How to Sew Boys Board shorts from a free sewing pattern!

Letโ€™s make some cute board shorts for summer! It’s so easy. Hereโ€™s a free pattern for boyโ€™s pants and shorts that will look exactly like cool summer board shorts when we are done.

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For more fun projects like this, check out all my free sewing patterns.

If you don’t already have the right fabric in your stash like I did, check out the cute stuff that The Fabric Fairy is stocking. If I had planned ahead more, I would have ordered that cute argyle. ๐Ÿ™‚

This blog post is Part 1, where I’ll show you how to make the faux-fly. If you want to add patch pockets also like the shorts in the picture above, follow these instructions to prepare your altered pattern piece and cut it out in boardshort fabric. Then refer toย Let’s make boardshorts! {Part 2}ย for the pocket pattern and instructions. Once you have your pockets on, come back here to see how to sew your shorts together. I know it sounds complicated, but the faux fly and the pockets were too much for one blog post.

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The only pattern you’ll need is the Simple Pants Pattern that you get by clicking here.

After you download it, {click here} to download the optional faux fly option that you’ll need to tape to the pants pattern piece.

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First decide the length of the inseam you want. Board shorts are normally kinda long for shorts. I measured a pair that fit my size 10 boy just right, and the inseam was 10″. The inseam on my size 6 boy was 8″ (if that helps). This picture shows how I measured from top of the pattern inseam and made a mark 10″ down. Then I did that on the opposite side and cut the pattern piece using my rotary cutter and ruler. I actually cut about 1/2″ below my marks to leave me enough for a hem.

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Cut out the proper size of your optional faux-fly piece and tape it to the front side of your shortened simple pants pattern piece as shown. Cut two pieces. {If you are adding pockets, refer to Part 2 now for the pocket pattern and instructions. Then come back and pick up here.}

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Here, I changed the order a bit from the Simple Pants Pattern… sew the inseams by folding each pant leg like a tube (right sides together) and stitching the straight seam. Finish edges if you like. Then stick one pant leg inside the other (right sides together). Pin the crotch together, pining all the way around the faux fly.

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Stitch, making sure to pivot in a right angle when you sew around the faux fly.

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After stitching, iron the shorts (or pants) from the front. Fold the fly to one side, making a straight crease all the way up the front. {see the cute pockets… that post is next!}

Once you’ve ironed that well, baste across the top of your faux fly to hold it in place.

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Now you have two ways to do the topstitching. Method 1: You can mark the shape on the front and then sew over your markings. Or method 2: I am pretty confident in my sewing machine’s tension, so I do the topstitching from the inside. Pin the faux fly down along the stitching line, and then sew right on top of your previous stitching, through all layers to the front.

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Woo hoo! That’s it for the faux fly. Follow the Simple Pants Pattern for instructions on the waistband and hem if you need them.

Did you notice my new iron? I’m just getting used to all the fun goodies on the Oliso Pro.

And by the way, if your boy is on a swim team, he might prefer swim jammers – hereโ€™s how to make them!

Happy Sewing!

Disclosure: some of my posts contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of those links I may receive a small commission, so thank you for supporting SewCanShe when you shop! All of the opinions are my own and I only suggest products that I actually use. ๐Ÿ™‚