So I recently bought this great, light-weight jacket from H&M (1/2 off + 30%off!!!), so definitely a steal! Once I tried on the jacket, it was the perfect fit but as usual, being 5’9″ my arms are *very* long (am I the only one??), and the sleeves of the jacket were about 2 inches too short. I instantly thought DIY and quickly sewed some great faux leather cuffs on to elongate the sleeves and now they are perfect! See below on how to to this easy DIY!
Supplies Needed:
- sewing machine/needle and thread
- fabric (faux leather, suede, fur)
- jacket
- measuring tape
- pins
Before…
1. Measure your leather/fabric (whatever you’re using) to the armholes in the jacket leaving about 1 inch to work with
2. Turn jacket inside out. You can see I had already finished one cuff
3. Attach the leather to the bottom of the jacket sleeve by using pins. Make sure it is straight!
4. Pin all the way around. As you can see, once I got to the seam, I stopped and after sewing the cuff to the sleeve, you can then sew the side seam.
5. Start sewing! Sew all the way around the cuff either by hand or machine. Don’t forget to backstitch!
6. I used thread that matched the jacket but you can always use another color to add contrast!
7. I used an angle cut to give it a more modern look instead of the plain straight edge. Give it a try!
Finished jacket!! Don’t mind my hair….and yes, the belt came with it!!
ash said 
you, my friend are the DIY queen! Love this
-Jaz’
http://thefashionerrd.wordpress.com/
Thanks!!! I must check out your blog!!
You’re welcome! &I’d appreciate it very much ^_^
I’m so happy I found this post! I’m a 5’9 Ashley too 🙂 I have the same issue with my new Betsy Johnson jacket.
ahhh that’s awesome!! Thanks sooo much for reading 🙂
No, you are not the only one, I’m 5’9″ also. I get so frustrated that I can’t buy the cheap jackets because the sleeves are too short, or i have to go up a size and then look ridiculous. I’m going to do this to my $15 Old Navy pea coat that I just had to buy last year. Thanks for the inspiration!
Amazzzzinggg I needed this xox
Super idea to either extend the sleeve length or to re-style the garment to make it ‘your own’ …. , however hope you do not mind me adding: a) when working on vinyl, faux or real leather never ever backstitch as its best to just tie off the ends otherwise you may puncture the fabric and the stitching will pull out and/or you risk stretching the fabric out of shape. b) Also the use of a Teflon pressure foot is an added bonus and in the event you do not have one, apply a piece of coated scotch tape (gift wrapping type) to the bottom of the foot. Reason — it will help the fabric to glide more easily. -Brenda-