How to mend a rip on a jacket with no sewing

By Deanna H

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Learn how to quickly and easily mend most rips without sewing a single stitch!

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Iron
iron on hem tape
Liquid stitch (found in most sewing stores or the sewing dept. of Wal-mart)
decorative patch if desired

Step1

Do not wash the jacket prior to repairing as the edges of the rip may fray leaving you with a bigger tear to mend. If the jacket is dirty spot clean around the area to be mended.

Step2

Lay garment flat, align edges of rip and apply liquid stitch. Liquid stitch dries nearly transparent so don't worry that you're putting white glue on a colored garment. Allow to dry completely.

Step3

Before cutting the hem tape consider whether the repair job can be hidden or incorporated into the jackets styling.

Step4

There are many ideas for hiding the repair job using the hem tape. For example if you ripped the jacket across the sleeve, simply cut the hem tape to reach around the width of the sleeve and then add a second band to the other sleeve. For a rip on the back of the jacket you could cut the hem tape to reach from each side seam of the jacket.

Step5

Cut the iron on hem tape to desired length and place directly over the rip. Following the packages directions iron in place.

Step6

For small rips I add iron on patches. One patch seems to stick out unless it's centered on the front breast of the jacket so add multiples if you like. There are some great patch sets out there that give you lots of choices. Put a series of stars running down a sleeve or shooting across the back of a coat. A trail of hearts is another favorite for a girls jacket.

Step7

If the rip is on the inside of the jacket simply match the hem tape if possible and chances are no one will notice.

Tips & Warnings

Iron on hem tape comes in many colors so grab one that matches or coordinates!
Hem tape and liquid stitch can be found at almost any sewing store or large retail store with a sewing dept. If more color choices are needed check online before tossing out an expensive jacket.