How to Sew a Pocket

Pockets need sewing

Nothing is more annoying than having a hole in your pocket. Even a small hole can cause you to lose change, keys and other objects. It is also very tempting to stick your finger in the hole, which ends up making it several times larger than it started. You can sew a pocket with a few simple tools in just a few minutes. The sooner you sew that hole in your pocket shut, the better--that way your little mole hole won't turn into a crater.

Things You'll Need

• Needle and thread
• Scissors
• Patch or material scrap (optional)

Instructions

1. Remove any items that fell through the hole. This step is only necessary if the hole in your pocket has led to items falling into the lining of your garment. Carefully slide the item back up and through the hole so you don’t sew the pocket shut with the item stuck inside.

2. Get to the hole in the pocket. This could be as easy as turning a pair of jeans inside out or may be more difficult if the garment is lined. For lined garments, you can either unstitch a small portion of the lining at its hem and reach up to get to the pocket, or you can turn the pocket inside out and accept that the pocket will have a knot inside it when you’re finished sewing.

3. Use a patch or piece of material to plug the hole. If your pocket has an incredibly large hole or is worn away and ready to fray, this step is a must unless you want all your work to be in vain. You can pick a piece of material the size of the pocket and stitch it around the pocket’s perimeter to replace the entire pocket. Snip out the torn out pocket once the stitching is complete. Skip this step if your pocket’s hole is tiny and the pocket fabric is still usable.

4. Stitch away. Once you’ve isolated the hole in the pocket, thread a needle and begin your stitching with a sturdy knot a little bit away from the hole. Secure the knot and begin to sew, using a knot between each stitch, until the entire hole in the pocket is sewn up. Secure the end stitch a little bit away from the hole equally as sturdily as you secured the first stitch.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you don’t stitch more than just the pocket and end up with the pocket stuck to the inside of the garment.