In this tutorial, I’ll show you step by step how to refashion a plain jean jacket into a jean jacket hoodie. It’s a simple project where you graft the sweatshirt sleeves and hoodie to the jean jacket. This easy project only took me 1 hour to finish.

Here’s an overview of this project:

Step 1: Cut off sleeves and hoodie of the sweatshirt

Sept 2: Reshape the sweatshirt sleeves

Step 3: Attach the sleeves

Step 4: Reshape the hood and attach it to the jacket collar

Step 1: Cut off the sleeves and hoodie of the sweatshirt.

Cut off the sleeves of the jean jacket. Be sure to leave a 1/4″ seam allowance to attach to sweatshirt sleeves

Step 2: Reshape the sweatshirt sleeves. Cut open the sweatshirt sleeves. Next, cut open the jean jacket sleeves to use as a sleeve pattern. Lay it over the sweatshirt sleeve.

Cut out the sweatshirt sleeve with an additional 1/4″ seam allowance. No need to add a seam allowance to the bottom as you’ll be reusing the original sweatshirt cuff.

Sew the sides of the sweatshirt sleeve. Then turn it right side out.

Step 3: Attach the sleeves. With right sides together, pin the sleeves to the armhole and sew.

Step 4: Reshape the hood and attach it to the jacket collar. Notice how the neckline of the hoodie is wider than the collar of the jacket? That pinch you see in the hoodie is the excess to trim off, which was about 3″.

Trim off the excess and sew the seam closed.

Pick open the stitches of the collar. Pin the collar in between the top and bottom of the collar, and then sew the collar.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never worn a hoodie over my head. I think of it more as an accessory than anything functional. I love this jacket because it adds a tomboy edge to any look. Adding the sweatshirt sleeves and hoodie made the jacket surprisingly warm. We shot these pictures outside on a cold December morning, and the jacket did a great job taking the edge off the chill. I’ve seen these jackets at the mall selling for over $100. I made mine for less than $10 with thrifted finds. I love a good bargain.