So the groundhog has called for six more weeks of winter. Fabulous. This winter in PA has been cold. I’m talking single digit temperatures. So needless to say, I’ve been wearing a lot of boots this season. I’ve wanted to be able to dress up my boots and leggings, but at the stores a pair of boot cuffs costs $25! That’s a little out of my price range — at least for boot cuffs.
I then realized that I could make these at home for a a fraction of the price. The best part is they’re not that difficult to make and they look so cute!
How to Make Your Own Boot Cuffs
Materials:
- Old sweater (or thrift store sweater)
- Lace
- Fancy Buttons
- Needle and Thread
- Scissors
- Fabric Glue (optional)
I found the sweater I ended up using at a local Goodwill for $2.15. What you will want to do is first “try it on” to see which length you like best. This will also ensure that the sleeve on the sweater will stretch enough to fit over your calf.
Once you are sure there is enough stretch, then you will want to determine the length of the cuff. Here in PA, we have long, cold winters so I like the longer size (think leg warmers), but if you live in a warmer climate you might want to make just a half-length cuff.
Once you decide on the length of the cuff, it’s time to cut. You will want to cut in a straight line across the sleeve.
You are going to want to sew up the bottom on the sleeve so it doesn’t fray or fall apart. You can do this in one of three ways. If you have a sewing machine you can use that, you can hand stitch it, or you could use a fabric glue. Regardless of which method you choose, you will follow the same process.
Fold the edge over once, then do it again. You can then run it through the sewing machine, hand stitch it together, or put a line of fabric on it and press it together.
I tried it using both the sewing machine as well as hand sewing the seam. If you have a sewing machine, this will probably give you a stronger stitch, but if you hand stitch the seam you can use a heavier elastic thread. I didn’t try the fabric glue, so I’m not sure how that works. (If anyone has tried it this way, please let me know how it turns out!)
Once you have secured the seam you can either leave the cuff as is, or you can add some cute embellishments to the top of the cuff. Make sure you stretch out the fabric as you are stitching the top of the cuff. This will ensure that you have enough room to get it over your calf.
After you have attached the lace, all that’s left is adding the button. Just sew on the button in the location you want. You’re now ready to go!
The best part is that the total cost of these boot cuffs is about $6.50 and they look exactly the way I want. If I decided against the buttons and the lace it would have cost even less.
These would make adorable gifts too!
Have you tried making your own boot socks? How did they turn out?
