2": (2 x 2) + 1 1/4 = 5 1/4"

3. Cut 2 pieces of fabric in your required size. For the example above you will need to cut 2 pieces which are 22 cm wide and 12.5 cm high. (OR 9" wide and 5 1/4" high)

4. With wrong sides together, fold each cuff along it's width, bringing long edges together. Press, then open up again.

5. If your fabric has a directional print then take the bottom edge and press 1 cm (1/2") to the wrong side. Once pressed, open up again.

6. Fold each of the cuff pieces in half along the length, bringing short edges and right sides together. Sew along the short edges with a 1 cm (1/2") seam allowance to form 2 tubes. Press seams open.

7. Re-fold and re-press the 1cm (1/2") which you pressed to the wrong side along the bottom edge in step 5.

8. Take one of your cuff tubes and, with right sides together, slide it over one of the pant legs, aligning one of the raw edges of the cuff tube with the base of the pant leg. Align the side seam of the cuff with the in-leg seam of the pants.

9. Sew right around the bottom of the pants, joining the two pieces with a 1.5 cm (3/4") seam. You should be sewing just above the original hem of the pants. If your pant legs are too skinny to fit over the arm of your sewing machine, try sewing from the inside, like this:

10. Fold the cuff down to the right side and press the seam allowance towards the bottom of the pants.

11. Turning the pants to the wrong side, fold the pants cuff up along the pressed fold. Pin in place, ensuring that the folded edge of the cuff extends about 0.5 cm (1/4") past the seam joining the cuff to the pants.

12. From the right side of the pants, 'stitch in the ditch' of the join between the cuff and the pants, making sure that you catch the inner edge of the cuff in the underside of your stitches. I have done this in white so that you can see what's going on but you will want to match the fabric of your pants legs. Again, if the leg of the pants won't fit over your sewing machine arm, you may need to do this by turning the pants to the wrong side and sewing from the 'inside' of the leg.

This is also a really nice technique if you simply want to add some interest to a pair of plain pants. Even if the pants don't need to be lengthened, sew exactly as above and turn up the cuffs so that when your child grows you can simply fold them down for extra length.

I hope you have found this tutorial useful. Do you have any favourite tips for getting a little more wear out of your clothes?