Baby Leg Warmers

So anyone out there with a baby has probably seen Babylegs leg warmers for babies. They are super cute! And super expensive! I mean $12 for 1/2 a pair of pants?!?! I appreciate the benefits of leg warmers over pants. They don't need to be removed for every diaper change. And when baby starts to be mobile they don't crawl right out of the leg warmers. Not to mention they are soooo stinking cute. But I just couldn't get my mind around $12 for one pair. I mean, we are on a budget here.

Speaking of budgets, you know what the downfall of my budget is: the "CLEARANCE" signs at Target. They get me every time.

On a recent trip I saw that ladies knee-high socks were on clearance, for a hot $1.25/pair, so I stopped to take a look. While a lot of the designs were really girly (which isn't a good match for Baby what with him being a boy and all) but there were a few that were somewhat gender neutral, and completely 80's. So I picked up a few pairs and headed home to make my own baby leg warmers.

After sacrificing the first pair to the sewing machine gods, I finally figured out a method that worked! And it translated into several pairs of leg warmers, with the most expensive ones setting me back a harsh $2.50/pair :)

Here's how I did it.

What you will need:

1 pair of women's knee high socks - the taller the better

coordinating thread
scissors
sewing machine

First, thread the sewing machine. This was what cost me my first pair. Stupid tension wheel...

Now, turn the socks inside out.

 

Take the inside-out sock, and fold it down, from the top towards the toes. Stop when you get to the length you want for your leg warmer, or when you get to the heel of the sock.

Top stitch along the crease, being careful NOT to stretch the sock as you sew. Be sure to start/stop with a few reverse stitches to make sure your thread is secure. This makes the new hem for the leg warmer. **Note, if you want to add some extra elasticity to the bottom you can stretch the sock a bit, but I personally think the finished product fits cuter on the baby if it hasn't been stretched :)**

After you sew in the new hem turn the sock completely inside out again.Trim off the foot of the sock, cutting between your stitches and the heel. Do this carefully, so you can trim in close but you don't clip the stitches.   

Turn your new leg warmer right side out! Tada! Done.

Just repeat the steps until you have a pair

Here's another pair I made. It's not the best picture, because they are seriously neon orange.

And another pair! See how cute they look on Baby!

I made about 5 pairs, and now I'm just scouring sock aisles everywhere for clearance items. I think I might have a problem!!

:)