How to Crochet Shorts in 5 Easy Steps
Whether you’re a seasoned crocheter looking for a fun summer project or an intermediate maker ready to take on garment construction for the first time, crocheting your own shorts is one of the most rewarding things you can do with a hook and some yarn. Handmade shorts are customizable to your exact measurements, endlessly versatile in terms of style, and surprisingly approachable once you break the process down into manageable stages. From choosing the right materials to weaving in your final ends, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to crochet a beautiful, wearable pair of shorts from scratch.
Let’s get started.
What You’ll Need Before You Begin
Before diving into the steps themselves, it’s worth spending a little time gathering your supplies and preparing your workspace. Having everything ready in advance makes the process smoother and helps you avoid frustrating mid-project interruptions.
Yarn: For crochet shorts, you’ll want a yarn that has some drape and softness. Cotton yarn is the most popular choice for this type of garment because it’s breathable, holds its shape well, and comes in a gorgeous range of colors. Look for a worsted weight or DK weight cotton yarn depending on how thick or thin you want your fabric. Sport weight works beautifully too if you want a lighter, more summery feel. Avoid stiff or scratchy fibers for anything that will rest against your skin for long periods. Plan for approximately 400 to 700 yards depending on your size and the length of the shorts you’re making.
Hook: Match your hook size to your yarn label’s recommendation, but be prepared to adjust based on your gauge swatch. A 4.0mm to 5.5mm hook is typical for cotton yarns in the worsted to DK range.
Measuring tape: This is non-negotiable for garment making. You’ll need your waist, hip, and inseam measurements at minimum.
Stitch markers: These are lifesavers when working in the round or marking the beginning of rows.
Tapestry needle: For seaming and weaving in ends.
Elastic or a drawstring: For the waistband, you’ll likely want either a length of 1-inch elastic or a coordinating cord or ribbon to thread through.
Scissors: Always.
Optional: Row counter, blocking mats, and spray bottle for finishing.
A Note on Gauge and Sizing
Before you cast a single stitch, please, please swatch. Gauge is the single most important factor in garment making, and skipping it is the number one reason handmade clothing doesn’t fit properly. A gauge swatch is simply a small sample of fabric you make using your chosen yarn, hook, and stitch pattern before starting the actual project.
To swatch, chain enough stitches to create a square that’s at least 5 inches wide, work in your chosen stitch for about 5 inches in height, fasten off, and block it lightly. Then measure how many stitches and rows fall within a 4-inch square in the center of your swatch (avoiding the edges, which tend to be distorted).
Compare this to the gauge listed in whatever pattern you’re following, or use your own measurements to calculate how many stitches you need to achieve your desired fabric width. Even being half a stitch off per inch can result in garments that are several inches too big or too small over the span of 20 inches of fabric.
Once your gauge is confirmed, take your body measurements. You’ll need:
Your waist circumference, your hip circumference (at the fullest point), your rise (the distance from your waist to the top of your thigh), and your desired inseam length (how long you want the leg of the shorts to be).
Most crochet shorts patterns are worked with ease, meaning the finished garment is designed to be slightly larger than your actual measurements to allow for comfort and movement. Typically 1 to 3 inches of positive ease is recommended for a comfortable fit.
Step 1: Create the Waistband
The waistband is your starting point, and getting it right sets the tone for the entire garment. Most crochet shorts are worked from the waist down, so you’ll begin here and build the rest of the garment below it.
There are two main approaches to creating a waistband for crochet shorts: a ribbed waistband worked separately and seamed on, or a built-in waistband with a channel for elastic or a drawstring.
For beginners, the elastic channel waistband is the more forgiving option. To create this, start with a foundation chain that matches your waist measurement (or hip measurement, depending on the style — more on that in a moment). Join the chain into a ring, being careful not to twist it, and work even rows of single crochet or half double crochet around the ring for about 2 to 3 inches. This creates a tube. Later, you’ll fold this tube over and stitch it down to form a channel, then thread your elastic through.
If you’re more experienced and want a polished, stretchy waistband, work a separate ribbed panel by chaining a short number of stitches (about 8 to 12) and working back and forth in rows using slip stitches or half double crochet through the back loop only. This technique creates a naturally stretchy ribbed fabric. Work this panel until it’s long enough to stretch comfortably around your waist, then seam the short ends together and attach it to the top of your shorts.
When deciding whether to start at the waist measurement or the hip measurement, consider the style. A fitted pair of shorts that sits at the natural waist will typically need to be worked in a cone-like shape, starting narrow at the waist and increasing out to the hips. A more relaxed, straight-fit pair with a drawstring can simply start at the hip measurement or larger and hang comfortably from there.
Step 2: Work the Body of the Shorts
This is the main panel of the garment — the section that covers your hips and upper thighs before the legs split apart. Depending on your design, this section is worked either flat in rows or in the round, and it’s where you’ll do any shaping necessary to achieve a good fit.
If you’re working in the round (which is the most common method for shorts), join your waistband at one side and begin working in a continuous spiral or joined rounds, increasing stitches at regular intervals to accommodate the hip measurement. To calculate your increases, subtract your waist stitch count from your hip stitch count and distribute those increases evenly over several rows.
For example, if your waist requires 80 stitches and your hip requires 100 stitches, you need to add 20 stitches over however many rows it takes to reach hip height on your body. You might add 4 stitches every other row, or 2 stitches every row, depending on how gradual you want the shaping.
The stitch pattern you choose for the body makes a huge difference in the character of your finished shorts. Some beautiful options include:
A simple half double crochet fabric, which creates a dense, smooth texture that drapes nicely and is easy to work at any skill level. The mesh or grid stitch, which creates an open, lacy look — perfect for beach cover-up style shorts or layering over a swimsuit. The waffle stitch or basketweave stitch for texture and visual interest. The moss stitch (also called the granite stitch) for a subtle, even texture with good drape.
Whatever stitch you choose, work the body of the shorts until you reach the rise measurement — that is, the distance from your natural waist down to where your thighs begin. This is typically somewhere between 9 and 13 inches depending on your body proportions and whether you want a low-rise, mid-rise, or high-rise style.
Step 3: Separate and Shape the Legs
This is the step that turns a simple tube into actual shorts, and it’s easier than it sounds once you understand the logic.
At the end of the body section, you’ll divide the stitches in half to create two separate leg openings. If you’re working in the round with 100 stitches, for example, you’d assign 50 stitches to the front and 50 to the back, then work each leg opening separately.
To create the crotch curve, you’ll work a small section of shaping called the gusset. The gusset is a piece of fabric that fills in the space between the two legs, giving the shorts room to move and preventing the center seam from pulling uncomfortably. A simple gusset can be created by working back and forth over a small number of center stitches at the bottom of the body section, adding a few rows of height to that section before splitting the legs.
For a very simple pair of shorts, you can skip the gusset entirely and just split the tube in half, then work each leg opening as a ring. This works fine for very loose, relaxed shorts where fit isn’t a priority.
Once you’ve divided the stitches, join your yarn to the beginning of one leg opening and work in the round for your desired inseam length. For shorts, this is usually anywhere from 1 inch (more of a bikini brief shape) to 5 or 6 inches (a longer bermuda-style short). Decrease slightly at regular intervals if you want the legs to taper inward, or work even if you want a straight leg opening.
Finish each leg with a simple edging — a row of single crochet, a row of reverse single crochet (sometimes called the crab stitch), or a picot edging all look beautiful and help the legs hold their shape.
Repeat all of this for the second leg.
Step 4: Seam and Finish the Crotch
Even if you worked a gusset in the previous step, you’ll likely have a small opening or gap at the center of the crotch that needs to be seamed closed. This is perfectly normal in crochet shorts construction and is easy to fix.
Thread your tapestry needle with a length of your project yarn (or a matching thread if you’d prefer a less visible seam) and use a whip stitch or mattress stitch to close the crotch seam neatly from the inside. Pull the seam snug but don’t pull so hard that you pucker the fabric.
Once the crotch is seamed, try the shorts on or compare them to a well-fitting pair you own. This is a good moment to assess the overall fit before you move on to finishing the waistband, because adjustments are much easier to make now than they will be later.
Check that the waist sits where you want it, the leg openings aren’t too tight or too loose, and the overall length feels right. If a leg opening is too tight, you can add a few slip stitches or chains along the inner edge to give yourself more room. If the waist is too loose, that’s okay — the elastic will take care of that in the next step.
This is also the time to block your shorts if you’re working in a fiber that benefits from blocking. Cotton responds very well to wet blocking. Simply submerge the shorts in cool water, gently press out the excess moisture without wringing, then lay flat on a blocking mat and pin to your measurements. Allow to dry completely before handling.
Step 5: Add the Waistband Finishing and Embellishments
The final step brings everything together and gives your shorts a polished, professional look.
If you created an elastic channel at the waist, now is the time to fold the waistband over, pin it in place along the inside of the shorts, and sew it down using your tapestry needle and yarn. Leave a small gap in the seam to thread your elastic through. Cut your elastic to your waist measurement minus about an inch (elastic should be slightly snug to hold properly), feed it through the channel using a safety pin, overlap the ends and stitch them together securely, then close the gap in the channel seam.
If you’re adding a drawstring instead, create a simple casing along the top of the waistband by working a row of even single crochet and leaving small gaps (about 2 to 3 stitches apart) to thread your cord through. Alternatively, sew small ribbon or cord loops evenly around the outside of the waistband and thread your drawstring through those.
Now for the fun part — embellishments. Crochet shorts are a beautiful canvas for all kinds of decorative touches. You might add a contrasting color border along the leg openings for a sporty pop of color. A row of shell stitches or scallop edging along the hem creates a feminine, beachy look. You could work a small crochet pocket onto the front or back (simply work a square or rectangle and seam three sides to the shorts body). Surface slip stitches can add the look of seam lines or geometric designs. You might even add a small crochet flower or motif to one hip as an accent.
Once you’re happy with the finished look, weave in all remaining yarn tails with your tapestry needle, working the ends through several stitches in different directions so they’re secure and won’t pop out with washing.
Give your shorts one final light blocking if desired, particularly around the waistband and leg openings, to help everything sit evenly and beautifully.
Tips for a Better Fit Every Time
Garment making has a learning curve, and your first pair of crochet shorts might not be absolutely perfect — and that’s completely okay. Every pair you make will teach you something that makes the next one better. That said, a few habits will save you a lot of frustration along the way.
Always work a swatch, as we covered earlier. Never skip this step. Work in good lighting so you can see your stitches clearly and catch mistakes early. Try the piece on (or measure against your body) frequently as you go rather than waiting until the very end to check fit. Use stitch markers generously, especially when working in the round or tracking increases. Keep a written note of any changes you make to the pattern so you can replicate them on the second leg or in your next project. And finally, don’t be afraid to frog (undo) sections that don’t feel right. It’s always better to rework a few rows than to wear a finished garment that doesn’t fit well.
Caring for Your Crochet Shorts
Once your shorts are finished and you’re ready to wear them, a little care will keep them looking great for seasons to come. Most cotton crochet shorts can be machine washed on a gentle cycle in cool water. Lay flat to dry rather than putting them in the dryer, as heat can cause cotton to shrink and distort the stitches. Store them folded rather than on a hanger to prevent stretching.
If your shorts are made with a blend fiber or a specialty yarn, always follow the care instructions on the yarn label.
Crocheting your own shorts is a genuinely wonderful project. It’s practical, creative, and deeply satisfying — there’s something special about wearing something you made with your own hands. With the five steps outlined here, a bit of patience, and the right materials, you’re fully equipped to create a pair of shorts that fits you perfectly, reflects your personal style, and might just become your favorite thing to wear all summer long. Happy hooking!
