How to Make a Hoodie

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   Choose your fabric. Not all types of material will work for making a hoodie, so it is important to choose your fabric carefully. You can go with a heavy or lightweight fabric depending on how warm you want the hoodie to be.

   • For example, you could go with fleece or a thick stretch cotton (sweatshirt material) for a warmer option. Or, you could go with a jersey or t-shirt material for a lightweight hoodie.
   • The easiest way to know if a fabric will be a good choice for a hoodie is to first test it by stretching the fabric.
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Grasp the fabric between your hands about 10 to 12 in (25 to 30 cm) apart pulling and stretching left to right to see if the fabric has enough stretch. If the fabric stretches equally from both cross directions it will work well for a hoodie sweatshirt.

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   • Make sure to buy more material than you think you will need. Two yards will likely suffice for an adult sized hoodie.
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   Use an old hooded sweatshirt to cut the body pieces. You do not need a pattern to make a hoodie. You can simply use an old hooded sweatshirt as a guide. Lay out your hooded sweatshirt on top of your doubled up fabric. Then, fold in the arms and hood so that you just have the body of the sweatshirt to outline. Trace around the body piece of the hoodie about 1” (2.5 cm) from the edges to provide a seam allowance.

   • Choose an old hooded sweatshirt that is similar to the one you want to create. This will help to ensure that you get the right measurements.
   • If you find it difficult to work around the hood and arms, then you can also use a t-shirt as a guide. However, you will still need the sweatshirt to use as a guide for the other parts of the hoodie.
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   Trace the arms of your sweatshirt to get the arm pieces. Unfold one of the arms of your sweatshirt. Then, line up the top part of your sleeve with the folded edge of the fabric and the armpit area of the sleeve with the other edge of your fabric. Use your chalk to trace about 1” (2.5 cm) from the bottom of the sleeve and the wrist area to provide adequate seam allowance. Then, cut along the chalk lines. ^[1]

   • Make sure that you do not cut along the folded edge. Leave this intact.
   • Repeat this process again to create the other sleeve piece.
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   Follow the outline of the hood to get the hood pieces. Next, fold your fabric again so that you have four layers. Then, arrange the hood so that the edges of the hood are aligned and the hood is on its side. Lay the hood part of your sweatshirt on top of your stack of fabric, but do not worry about lining it up with the fold. Trace the shape of the hood onto the top layer of fabric with chalk, and then cut through all four layers following the chalk line. ^[2]
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   Cut two strips for the wristbands. Make sure that the fabric is folded in two layers. To create the wristband pieces, unfurl one of your sleeve pieces and then line up the edge with your folded fabric. Then, trace along the outer edges of the end (wrist area) of the sleeve. Extend the lines from the end of the sleeve so that the strip will be about 4 inches (10 cm) wide. Then, cut along the edges to create the two wrist pieces. ^[3]

   • Wristbands are optional. If you prefer to leave them off, then you can skip this step and just hem the ends of your sleeves instead.
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   Make a long strip for the bottom band of the sweatshirt. Keep the fabric folded in two layers. Then, cut out a 4” (10cm) wide strip of fabric that is the same length as the total length of the bottom of your body pieces combined. To find this amount, measure the bottom of one of your body pieces and then double it. ^[4]

   • For example, if the bottom of one of your pieces is 20” (51 cm), then you will need to cut out a strip that is 40” (102 cm) long.
   • The bottom band is optional. If you would like to leave it off, then you can just skip this step and then just hem the bottom of your sweatshirt piece.
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   Create the pocket piece. The pocket piece looks like a rectangle with curves at the two top corners. You can use the pocket on an existing sweatshirt to help you get the shape, or just create the shape freehand. You can make the pocket as large or as small as you like.

   • The pocket is optional as well. If you don't want a pocket, then skip this step.
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