How to Hem Jeans and Maintain the Cuff

Hem your jeans to maintain the original cuff or bottom seam.

The traditional method of hemming an article of clothing involves folding the bottom edge under twice to reach the desired length and hide the edge. If you apply this technique to a pair of jeans, you will lose the original bottom seam or cuff. Pant legs can be shortened while maintaining the existing cuff or bottom seam by altering the way the hems are folded. This method of hemming is easiest when done with a sewing machine.

Things You'll Need

• Mirror
• Straight pins
• Fabric measuring tape
• Seam gauge
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• Iron

Instructions

1. Stand in front of a mirror while wearing your jeans. Determine the point where you would like the bottom of your jeans to fall. Place a straight pin in each pant leg at this point. Remove your jeans.

2. Spread your jeans out on a flat work surface. Do not turn them inside out. Measure the length from the pinned point to the bottom edge of the pant leg with a fabric measuring tape. Divide this measurement by two.

3. Remove the pins from each pant leg. Fold the bottom of one pant leg up into a cuff. Measure the distance between the folded edge and the top of the cuff with a seam gauge. Adjust the cuff until it is equal in length to your calculated measurement from Step 2.

4. Pin the folded cuff in place by inserting straight pins through the folded layers, roughly halfway down from the top of the cuff. Rotate the pant leg as you pin in. Check the length of the cuff at each point before pinning. Match up the outer seams and inseams on the folded cuff with the corresponding seams on the pant leg before pinning together. Repeat this process on the second pant leg.

5. Sew a seam around the folded cuff to secure it in place. Position the seam at the bottom of the original cuff or seam. Remove the pins before sewing over them. Clip any loose threads with a pair of scissors. Repeat this step on the second pant leg.

6. Press the bottom folded edge of each pant leg flat with an iron. Fold the sewn cuffs up inside their corresponding pant legs, while folding the original cuff or seam downwards. Lay pant legs flat and iron over the cuff or bottom seam to flatten.