31 Days of Handmade Gifts: Day 16 - Leg Warmers

I'm sorry this one is so late.  Do you ever have those days that nothing seems to go right?  Well, this project literally took me all day to do because of one interruption or another.  This is a project that I've done before, but I wanted to share a step-by-step tutorial, so you can make your own leg warmers for babies and little girls.  This truly is a simple sewing project, as long as you pay close attention (hint - that was one of my problems - I sewed the wrong sides together and then couldn't get them apart to redo it! lol)

To make baby or child leg warmers, you will need:

• Adult knee highs from the store (I wait for them to go on clearance)
• Pinking shears or scissors
• Matching Thread
• Sewing Machine

Here are some cute knee highs that I found on clearance for $.67!  They are purple and pink, if you can't tell from the picture.

First, cut a straight line off at the ankle with the pinking sheers.  I like to use the pinking shears, because it keeps the socks from unraveling too much.

Then cut off the heel altogether.  Make it straight with the toe.  By the way, I'm not sure who thought that putting green toes and heels on purple and pink socks were cute, but these were just not meant to be together anyway!

Also, cut off the toe in a straight line, parallel with the other cut.  You will now have four pieces: the toe, the heel, the arch, and the top section.  The toe and heel will be thrown away (or if you can figure out a way to use this, I'd love to hear it!)

Take the arch section and fold it in half with the wrong sides together.  This will be the cuff of the cut end of the sock.

Pin the cuff to the outside of the sock - you will put it against the right side of the sock.  (This is where I messed up and put it on the wrong side - what a mess!  If you're not sure.  Pin it together, and then turn it like you would when you are done to be sure, before you sew!)

Stretch the sock around the small end of the machine.  Most machines have an arm that pops off to make it smaller for this purpose.  You could also sew carefully around the edge without doing this, but be sure not to catch the wrong side.  You will be using a zig zag stitch or a stretch stitch.  On occasion, I will miss a little section of the cuff, so you can just go back over it and sew a second seam over it.

Put them on some cute legs, or wrap them up for a little one.  These can be used pulled up to keep legs warm like this - which is nice in the winter instead of tights, so that little ones don't have to pull down the whole tights to go to the bathroom, or it makes for easy diaper changes.  You can also slouch them like the 80's leg warmers, if you like. 

Hope you enjoy this project - we are now over half way through the Christmas gifts!  Stay tuned for more tomorrow!  Also, be sure to check my shop - I have a pair of these there with cute penguins on them!  I also love to link up to many blogs, which I keep in my right bar over there.