I’ve been wanting to make my own pair of American flag shorts for quite some time, so tonight I grabbed some supplies and a spare pair of cutoffs and made my own! ::
And now, the tutorial ::
These shorts are simple to make, yet difficult at the same time. If you’re good at sewing by hand, this will be a breeze. If not, it may take you some time to figure out exactly how and where the stitches need to go to make these turn out the way you want them to.
To make these you need ///
A pair of denim shorts.
I used a pair of cutoffs that I had lying around. I’ve been getting into the habit of buying old Levi’s every time I go to a thrift store, just because you never know when inspiration will hit and you’ll want to make a new pair of shorts. This part in particular were a bit stretchier than usual. I typically don’t like this material for plain old cutoffs, since the fraying doesn’t necessarily work the way I want it to. For this project though, a little bit of stretch in the fabric was fine!
Thread in the color of your choice. I went with white, just because you would be able to see the stitches better!
Stars and stripes fabric of some sort. I wound up using one of those flags that people stick on a rod and put out their car windows. The fabric was a bit shinier than other flags I have found. You could always buy a large flag for cheap online…or use an American flag bandana! There are so many options and so many ways to make these shorts, that it really doesn’t matter which direction you choose to take. At the end of the day, if you’re happy then that’s all that matters!
Scissors!
Okay, so the first thing I did was cut my flag in half. Luckily, it was just enough fabric to cover the whole front side of the shorts from seam to seam. After that, I laid the half I was going to be working on first on the cutoffs. I made sure that it was situated exactly where I wanted it to be and then I did some stitches just to make sure it stayed in place.
I cutout a space for the pocket and for the first belt loop. When you’re stitching, make sure you stay aware of the fact that it’s possible for you to actually sew up the pocket…
I eventually wound up cutting the flag so it hit the seam right before the zipper.
I’m horrible with a sewing machine, so I did this all by hand. I used the most basic stitch in the book, so this is fairly simple to do. Just be warned, it can be time consuming. I had to re-do an entire side at one point…
Stitch, stitch, stitch away! It can get kind of complicated around the pockets, but if you’re patient it shouldn’t be too bad!
In all, this project probably took me around two hours from start to finish.
The finished product. I wanted it to look kind of “crafty” so I was happy with the fact that you could see the white stitches. If this is something you wouldn’t be happy with, a sewing machine could probably eliminate this effect for you. That, or I know you can use clear thread as well…which will take away the sight of stitches completely.
Also, I decided to cut a spot for where the zipper lays…just to break up the flag. I love America, but I didn’t want these to be TOO overwhelming. I really think it’s personal preference though. My mom told me she thought it looked weird…where I thought it would look even weirder had it just been solid flag all the way across.
The shorts on the body //
Shirt: GAP ($15); Shorts: DIY ($5); Necklace: Target ($15); Bracelet: Anthropologie (Gift)
And there you have it!
Again, these are pretty easy to make and they are super on-trend right now, especially with the Olympics right around the corner.
What better way to support the USA than by turning it into a fashion statement!?
xoxo,
Sidenote:
This project has been getting some attention on my Facebook, both negative and positive. Some are angry that I used an American flag to make these.
What do you think? Should American flag clothing be okay?
I’m only 21 years old and at this point in my life, I’m very fortunate to have done more traveling than people twice my age. I’ve seen a lot of places. I’ve talked in depth with Europeans about politics. I’ve been to third world countries where people literally live on top of each other in shacks. Each time I come home from a trip, I am more and more appreciative of how amazing our country is and am wowed by the rights we get, just for being American citizens. I love our country, I really do. That being said, I made these shorts to show my patriotism for the upcoming Olympic games and now feel as though I’m being accused of lacking that patriotism that I was trying to show.
It makes me think of all the major retailers who sell and make make millions off of American flag related clothing. Bikinis, flip flops, shorts…these things are all made (most often in China…not even in America) from year to year to help these places make a quick buck around the 4th of July. Old Navy, Urban Outfitters, Walmart, Forever 21…just to name a few. That being said, is this right? Should these companies be allowed to do this? If I’m getting bashed about making my own pair…investing quality time into making them for my own personal use…should these retailers be condemned for making American Flag related clothing that gets sold to the masses?
I understand that using the American flag in clothing is controversial. I get that people have very close and emotional ties with our red, white and blue…but if I’m making clothing to show my love and pride for our country…is this okay?
I mean, I’m of the mindset that if you love something, show it. Wear those colors, show off your pride. We live in a phenomenal country and if we want to wear our flag, we should be able to, right?
What do you guys think?
