• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sweet Red Poppy logo
  • Cricut
    • Free SVG Files
    • Paper Flowers
    • Mandala
    • Iron-On
    • Vinyl
    • Maker
    • Explore Air 2
    • Joy
  • Sewing
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Accessories
    • Christmas
    • Blankets
    • Womens
    • Learn to Sew Tips & Tricks
    • Face Masks
  • DIY Crafting
    • Paint
    • Paper
    • Food
    • Kids
  • Holiday Crafts
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Easter
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
  • Books
    • Cricut Printed Book
    • Cricut E-Book
    • Cricut Joy Printed Book
    • Cricut Joy E-Book
    • Sewing Printed Book
    • Sewing E-Book
    • Face Mask E-Book
    • Mandala E-Book Bundle
    • Mandala E-Book - Inkscape
    • Mandala E-Book - Adobe Illustrator
    • Mandala Printed Book - Inkscape
    • Mandala Printed Book - Adobe Illustrator
    • Baby Pattern E-Book
  • Courses
    • Cricut Course
    • Sewing Course
    • Serger Course
  • Shop
    • E-Books
    • Printed Books
    • Sewing Patterns
    • SVG Files
    • Baby Patterns
    • Subscribe to Emails
  • Search

Free Baby, Toddler, and Kids Leggings Sewing Pattern

Written by Kimberly Coffin Β· This post may contain affiliate links Β· 22 Comments

4.3K shares

Free Baby, Toddler, and Kids Leggings Pattern. Sew a Pair of Stretchy Knit Leggings with this Beginner Friendly Printable PDF Sewing Pattern Photo Tutorial and Video.

Have you ever wondered how to make leggings? You won't believe how easy it is to sew leggings with this step-by-step tutorial and video. This project is perfect for a beginner, and you can make these leggings on a sewing machine or a serger.

This pattern is available in baby sizes, including Preemie, Newborn, 0-3 Months, 3-6 Months, 6-9 Months, 9-12 Months, 12-18 Months, and 18-24 Months. It's also available in sizes 2T through size 16.

Sweet Red Poppy FREE Knit Fabric Leggings Sewing Pattern for Beginners. | Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of young girls wearing stretchy leggings.

These extra stretchy, easy to pull-on leggings with an elastic waistband are sure to be an everyday favorite!

Included in this pattern is a professionally drafted and graded color-coded pattern. Use the 1x1 inch printing guide to ensure accuracy and quickly put this pattern together with its no-trim pieces.

Step-by-step detailed photo and written instructions are also included.

Looking for a FREE hoodie pattern to go with these leggings? Click here!

I also have a free pajama pant pattern for the entire family.

Free Baby Leggings Pattern | Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of two young girls wearing stretchy leggings.

Pair these FREE Leggings with my FREE Top Knot Baby Hat and Bandana Bib for the perfect baby outfit!

Check out my FREE Girl's Madeline Dress Sewing Pattern.

Sweet Red Poppy FREE Leggings, Baby Hat, and Bandana Bib Sewing Pattern |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a baby hat, baby leggings, and baby bandana bib.

New to sewing with knit fabrics? You’ll love my video tutorial where I walk you through every single step of this project in detail.

I'm sharing all of my tips and tricks for sewing leggings with knit fabric.

This pattern features a lower rise in the front and a higher rise in the back for an extra great fit.

Looking for even more FREE Sewing Patterns? Click HERE!

Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of young girls wearing stretchy leggings.

Baby, Toddler, and Kids Leggings Pattern

Sweet Red Poppy leggings |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of kids leggings pattern information.

Medium Weight 4-Way Stretch Knit Fabric

For this pattern, I recommend using a medium-weight knit fabric with a content of 95% Cotton, 5% Lycra/Spandex. Having at least 5% Lycra or Spandex allows the fabric to have elasticity and bounce back to its original shape without getting stretched out over time.

Other suitable fabrics for this pattern are Double Brushed Polyester, French Terry, and Rayon Spandex

It’s essential to use a fabric with at least 50% stretch. Not sure what that means? A 4" piece of fabric should stretch to at least 6". Fabric must have stretch both horizontally and vertically. Look for fabrics labeled as a 4-way stretch.

Make sure to prewash and dry your knit fabric before cutting and sewing it! This will prevent your fabric from shrinking after you've sewn it.

Stretch Knit Fabric |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of stretch knit fabric.

I recommend shopping for knit fabric from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. This is my one-stop shop for high-quality knit fabric with the cutest prints! 

*Be sure to double-check the type of fabric in the drop-down menu on the fabric listing.

This pattern works best with a four-way stretch fabric. That means it has stretch in both directions and will be ideal for creating a comfortable fitting baby hat.

The following FOUR-WAY STRETCH fabrics from Raspberry Creek Fabrics are ideal for this pattern.

  • Cotton Spandex Jersey
  • Cotton Spandex French Terry
  • Organic Cotton Spandex Jersey
  • Bamboo Cotton Spandex Jersey
  • Double Brushed Polyester
  • Athletic Performance Knit

Avoid the following fabrics

  • Quilting Cotton (this is not a stretchy fabric)
  • Cotton Interlock (this is typically a two way stretch fabric)
  • Ponte De Roma (this fabric doesn’t have enough stretch and it’s too structured)
  • Tri-Blend Jersey (two-way stretch)
Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a woman stretching stretch knit fabric.

Finishing Techniques

When sewing this pattern you can use a variety of different techniques to finish the seams.

First, you can use the stretch stitch on your sewing machine. This looks like a lightning bolt and allows seams to have more give, so the stitches don’t pop when stretched out.

If you don't have this option, use a zig-zag stitch and narrow the width of the stitch.

The final option is to finish the seams with a serger. The serger creates a seam that is cut and finished in one step. This option creates a more professional-looking finish.

Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of young girls wearing stretchy knit leggings.

Supply List

  • 1 Yard 4-Way Stretch Knit Fabric (This links to my favorite knit fabric shop)
  • Sewing Machine
  • Scissors or Rotary Cutter & Mat
  • Thread (Optional Eloflex)
  • Pins
  • Iron & Ironing Board
  • Ballpoint Needle
  • Ruler
  • Printer Paper
  • Tape
  • Heat N Bond Soft Stretch Lite (optional)
  • 1-Inch Elastic (optional)

DOWNLOAD THE FREE LEGGINGS PATTERN HERE!

Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of kids leggings fabric requirements.

Print the Girl's Leggings Sewing Pattern

Download the pattern to your computer and print the pattern at 100% with no scaling.

Immediately check the 1” x 1” square to ensure the pattern has printed correctly.

How to Assemble This Pattern

The pattern is numbered 1-15. Align the circles and black lines together as you are piecing the pattern together.

How to piece together a printable sewing pattern |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a woman laying out a kids leggings pattern.

Feel free to trim off the excess from each piece of the pattern or hold the pieces up to the light and align them together without trimming.

Below is an example of how the pattern is pieced together.

Choosing the Correct Size

Measure Waist, Hips, and Height this will give you an idea of which size will fit best.

Base the size off of the waist measurement and shorten or lengthen the pattern based off of the height.

If in-between sizes, size up for the best fit.

Sweet Red Poppy Free Leggings Sewing Pattern Elastic and Knit Waistband |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of leggings with an elastic waistband and a knit waistband.

Place the Leggings Pattern on the Fabric

Lay the fabric out in front of you and fold it in half to align the selvage edges.

If you are using a larger size you may want to cut each leg out individually making sure to cut mirror images.

How to cut out fabric leggings |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a woman cutting out kids leggings.

The selvage edges should run vertically along the fabric. The greatest amount of stretch should be going horizontally across the pattern.

Place the pattern piece on top of the fabric and pin it in place.

Cut out the Leggings Pattern Pieces

Using scissors or a rotary cutter, cut around the entire pattern.

I like to cut two pieces of fabric at a time to speed up the cutting process.

Cut out the Leggings Pattern Pieces |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a woman cutting out kids leggings.

Check the Leggings Pieces

Lay all three pieces of fabric out in front of you.

If you are creating the elastic waistband, you should have a piece of elastic in place of the waistband pattern piece.

Check the Leggings Pieces |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of kids leggings pieces.

Apply Heat-N-Bond Soft Stretch Lite (Optional)

Using a hot iron without steam, apply Soft Stretch Lite to the wrong side of each legging hem. Peel away the paper liner once the adhesive has cooled.

Apply Heat-N-Bond Soft Stretch Lite (Optional) |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a woman applying Heat-N-Bond soft stretch lite.

Pin Leggings & Sew the Inseam 

Lift one side of the leggings and bring it to the opposite side, so the raw edges are aligned and the right sides are facing each other.

Start at the top of one leg, sew (3/8" S.A.) all the way down to the ankle. Repeat this process on the opposite leg.

Pin Leggings & Sew the Inseam |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of leggings pieces pinned together.

Match up the Crotch Seams

Turn one leg right side out, and slide it inside of the other leg.

The right sides of the fabric should be facing each other.

Match up the Crotch Seams |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of leggings crotch seams being matched up.

Sew the Crotch Seams

Pin the leggings together along the crotch, making sure to line up the leg seams with each other. Sew along the crotch.

Sew the Crotch Seams |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of kids leggings crotch seams being sewn together.

Foldover Waistband

*Scroll down below for Elastic Waistband instructions

Fold the Waistband in Half

Fold the waistband in half, with right sides together, aligning the short ends.

Pin along the short edge.

Fold the Waistband in Half |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of kids leggings waistband folded in half.

Sew the Waistband

Sew a seam along the short edge of the waistband with a 3/8 inch seam allowance.

Sew the Leggings Waistband |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a woman sewing a kids leggings waistband.

Fold the Waistband in half

Turn the waistband right side out.

Next, fold the waistband onto itself so wrong sides are facing each other.

Press.

Fold the Waistband in half |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a woman folding a kids leggings waistband in half.

Divide into quarters

Divide the raw edge of the waistband and pants into quarters with your sewing pins.

The waistband seam should be aligned with the center back seam.

Divide into quarters |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of kids leggings pieces divided in quarters.

Align Waistband & Leggings

Slide the waistband around the pants aligning all three raw edges together. Using the sewing pins, line up the waistband pins with the pants pins and seams.

This will give you a guide to evenly distribute the fabric because the waistband is slightly smaller than the pants.

Align Waistband & Leggings |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a woman aligning a kids leggings waistband.

Sew the Waistband

Slide the three layers of fabric underneath the sewing foot. You’ll need to gently pull on the waistband fabric as you sew to match it to the size of the pants.

Sew all the way around the waistband. Don't forget to backstitch!

Sew the Waistband |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a woman sewing a kids leggings waistband.

Iron the Waist Seam

Fold the waistband upwards and press the seam downwards with a hot iron and plenty of steam.

Iron the Waist Seam |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a woman ironing a kids leggings waist seam.

Elastic Waist Band

Cut the pattern out using the elastic waistband line; this is higher than the normal cut line. Cut 1" elastic according to the chart located on the pattern.

Elastic Waist Band |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a kids leggings waistband pattern.

Fold & Press the Waistband

After sewing together the crotch seams, fold the waistband over 1/4" so that the wrong sides of the fabric are facing each other. Press the fabric.

Fold the fabric over an additional 1.25" and pin in place.

Fold & Press the Waistband |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a kids leggings waistband folded and pinned.

Create the Elastic Casing

Sew along the folded edge of the fabric to create the elastic casing. Leave a 2" opening along the back of the leggings to feed the elastic through.

Create the Elastic Casing |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a elastic casing for a pair of kids leggings.

Sew the Elastic

Feed the elastic through the casing using a safety pin attached to one end of the elastic.

Pull on both ends of the elastic and overlap them by 1". Sew a zig-zag stitch along the overlap to connect them.

Redistribute the elastic within the casing. Sew the opening closed.

Sew the Elastic |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a waist elastic ends sewn together.

Iron Legging Hem

Turn the leggings inside out and press the hem upwards 1/2 inch.

If you are not using Soft Stretch Lite, use pins to keep the hem in place.

Turn the leggings right side out.

Iron Legging Hem |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a kids leggings hem being ironed.

Sew Hem in the Round

Slide the hem under the presser foot and sew the hem in the round.

Sew Hem in the Round |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of a kids legging hem being sewn.

Iron Legging Hem

Don’t forget to press all of your seams!

Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of two girls wearing kids knit leggings.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE LEGGINGS PATTERN HERE!

Sweet Red Poppy Free Leggings Sewing Pattern |Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: collage image of kids wearing knit leggings.

Enjoy your brand new hand-made leggings! Here are some photos from our amazing testers! I just can't get enough of this pattern.

Free Toddler Leggings Sewing Pattern | Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: image of various kids knit leggings.

Do you love your Leggings? Share your finished Leggings with us in the Sweet Red Poppy Crafting & Sewing Group!

These leggings pair perfectly with our hoodie pattern! Click here to get the FREE pattern.

Looking for more FREE Sewing Patterns? Check out our Circle Skirt!

Don’t want to forget about this free template? Save this project for later! Click here to save this project on Pinterest.

Leggings Pattern by popular US sewing blog, Sweet Red Poppy: collage image of two young girls wearing knit circle skirts.

Do you have any questions about this leggings pattern? Let me know in a comment below!

« How to Upload an SVG to Cricut Design Space
How to Make a Valentine's Day Dessert Charcuterie Board »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anne says

    January 30, 2021 at 4:59 pm

    Hello. Am not able to pull your pattern up to print off, I like the leggings. For a 2t

    Reply
  2. Linda says

    January 30, 2021 at 5:40 pm

    Not able to get the leggings pattern up to print.

    Reply
  3. Rita says

    January 30, 2021 at 6:52 pm

    I can pull the pattern up to print but when I printed one page it has a the pattern teeney-tiny in the upper right corner of the page.. I've never had this with other patterns of yours. HELP! I want to make these to donate to abused women and children shelters.

    Reply
  4. Sue says

    January 31, 2021 at 12:56 am

    I had no problem downloading or printing the patterns and instructions.

    Thanks so much!

    Reply
  5. Tamara Dougherty says

    January 31, 2021 at 10:32 am

    Is there any way to get this pattern for our older and taller girls? I’m not sure how to adjust the pattern for longer length.

    Reply
  6. Debra says

    February 01, 2021 at 7:12 pm

    I'm not able to print the pattern either. If you can email it to me, that would be great. Or let me know if the issue is resolved and I'll try to go back again.

    Reply
    • Zoraida Chacon says

      August 05, 2022 at 9:53 pm

      Buenas tardes tampoco puedo imprimir el patrΓ³n, podrΓ­an enviarlo a mi correo por favor,

      Reply
  7. Denise says

    February 03, 2021 at 8:43 am

    Hi, I can’t get inside leg seam to align. Printed pattern to 5cm scale ok.

    Reply
    • Ash says

      August 21, 2021 at 2:44 am

      I also cannot get it line up. It looks like it lines up perfectly in the tutorial!

      Reply
  8. Linda Grunewald says

    March 12, 2021 at 3:55 am

    My pattern when sent to me has the patter all on one page.

    Reply
  9. Rose says

    March 30, 2021 at 1:45 pm

    I am not able to download the pattern for printing correctly. Adobe reader dialog box pops up with "An error exists on this page. Acrobat may not display the page correctly. Please contact the person who created the PDF document to correct the problem."

    Can this be corrected?

    Reply
  10. Riana Bredell says

    April 04, 2021 at 4:15 pm

    When one tries to download, it does not finish the action. Please inform your provider that it is unsuccessful so that we may download please. it is such a nice pattern

    Reply
  11. Karen Little says

    October 17, 2021 at 3:26 am

    Have you considered making a leggings pattern like this for teens/adults? If not, do you know of one (a simple one like this) that is available elsewhere? I made this pattern for my granddaughter however she is too big for it now and my daughter-in-law loves the way these leggings fit Sophie when they fit her -- she would also like a pair πŸ™‚

    Reply
  12. fabiola says

    November 15, 2021 at 8:50 pm

    I if I could print the pattern, only that the page with the number 9 does not fit well with the number 6, does not that happen to you?

    Reply
    • Fern says

      May 21, 2022 at 12:13 am

      I had the same problem. Number 9 does not match up!

      Reply
  13. Maya says

    December 29, 2021 at 10:39 pm

    Hello, thank you for sharing the pattern! It's not clear to me how to create the fabric waist band? It's not clearly delineated in the pattern.

    Reply
  14. Oxana says

    February 03, 2022 at 10:49 pm

    So in video you said we iron 3/87 inch on the bottom of leggings hem but not in instruction and then instructions says fold 1/2 and iron then sew. So do we iron 3/8 and then fold it again 1/2?

    Reply
    • Rebecca Hansen says

      February 10, 2022 at 1:18 pm

      Hi Oxana. Sorry for the confusion. You just need to fold 1/2" under, iron, and sew for the leg hem.

      Reply
  15. Erin Danyele says

    February 28, 2022 at 2:35 am

    Where do you buy your fabric ?

    Reply
  16. Aleksandra says

    August 28, 2022 at 8:13 pm

    Thank you so much for the leggins pattern πŸ™‚

    Reply
  17. Cathy says

    October 22, 2022 at 2:12 am

    Page 6 sizes 8-14 Is something off here? So drastically different from other sizes and not lining up

    Reply
  18. Bonnie L Spielman says

    March 19, 2023 at 5:17 am

    Please tell me which side is the back and which side is the front. Is the high side the front.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Ready, Set, Sew! An online sewing course for beginners by top US sewing blogger, Sweet Red Poppy.

Hello, I’m Kimberly, the creator of Sweet Red Poppy!

I’m a wife, mother to 3, seamstress, and lover of all things crafty! Sweet Red Poppy is my creative outlet where I find and create inspiration. It’s a place where I can share my never-ending sewing projects and my love of learning!

Read more about me β†’

The Latest

  • How to Sew Half Square Triangles Eight at a Time
    How to Sew a Half Square Triangle - Eight at a Time
  • Computer that says, Where to find fonts online
    Where to Find Fonts Online
  • Kim holding ipad talking about fonts
    How to Add Fonts to Adobe Illustrator on iPad
  • Rolled Paper Flower Wreath
    Free Rolled Paper Flower Wreath Template
  • 5 Useful Tools to Help You Organize After the Holidays with JOANN
  • How to Make Christmas Gift Tags with Your Cricut Machine

Footer

↑ back to top

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! For Emails and Updates

About

  • Contact
  • About
  • Home

Copyright Β© 2022 Sweet Red Poppy