As a single mom of 3 under the age of 3 I was always looking to save money by figuring out how to make those neat pricey things that everyone has gotta have! I LOVE baby legs, but with 7.5 month old twin girls at $12-$15 a pair it adds up fast. So I came up with a tutorial to share on my blog for free with other moms just like me.
This is a quick inexpensive project that anyone can do! The socks in the tutorial below were $1 at Walmart, but Target & the dollar store are great places to get them as well. I have found them ranging from $1-$4 depending on length & where you get them. These are harder to get between Easter & back to school shopping (late spring & summer months) because its just to warm so most people don’t want to buy socks!!! Here is a picture of my identical twin girls (7 months at the time) in their matching ones of course. They are a GREAT alternative to tights, making diaper changes much easier. They are warmer & much more durable & can also double as arm warmers to give a warm layered look to your favorite t-shirts for girls & boys of all ages.
Supplies…
Womens tube/knee socks (6m-6yr) or Womens crew socks (0-18m) Girls knee socks also work GREAT.
Sewing machine or needle & thread
Scissors
Pins
STEP 1: First cut the socks into sections as pictured below. You will toss the heel & toe scraps, but keep the bottom of the foot. Note: for this tutorial I am working with crew socks, but the process is the same as with tube socks.
STEP 2: Take the section remaining from the foot & you want to fold it inside of itself as pictured below. You should have the nice side of the sock on the outside & inside with a fold on one end & both raw edges on the other.
STEP 3: Stick the long section of the sock inside your newly created tube. This would give you 3 raw edges on the side we are going to sew, the other side will have the folded edge & the finished edge that was originally the top of the sock. If you have a pattern such as stripes or argyle as I used you may try to get them to line up. Once you are happy with the positioning pin together. Make sure to pin just 3 layers, not all 6 or you won’t have a hole to stick your little ones leg through when you are finished.
STEP 4: Time to Sew! Set the stitch length on your sewing machine to 4 (longest stitch), this will allow the most stretch. If the long straight stitch just doesn’t stretch enough for you can also us a narrow zig zag stitch… width at 2 & length at 3. You want to stretch the pinned side over the arm of your sewing machine & sew a straight stitch all the way around. If you can’t get it to stretch over then you can use what ever method you use to sew circles normally, or you can simply stitch it together with a needle & thread the old fashion way.
STEP 5 (OPTIONAL): Your finished seam should look similar to this. For a cleaner more professional look you can use pinking sheers, a zigzag stitch, or serge the seam for extra strength & to prevent unraveling.
Then simply fold the trim down (putting the seam inside) & TADA… a baby & toddler leg warmer simply make another one & test them out on the nearest happy child!
If you have any questions, found a mistake OR would like pictures of baby leg & arm warmers YOU made with my tutorial added to the gallery then please email me so I can continue to improve the tutorial.
Don’t forget to check out all my other free tutorials including my lists of hundreds of free tutorials!
160 Responses
smithmott
What a great idea! I trying to think if anyone I know has a baby right now I can make these for.
zstitches
Cute! I really like the 60’s dress you made, too, it’s adorable.
One suggestion: Sew the seam with a medium-length and medium-width zigzag stitch so it is a stretchy seam; a straight-stitched seam could have the stitches pop if it gets stretched a bit too much putting it on the baby.
zstitches
(By the way, I guess if I’m posting as a stranger it would be more polite to introduce myself — I’m Zina, a mom of 4 in Utah who loves to sew. I found your website while surfing the “sewing” tag on WordPress.)
easytoentertain
wooo…finally found a few pairs of socks that should work at the dollar store! will have to email you a pic of them all when i am done!
Crystal
Thank you so much for posting this!! We are expecting our first baby (girl) in March 2008….I’ve been looking online and these are super expensive (in my opinion)!! I just made 2 pairs and I have a whole bag full of socks that I bought today! Including the pattern that your little ones have one!! THANK YOU!!!
Christy
I’m so glad I found this. I’ve always wanted a pair for my son but I always thought the price was a bit expensive for me. I can’t wait to try it out! Thank you so much for posting this. Btw, your girls are adorable in their matching socks!
Ursula
I just love the baby leg warmers, but like a lot of moms I just don’t want to spend the money ($10-$15) a pair for them, It’s so fun to go looking for socks now. and I am having a son next tuesday and he is going to have tons of these to match all his cloth diapers, I just can’t wait. Now I have to make a bunch for my b/g twins that are 2.
Thanks a bunch, and congrads on your super cute g/g twins.
Twin Mama from Ohio
Jessica
Thanks for the tutorial with PICTURES! I had heard of “baby legs” and I saw them recently in our Target store, but $12 was way too much to spend. I have a ton of crew sock that I probably won’t wear that I could use to practice on and see what fits my little boy. I know they always have $1 socks in the $1 thing at Target, too. They usually have ones for different holidays as well!
Samantha
This is a great tutorial. I went out yesterday and found a bunch of cute socks for $0.89 a pair and sat down this afternoon and made 6 pair in under 30 minutes for under $5. Thanks for the lesson I will be cheking out more of your stuff.
LittleLovables
I just bought some expensive ones for my son. These are so cute, thanks for making the tutorial!
Martha
Thank you for posting such a great tutorial! The directions were so easy to follow. I have an 8 yr old and a 2 yr old. The 8 yr old will enjoy these for arm warmers and the 2 yr old will wear them under dresses. I can’t wait to make more.
A-Bear
THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting the pictures. We received the cutest pair of Baby Legs as a gift for our baby, and I love them. I just googled them to see about getting more and couldn’t believe they cost $10-$15. So I’m now adding socks to my shopping list as you make this look easy enough for even me to try to make some. Thank you!! I’m so excited to try out your instructions.
A-Bear
Yippeeeeeee! I was tempted to run out to the store to get some socks, BUT it’s late and I’m tired and so instead I grabbed some from my drawer to see if I could do this. YAY!!! Although I only had crew socks, I cut and sewed them in no time and can’t wait to go buy some tube socks to make more of these. Thanks for the great instructions and affordable way to make these baby leg warmers. Thank you!!
A-Bear
Here are my creations from yesterday. I’ve got the bug, not sure if this picture will show itself here, but I’ll try. Thanks again:
[IMG]http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg9/jedaryn02/BabyLegWarmers_1_1-1.jpg[/IMG]
A-Bear
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg9/jedaryn02/BabyLegWarmers_1_1-1.jpg
hopefully that link works, but if not, I still really enjoyed making them and can’t believe how easy they were to make. Yay!!
Sarah
Does anyone know of a good place to buy cute knee socks? I checked WalMart & Target but not much luck – maybe it’s a seasonal thing…
Bridget
Thanks for the great tutorial! I love baby legs but I’m too cheap to buy them and with baby girl #5 on the way I’m definately going to make some.
Amber
I’m wondering the same thing – where do you find such great deals on cute socks? I can’t find anything for less than $7 or $8 a pair…except plain athletic socks…
Cathy
Thanks for the great tutorial. So easy to make…I love the “babylegs” I have made so far!!
haylee
i love the legings that are rell cute and the babies
Katie
I am printing this up and taking it to my first sewing class. these look soooo easy!!! Thank you so much for this tutorial
annaboo2006
thanks for the tutorial – just what my son needed! Great! 😉
Rachel
Thank You! I just had a baby girl and almost spent a ton on leg warmers! It’s amazing how crafty us mom’s can be when it comes to saving money! Your girls look adorable in their pink argyle leg warmers too!
StarsSong
Thanks for this great idea! When my girls were toddlers (back in the mid-to-late 80’s), I had a few sets of leg warmers for them, in a sweaterlike fabric that looked just like Mom’s!
Now that my first grandchild is due to arrive in Dec, I knew I wanted some for my granddaughter too… now ‘Grams’ can sew some for her little sweetie!
Your little sweeties look adorable in their, btw!!!
Martha
These are wonderful leg warmers! My daughter just had identical twin girls and I am busy making all kinds of things for them. I am constantly searching for special things to make them, and your leg warmers were just what they need!
I went straight out this evening and bought some Halloween socks and made their first pair of leg warmers for Halloween!
heather
I am not in any way shape or form a woman who can sew well. I just have one of those mini sewing machines. These warmers were so easy to do. I made them on my little machine and they ROCK!
Heather
I was thinking of using socks but I knew the heel would be a problem but I didnt think of cutting the foot part & using it too by sewing them together. This is definitely the best & easiest way to make legwarmers. Thanks for doing this & helping me with the finishing steps, I was stumped. Guess next time i gotta think a little harder. HeHeHe!!
Jamie
Hi Thank you so much!! I have a 3 yr old that thinks she is a rock star and has to dress like one!! This will be great with her skirts in the winter!!! I just sat down and made 2 pair. And she had to wear them to Walmart and it’s 90 degrees outside. Oh well she is a ROCK STAR!!! Its kinda hard to find long socks for her do mens dress socks work. Once again thanks!!! My little rock star is happy!!!!! The girls are so cute!!!
Lisa
I just wanted to say “Thank You”!! I was going to buy a bunch of these for my baby for winter and this saved alot of money and was really easy to do.
Chantal
Thanks! This was so simple. My dauighter says she looks cool with these, haha and has a list of all the different socks she wants to buy!
Ima
Great tutorial, a creative way to save and getting DD to look fab at the same time. Thx!
Michele
Thanks for your easy-to-understand tutorial! Was going to spend loads to get a pair for my baby and now I can make loads with the same amount of money!!!
becca
Thanks for this super tutorial. I found it a few weeks ago and just made my ‘first’ pair with $1 girls’ socks..all pink flowers and stripes…and it was so easy and they fit my 2 month-old EVEN BETTER than the Babylegs I purchased. I know I’ll be making some as gifts now and more for my little girl, too….thanks a bundle!!
becca
oh my gosh I’m sorry I forgot to tell you – your twins are SO CUTE!!!! I love their little GRINS! 🙂
jenica
i just made a whole slew of them! thank you so much!
xoxo
Tanisha
oh i am so excited to make my son some of these. i bought some boy colored socks off ebay. his poor little knees are getting all red from the carpet. also found some halloween socks at joann fabric. my husband just shakes his head at me.thanks so much.
Jackie
I was JUST about it make a pair the way I thought it might work and then googled how to make them. We had the very same idea. 🙂 I couldn’t raitonalize paying $16 for Baby Legs or even $10 for the copies. So, I bought great socks at the Superstore for $3 and will make them tonight! Great idea for sure! I just bought kid knee highs…hope they work as well. 🙂
tasha roe
this is so awesome!!!!
B Boles
AWESOME! What a great idea! Thank you so much! I just forund this and in 5 mon I made 2 pairs. I can’t wait to go to the Dollar Tree and find mor socks to use!
newmom
Be sure not to sure anklet socks, or you’ll make your baby some cute knee socks. 🙂
(that’s what I just did…)
Jesi
Great Idea! I just made 3 pairs for my son for this coming winter so he can still wear his shorts outfits that won’t fit come next Summer! Super easy, Super Cute! Thank you for the wonderful idea!
April
Thank you, thank you, thank you for PICTURES! I have bought so many of these at $8 – $20 each for my daughter and finally saw something about making them myself online (duh, why didn’t I think of that?). But all the “how-tos” with their simple steps are still hard to understand without pictures. Thanks! Now to go plug in the sewing machine & try this! 😉
Kat
Directions were super easy to follow. I made 10 pairs for my little girl and currently making some for my nieces. I can’t believe how fast and easy it is to make these. It’s so much fun and my daughter looks so cute. I get compliments on them all the time.
Lucy
Here are my Halloween baby legs! One ended up slightly longer than the other. Oooops! They have small spiders on them that have a silly grin. As you can also see, I didn’t bother matching up the argyle! Not bad for my first attempt though.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3019/2971999403_2ca92317c5.jpg
Emily Smith
I can’t wait to try this!! A baby my daughter is in daycare with has several of these and I have been coveting them ever since I saw them!
Trina
Great tute! I was looking for a tutorial for arm warmers made from socks but I think this would do just as well.
Thanks!
Mandy
That is such a great idea. Babylegs are expensive! I’m linking this from my blog!
Christine
Wow! I made these in under 15 minutes WITH a baby crawling around me! So easy and so great!
Thank you so much for this superb idea! My daughter is wearing them right now on this cold Ontario November day!
Jenn
This is an AWESOME tutorial. I was planning on buying these as arm warmers for my son. Now I can make them myself. Thanks so much!
Solana
This is awesome! I was totally astounded by the prices of those baby legs. Someone bought a pair for us and I wanted more but wasn’t willing to shell out $12 a pair! This is a great way to save money. Thanks for posting the instructions!