Hello, Vanessa here from Mom of 5 Trying To Survive. Today I’m going to show you how to add deep pockets to pajama pants. I added these pockets to my son's pajama pants, but you could do this to adult pajamas too. These pockets can only be added to pants that have a side seam.
Supplies needed:
- Paper
- Pencil
- Pins
- Fabric Marker
- Seam Ripper
- Fabric that matches your pajama pants
- Sewing Machine or Serger
- Thread
I chose to model these pockets from a pair of shorts my son had that had pockets he really liked. They are nice and deep so there's plenty of room for hands and trinkets or a phone if need be. If you don’t want deep pockets, you could go with a smaller version that’s just big enough for hands.
To start out, have your child wear the pants and place their hands where they would like the pockets to be. Then mark with pins or a fabric marker where you would like the top and bottom of the opening for their hands. My opening starts about ½” below the waist band and is 5 inches long. Also mark where the tips of their fingers are so you know how wide the pocket should be. Also decide how long the pocket should be.
Once you have figured out the size of the pockets you need, make a template. You should have a length and width. Mark the length and width to create a right corner on paper. Then draw a large curve for the inside edge of the pocket. Cut out your template. My short and long edges measured 6” x 8.5”. The whole length of my pocket from the top to the bottom of the curve was 10”. Notice my long edge is longer than the 5 inch opening I’m going to make for the hands. Mark that length on the pants as well with a pin or marker.
There should be three markings. One at the top where the opening is going to start, one in the middle where the opening is going to end, one at the bottom where the pocket ends.
Now it's time to cut the pocket pieces. Use a fabric that is a similar type to the pajama pants. These pants are a knit fabric, so that is what I am using for the pockets. Cut out four pieces of pockets with the template you have created. It’s best to fold the fabric and cut two pieces at a time that are mirrored.
Turn the pajama pants wrong side out. Using a seam ripper, remove the stitches where the pocket is going to go. I removed the seams a little farther than my pins so I had some extra room to work with.
Turn the pants right side out. Line up the long straight edge of one pocket piece with the raw edge of the front of the pants. Make sure the pants and pocket are right sides together. Line up the top of the pocket with the top marking or pin and pin the pocket in place. Take the other pocket piece and pin in place on the back of the pants.
For each pocket piece, sew the pocket and pants together between the two top pins for the opening of the pocket. In my case, I sewed 5 inches. You are not sewing all the way down to the bottom of the pocket.
Now, turn the pants wrong side out. Line up the pocket pieces, right sides together, and pin them together.
Now you need to sew the rest of the bottom edge of the pocket and remaining opening of the pants together. Do that by lining up the raw edges of the pants together and the raw edges of the pocket together.
Pick them both up and line them up together like in the below picture. You should have four layers with all the raw edges lined up. Sew these all together while also closing the rest of the pants opening at the bottom.
Next, sew all the way around the pocket edges that aren’t sewn shut. Also sew shut the opening above the pocket if there is one.
Lastly, sew the top edge of the pocket to the front of the pants. Use a matching thread to the pants, so the seam can’t be seen. The pocket is sewn to the front of the pants like this so it lays nice and flat against the leg. Since my waistband was elastic, I stretched the waistband as I sewed.
Now repeat with the other side and you’ve got yourself some deep pockets.
(Written by: Vanessa Salatino)
