How to quietly sew up a hole in jeans: 7 ways to carefully mend fabric

Where are jeans most likely to fray and tear?

The main reason is the deterioration of the fabric. If you wear the same thing for a very long time, sooner or later abrasions will appear. The fibers become thinner, and then the hole is not far away. Such damage appears: between the legs, on the knees, along the lower edge of the trouser legs, along the edges of the front pockets.

Reasons why gaps appear between the legs:

fabric - jeans with artificial elastane threads wear in less frequently than trousers made of 100% denim. Natural fibers tear easily and spread along the seam;
body features - excess volume in the hips or inflated leg muscles contribute to rapid wear of the fibers when walking. If there is no gap between the legs, the jeans are rubbed along the entire length;
manner of walking - when walking, when the legs rub against each other, holes appear not only between the thighs, but also in the knees.

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Types of ripped jeans

Artificially creating holes in old jeans is a way to restore things. They are:

large – open the knee or most of the leg;
narrow - detected when moving due to tissue tension;
in the form of a patch - closed with threads and material.

Lace holes on jeans

To create them, light guipure or any other lace fabric is hemmed into the gap area. This can be done from the inside of the pant leg or over the hole. It is desirable that the threads match the color of the insert.

This method allows you to soften the appearance and cover open parts of the body.

Irregular shape

Non-standard shaped slits will help restore an acceptable look to old jeans; they are especially suitable for representatives of subcultures and creative people. Process step by step:

chalk out up to 8 cross-sections located one below the other in accordance with the chosen shape or figure;
cut through the fabric, placing cardboard or plywood;
randomly pull out the white and partially colored threads, leaving the base.

Big holes

They promote air circulation in hot weather, but are uncomfortable in cool weather. Horizontal and vertical cut lines are marked on the trouser legs, and part of the fabric is cut out. It is preferable to process the edges in large holes - this way the item will last longer.

Men's legs do not look very aesthetically pleasing in such pants.

Scuffs or aging effects

The lightening and shabby look is obtained as follows:

Using pumice. Rub it on the designated areas.
Fine sandpaper. It is important not to overdo it and preserve the white threads. If they are damaged, they cannot be restored.
By soaping and scrubbing the area for a long time with a brush. Quite a labor-intensive process.
By soaking in chlorine bleach, such as White. The product is applied locally and left for 3-4 hours. There is a risk of unintended areas becoming discolored due to accidental chemical exposure, as well as holes being created if the fabric is thin.

Torn bottom

Fringes are made along the worn edges of old denim pants. This is how you can restore the neat appearance of the fabric:

turn a thing inside out;
tear off the hemmed edges;
determine the starting point of the fringe;
cut lines vertically at a distance of 2 cm from each other;
pull out horizontal threads with tweezers or a needle;
stitch the edge so that the fabric does not unravel further.

How to sew a hole in jeans manually: techniques

There are several techniques for repairing pants without a sewing machine. Each of them depends on the location of the damage.

How to mend jeans without being noticed

The point of darning is to replace worn out fibers with new threads. For repair, they are selected as similar in color and thickness as possible. It would be nice to use threads from the same trousers (they can be carefully removed from the folded part of the trousers). Or buy special threads for darning or embroidery floss.

Worn parts that require darning appear between the legs due to friction when walking. What you need to do: lay it out tightly on a flat surface, fix the thread on a strong part of the fabric, make horizontal stitches over the worn fibers.

After this, go through vertical stitches so that the thread passes between the horizontal row. If you do it slowly and carefully, the darning area cannot be distinguished from the rest of the trousers.

Plastering denim fabric

This technique is suitable if your jeans have been cut by a sharp object or a nail. The most common technique when working with denim.

First you need to apply a vertical row, then go through horizontal stitches, threading the thread between the fibers. You can also form stitches diagonally. Plastering is reminiscent of darning, the difference is that the stitches are not made along the old fibers, but over the hole.

How to sew jeans with a blind seam

This technique is good to use when trousers are torn at the seam. For example, the threads may come apart due to tension in the buttock area or on the side. It happens that part of a pocket or a loop on a belt comes off. A hidden seam will do the job; there will be no trace left of the hole. The same trick is used if you need to hem the bottom of trousers to shorten them. How to make a seam - watch the video.

How to sew a round hole in jeans by hand

To repair jeans you will need a scrap of fabric, threads of the same color, a needle, scissors and an iron. You need to cut a patch larger than the hole, attach it to the wrong side and sew it with small stitches along the front side.

Place the material on a flat surface (table or ironing board) with the right side facing up. On the same side you need to make longitudinal stitches, the place where the thread enters and exits is not far from the edges of the hole.

When the entire hole is closed with stitches, you need to do the same, only in the transverse direction, intertwining the threads. After repairing, it is worth ironing the product from the back and front sides.

How to fix a hole in jeans at an angle

If there is a tear at an angle, then the trousers are restored as follows:

place the area with the cut on a flat surface, smooth it on both sides;
The edges are pulled together with a thin thread: first from the short edge, then from the long edge;
each direction of the tear is sewn with a “back needle” seam (when the thread is brought forward for the length of one stitch, then returned to the end of the first stitch, etc.), starting from the short edge;
then a suture is applied “over the edge”;
the repaired area is ironed on both sides.

How to beautifully sew up a burnt hole in jeans

Holes on jeans can be from a cigarette or from a spark from an open fire source - for example, a fire, a potbelly stove. As a rule, they are not very large and have dark markings along the edges.

You can use method No. 4 or make a beautiful patch. They can be found in any sewing store; it is better to buy them on a hot-melt adhesive basis.

Life hack: if there is no adhesive fabric, then the patch can be fixed using: rubber, shoe and furniture glue, glue for rhinestones.

How to make an application:

buy a thermal patch larger than the burnt hole;
the scorched parts need to be cut off with nail scissors;
process the edges with a seam “over the edge” so that the fibers do not diverge;
Apply the applique to the repair area, place gauze on top and iron over it.

How to beautifully disguise a hole with embroidery

Small cuts can be easily disguised with embroidery. To do this, you need floss threads of the desired color. The pattern should be such as to cover the hole - don’t get too fancy (you can embroider a strawberry or a heart).

Draw the outline of the design with a pencil and begin embroidering, gradually covering the hole. For convenience, it is better to pull the edges from the wrong side. If you have a lot of experience in this matter, then you can make a complex drawing without limiting yourself to the torn part.

Decoration options

With a little creativity, you can revive old trousers and get a bright, original model. Appliques, patches made of beautiful fabric, rhinestones, and beads are used as decoration.

In stores with sewing accessories you can choose ready-made appliques of the desired shape and color. They have an adhesive base and can be easily glued with a hot iron by placing them on the damaged area. To prevent the applique from coming off during washing, it is better to stitch it around the perimeter or manually overcast it with an overcast stitch. This is a convenient way with beautiful results.

You can make appliques for women's jeans yourself, decorating them with beads, sequins and rhinestones. These can be floral or ethnic motifs. Or cute cats, butterflies, fish, stars. In a word, fantasy is not limited by anything. Multi-colored decorative stitching of an unusual shape can become a beautiful decoration. Materials for applications: leather, felt, suede, corduroy.

If a child tears his jeans, then there is no need to scold him for the damaged item. Children's jeans with holes in the knees can be restored in a variety of ways. But the best option would be patches that can be made in the shape of a cat or dog’s head. Hem the edges with a zigzag seam, draw a mustache with black threads, and insert shiny buttons instead of eyes. Sometimes it can be a funny face.

Pants for girls can be decorated with colorful embroidery, patches in the form of flowers, hearts and complemented with beads, rhinestones or ribbons. For boys, it is good to use appliqués with geometric patterns or any masculine theme of their choice. Patches and appliqués are sewn with contrasting threads. The following methods on how to patch holes in your knees will extend the life of your favorite things and allow you to save money.

How to sew a hole between the legs of jeans by hand

Rips in the walking part are the most common case of damage to trousers. To repair, you will need a patch in the same color as the jeans. It is sewn on the wrong side with threads of the same color.

Please note that the direction of the fibers on the trousers and the patch must match. On the front side, the repaired area is stitched with zigzag lines, which makes the damage invisible to others.

How to sew decorative elements

Leisure clothing and children's jeans are often decorated with decorative stripes and embroidery. Damage to the fabric can also be covered with a colored patch; clothing design will only benefit from this.

Decorative elements can be sewn in different ways:

by hand with neat small stitches;
colored zigzag and straight stitch along the perimeter of the patch.

It will be good if the decorative stripes are matched in style with the existing ones. On trousers without stripes, you will have to create the design yourself. Some of the stripes will hide defects, while some will be sewn on only for decoration.

How to sew up a hole in the knees of jeans

Making a cut on the knee invisible is difficult; it is important to show imagination and sewing skills.

Options:

make a denim patch in a contrasting color (as if “it was intended that way”);
sewing a bright patch made of fabric or lace on the wrong side will look like a design technique;
darn the floss with contrasting threads;
make thermal application;
sew leather patches on two knees;
leave the cut as is, ruffle the edges.

How to do the thing

A patch on jeans (on the knee, between the legs, under the knee) is most often done using the plastering method. The method will hide abrasions and strengthen the fabric of nearby areas of the product.

It is performed in the following order:

A patch of a similar configuration and larger size than the damaged area is cut out.
Using an overlocker or a zigzag sewing machine, the edge of the patch is sewn.
From the reverse side, using an adhesive web, the patch is glued to the duplicated area.
The sewing machine is threaded with denim-colored threads.
First, the stitching is done in the direction opposite to the position of the fabric hem. The distance between lines can be about 0.7 cm.

The stitching in the direction of the hem of the denim closes the lines of the first operation and is performed much thicker - 0.3-0.2 cm.
Depending on the degree of damage, the stitching can be more or less dense.

Properly executed gizmo is almost invisible and allows you to extend the life of the pair without changing the appearance.

How to sew a hole in the back pocket of jeans

It is not difficult to disguise a torn area, considering that manufacturers decorate them with embroidery or stripes. You can do the same: cover the hole with artistic embroidery with woolen or floss threads, glue an applique, or use a sewing machine for monochrome artistic darning.

Pockets often tear in the corners due to constant pulling down if a person carries bulky items there - a set of keys or a wallet. If a hole has just appeared, it can be easily closed with an over-the-edge seam. The main thing is to choose threads that match the fabric.

If the hole is of a decent size, then first rip off the pocket and mend the torn area. Then they return the pocket to its place and sew it on by hand or on a sewing machine.

Invisible seam No. 2 – “Emergency”

The second hidden seam can help out in an unforeseen situation. For example, a hole appeared right before an important event, but there is no time to repair the product. You can sew it up with an invisible seam directly on yourself.

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Step-by-step instruction:

Thread a thread matching the color of the item into the eye of the needle. Tie a knot at the end of the thread.
Thread the needle through the hole. Bring it out at the edge of the hole, leaving a knot on the wrong side.
Using a needle, pick up several threads of fabric from one side of the hole and then from the other.
Pull up the thread.
Having retreated a few mm, again pick up the fabric at the edges of the hole and pull it off.
Continue until the hole is completely sewn up.
Make a knot and cut the thread.

The photo clearly shows how an “emergency” blind seam is performed.

In the master class, the thread is used in a contrasting color so that the viewer can see the details of the process. If you match it to the color of the product, the seam becomes more invisible.

How to repair frayed trouser legs

The problem is common if the length of the jeans was chosen incorrectly - the bottom edge rubs against the sole or asphalt.

How to sew:

cut off all the rags or the edge itself if it is very dilapidated;
mark and iron the folds;
sew a ribbon (available at a sewing store) of a suitable size to the front side;
fold inward and stitch from the wrong side;
go through the hot iron again;
if desired, apply decorative stitching.

If a radical way: cut off the jeans to the knee or higher, turn them into “elegant shorts”.

Instructions for proper stitching

If a person has never darned holes in his pants, then it would be ideal to read the instructions on this matter. One of them will be presented below. Having completed all these points, you can easily learn how to sew up a hole in your pants unnoticed. Actually instructions:

Choose threads whose color should be invisible against the background color of the fabric. You should also choose the right and thick needle. Thin and small needles are not suitable for denim;
Thread a thread through a needle and tie a knot at its end, or better yet several knots in one place;
Sew the hole from the wrong side, tightening the thread as tightly as possible. You need to sew close to the edge of the seams of the holes;
During the darning process, you should constantly look at the front side of the fabric so that the seam is smooth and beautiful;
Make a few additional knots so that the seam does not come undone when worn, and cut off the rest of the thread.

You might be interested in: Patterns and sewing of men's workwear, uniforms and work overalls

Darning technique

We sew by hand

If the hole turns out to be a straight or angular cut, then you can simply and efficiently darn on a sewing machine, for example, the popular Janome. To start the process, you need to choose the color and shade of thread that is suitable for darning jeans. Next, you need to make several stitches, which should be the same in size, as well as the tension of the individual threads. If these rules are not followed, the torn hole will look worse than before repair. It turns out that sewing up a hole in jeans without being noticed is quite simple.

Torn knees with torn edges

Important! If we are talking about repairing children's or women's clothes, then you can apply appliqués, patches on top, or decorate the repair as an element of clothing design.

Applique on pocket

How to sew without a machine

The easiest way to sew up any type of hole in jeans without using a sewing machine is to simply darn or apply a patch. You can create decor around and on the hole not only with the help of various denim and non-denim fabrics and buttons, but also with other accessories and ribbon. It is better not to repair children's and thin pants in this way, since the hole may tear even more, but use hand sewing on a piece of other denim. In general, the same instructions described above will work for mending a hole.

Hand stitching technique

How to mend jeans between your legs using a machine

Do you have a sewing machine? Then you shouldn’t torture yourself, because the hole between your legs can be repaired mechanically.

How to proceed:

first of all, you need to cut off all the protruding threads so that the edges of the hole have a clear outline;
cut out a patch from denim fabric that matches the color;
the patch must be secured from the inside out with safety pins or sewn with large stitches;
darn on the machine from the front side, making stitches close to each other;
unfold the fabric, mend it in a perpendicular direction;
remove the pins and iron the fabric.

Darning by hand

More skill and patience will be required for manual repairs.

For a hole in the shape of a rectangle, hand darning is used:

A thread of a suitable color must be threaded into the needle twice.
Having secured the thread on one side of the rectangular hole, you need to stretch it to the opposite side and secure it with one stitch.
The thread is fixed again on the first side and so on until the entire “window” of the hand patch is filled.

In the second direction, a needle and thread alternately interweaves threads in the opposite direction. The result is a dense mesh. It hides the defect and serves as finishing.

Socks were previously darned this way. The patches looked beautiful and spoke of the woman's skill.

How to avoid scuffs on jeans

In order not to suffer with patches, you should follow the rules of wearing and washing. If jeans fit tightly or, conversely, are too loose, this will lead to holes. You should buy jeans that fit exactly, with the expectation that the fabric will stretch a little. New trousers should be comfortable not only to walk, but also to sit.

It is important to read the care labels. Before washing, jeans are turned inside out. Rare, as well as frequent washing, leads to wear and tear of the fibers. In the first case, dirt particles serve as an abrasive, damaging the material when walking, in the second - the edges fray against the drum and other things.

Bleach and machine drying also harm denim. It is better to wash with liquid detergents and dry naturally in a horizontal position. If you follow the recommendations, the trousers will last for several years.

If your jeans are too worn out to be repaired, don’t throw them away. The fabric can be used for children's crafts or repairing other things.

Ideas for the most beautiful and stylish patches

Depending on the purpose of the denim trousers, the embroidery pattern and the type of patch material are selected.

For boys and girls

Children's clothing is bright; patches made from multi-colored pieces of durable fabric can be used to decorate it. All seams must be strong, there should be no protruding threads, fringes or buttons for decoration.

Patches on jeans for girls

Patches on jeans for boys

A child will be delighted with an applique with embroidery in the form of a favorite cartoon character; it can be easily ordered from a studio or picked up a thermal sticker. Patches can also be designed in the shape of a heart, apple or animal.

For women

The modern fashion for ripped jeans leaves room for creativity when decorating trousers:

iron-on embroidery stickers and rhinestone designs;
patches made of lace and fabric with a pattern;

drawing with acrylic paint using a stencil;
applique made of colored fabric and leather.

The design style can also be varied, from a vamp woman to a romantic girl.

For men

The stronger half prefers stripes made of genuine leather. Damage to the knee can be covered with a genuine leather patch sewn into the side seams. The holes can be enlarged, the edges can be loosened, and the processing of many ready-made fashionable trousers can be repeated.

Decorated jeans have become a fashion trend in recent years. By sewing finishing fabric as a patch on the knee or hips, there is a chance not only to save your favorite pair, but also to improve their appearance. If the style should remain the same, an inconspicuous piece of work is done on the damaged area. Most defects in denim can be repaired and the pants can continue to be worn.

Article design: Natalie Podolskaya