Adjustable Waist Pants - For the String-Bean in Your Family!

 My little boys are little, skinny, string-beans!

Mr. A wears a 3T pant in length, but about an 18 month pant in waist size... They really don't make such a thing.  Mr. C wears somewhere between 18months and 2T in length, but somewhere around 12-18 months in width.  Most of their pants look something like this,

 1. Safety pins (1-2)

2. Rolled waist

3. Adjustable waist, cinched ALL the way!

Sadly, not all of their pants have the adjustable waist, which is my preferred method (no safety pins to worry about coming un-pinned or rusting after repeated washings).  Therefore, I decided it was time to figure out how to do it myself!

What you will need:

*Button Hole elastic 

- OR- 

follow the instructions below to make your own from regular elastic

*Strip of fabric 1/2 inch (plus a smidge) wider than your elastic and long enough to go around the waist of the pants you are using.

* 2 Buttons, the flatter the better!

First: Button Hole Elastic

Though you can find this elastic at some craft/fabric stores and certainly online (probably in any color)  I was home, boys were napping, and I already had this elastic on hand, which made it easy!  This is just regular woven elastic (I have read not to use the anti-roll stuff, it will fray!).  I measured about 1/2 of an inch from the end of the elastic and made a 1/4 inch mark, then 1/2 inch up, 1/4 inch mark several times up my elastic (I actually had to make more holes after I made them, so if you don't make enough, you can always make more!  Technically you could have the holes end-to-end!

Then I used a seam ripper to cut the 'button' holes.

 Make sure that the button you have picked out will go through the hole!  My button is probably at least 1/2 inch across, but I wanted to need to stretch to get it around the button, I don't want it slipping off and his pants falling down!

Next the fabric.  

I chose some soft flannel from what I had on hand.  I cut it 1/2 inch wider than my elastic and about 5 inches short of the waist of the pants I was adjusting.  I ironed 1/4 inch down long ways, and on the ends.  then I top stitched at about 1/8 of an inch around the waist of the pants. 

I used blue thread on the bobbin and you really can't see the stitching much.  Besides, I rarely tuck their shirts in anyway, so the waist band is rarely seen. 

I stitched the button on, being careful to to go through to the front, threaded the elastic through and DONE!

I don't have a pic with Mr. A in these pants, they've been dirty almost since I finished them, but it worked perfectly!  3T pants, now fit like they should, Yay!  Let me know how this works for you!  How do you remedy your skinny-kiddos too-loose clothes?