Do you have more t-shirts than your child has pajama bottoms? Well, then, it’s time to give some of them up. It’s really easy to turn a single t-shirt into a pair of pajama bottoms for a young child and, even though the shirt won’t look the same, it’ll still be in the family! If you can sew just a little bit you can quickly make any pull-over t-shirt into new pajamas. And, the shirt can be v-neck or crew neck, long sleeves or short sleeves.
Yes, you can use nearly any t-shirt to make the pajama bottoms but consider the shirt before deciding for certain. Look at the shirt from mid-chest, down. That will be the design you’ll see on the pajama bottoms. If the shirt has an image on one side, but not on the other, decide if you want that image on the front or the back of the pajama bottoms.
Fold the shirt in half to begin. With the fold facing you, lay a pair of child’s pajama bottoms on the shirt. Fold the pajamas in half and lay the fold of them against the fold of the shirt. Position the pajama pants so that the hem of the legs is on the hem of the t-shirt. That way, you won’t have to hem the bottoms.
Cut around the pajama bottom shape allowing for a half-inch seam. If the pajama bottoms have elastic in the waist, stretch the waistline out, and mark the area where you need to cut – plus the half-inch seam allowance. Allow an inch and a half at the top, for the waistband.
Open one of the folded pieces and lay it flat on a table. Open the other one, lay it on the first one, and place them so that their right sides are facing each other. From the waistline, down, sew one side of the crotch. Do the same to the other side. Open the pants and align the two sewn seams. Pin and sew the inseam.
Fold the edge of the waistline down a quarter-inch, then an inch, to make a pocket for the elastic. Sew nearly all the way around but leave a tiny opening where you can thread the elastic into the pocket. Hook a safety pin on the end of a piece of one-inch elastic and use it to push the elastic through the pocket. When that’s done, sew the tiny opening shut, and the pajama bottoms are finished.
The t-shirt pajama bottoms are cute but you can also make t-shirt shorts for bigger kids. Just use a pair of their pajama bottoms as a pattern but fold them at the knees before placing them on the t-shirt. Your kids will love the comfy new pajama bottoms which can be worn with a t-shirt or tank top.