This tutorial will show you how to convert 5 ply training pants to side snapping training pants. These are way easier to take off during #2 accidents rather than sliding the mess down the childs leg while standing in the bathroom. Not to mention when you're out and about in public and don't want the child to sit on the floor in the bathroom they can stand while you snap them onto them. They are especially good so you don't have to take shoes, socksand pants off on those gross floors!!
As far as I know, I came up with this idea, so if you share it, please link back to me. Give me a little credit to spending 2 days fighting with a broken computer to put this tutorial together!
Video coming soon!
Supplies:
Snap pliers and snaps, among other goodies, can be found here....
www.kamsnap.com don't say i didn't worn you but snaps are addictive... and if you look around their site you'll find cute engraved ones with animals!
You need the snaps and the pliers (you need 12 snap sets per pants)
Sharp Scissors
Jersey Knit or Stretch Knit fabric, or old t-shirts if you're into repurposing and don't know how to go about getting ahold of such fabric. (You can usually find someone that knows what their talking about at the right fabric store, but not everone has such luck.)
First things first. I recommend washing the pants and fabric a few times to help shrink them up so the snaps don't shift afterwards.
First, slip your scissors into the side of the training pants as shown. There is no seam here so just cut straight up to the top of both sides of all of the pants you want to convert.
And it would figure that I'd cut a small hole in the middle of the fabric during a tutorial! LOL, SO ignore that, I will work around it and you may not even notice when I fix it.
So now you get out your jersey knit fabric or stretch knit, or old t-shirt and lay it out flat.
I am using a size 2 pants for this tutorial and I did not "finish" the top and bottom edges of the fabric on this pair because sometimes they don't stretch as much and that would be getting into a ton of sewing and I wanted this to be easy. Please comment below if you want to do want to know how to do it.
Make sure you have the "grain" of the fabric going the right way. You want the most stretch of the fabric to be going horizontally or width wise with how you cut it.
I cut out 2 strips of fabric 8" wide by 4" long. The edges will roll to the right side but this is ok. Just press them open with your hands or fingers or pin them after you fold the fabric together (in the next step.)
Next, fold the fabric with the wrong sides together. You may have to flip the fabric over at this point and then fold it widthwise so that it's now 4" wide.
Next, fold the opened up pants over so the tag is on the bottom (this is the inside)
Place one folded "panel" and line up the open edges with the edges of the cut pants.
Pin in place.
***Please note you need to attach these pieces to the "back" sides of the pants. The same end that the tag is on, but on the right side of the fabric.
Repeat for the other side and sew down in place. Use about a 1/2" seam allowance or less. More if the pants originally fit too big.
Here they are opened up.
(See how they are on the same end of the tag?)
Next you need to hem the other "front" end of the pants. I only turn it under once since this fabric doesn't fray. Sew down on both sides. (Left and right)
Not sure why it looks uneven, but it doesn't matter too much.
The sewing part is done! Simple right?
Now this is the FUN part! The snaps!
(*Please note that I'm using smaller cap sizes than the studs and sockets in case they look smaller, they are.) You can use all the same size snaps for simplicity.
Ready for snaps!
Bead organizers help with keeping the snaps organized! I then have another little tray holder for those other two trays on the left that hold all the overflow and the pliers and pieces.
Time to mark where the snaps will go. Now since I'm not too picky I used a pen to make dots. You could use a pencil if you are worried you put them in the wrong spot and want them gone later.
(Snap placement: I put 2 dots 1" apart in 3 rows. I just 'winged' it and made sure they were straight and evenly spaced. I wanted the ones closest to the sides to be somewhat close to the sides. so I started there and worked inward. Start by the front panel and mark your snap placements.
When you're ready for the tabs (the part you sewn on) you need to fold the edge over (so it's on top)about an inch. You need to put your snap marks on this tab. After you fold this over, it will be right next to your other marks so you'll be able to line them up real good.
Repeat for other side.
Snap placement marks.
Ready for snaps!
So if you don't know how to use the pliers, you need to put the snap cap (the part with the pointy stick thing) through the fabric and put the socket or stud) on the other side of the fabric and line up the pliers under the CAP and then press. Making sure everything is lined up evenly. I couldn't get pictures of this part since it takes two hands, but if you NEED me to, I can probably get a video of this. There are also directions on the package.
If you've not practiced already, out of excitement, like I do, get some scrap fabric and practice putting a few snaps on.
I also used two different colored snap parts. The white part is the female part or the socket. This part is on the tab we sewn on and it's on the inside. The other part of the snap, the cap, is on the outside.
Once you do all the ones on the front it should look like this!
The purple part of the snap will be on the inside (and will be fine against your little ones skin!)
Last you just need to put the other ones on making sure to go through all the layers of fabric, including the part that we folded over from earlier.
Make sure that the snaps get put on the opposite side this time so when you fold the tab over the snap parts meet together and snap together in the right way. You can easily test this before putting the snaps on by just folding over the tab and looking to see where the cap snap will go. (For this side, the caps will be shown, on the outside of the pants.)
Finish these up and YOU'RE DONE!!
Yey! You're done!
Test each snap set to make sure they all got pressed together correctly. They should "snap" closed and opened.
If they didn't I can direct you to a tutorial to get them replaced.
***Look like too much work and just want someone to do it for you? I will gladly convert your training pants for you!*** You can contact me via Facebook at
www.facebook.com/SweetnSimpleDesigns or you can email me at
SweetLilRachy00@netscape.net
