Things You'll Need:
- Needle and thread
- Straight pins
- Iron
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Step 1
Put on the jeans and figure out how much smaller the waistband needs to be by pinching each side of the band until they fit as you wish. If you only have a very small portion to take in, make a single pinch on the back of the waistband rather than one on each side. Mark either side of the pinched area with straight pins.
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Step 2
Pin sides together. Remove the jeans and turn them inside out. Use straight pins to connect the pinched sides together. Take an iron and press it on the area so you create a deep crease where the waistband folds inward into the pinched area.
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Step 3
Stitch the pinch. Starting at the top of the waistband, stitch the pinched area shut with a reinforced stitch using quality thread that will stand up to denim. It is much easier to alter jeans by sewing by hand, rather than with a machine, because the area is small and awkward. Make sure to stitch at the top of the pinch and reinforce each stitch by threading the thread through the previous stitch as you move forward.
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Step 4
Make a taper. If a substantial amount of waistband needed to be taken in, it may leave a puffy gap right below the band. If that is the case, continue stitching down from the fold, tapering off into a point about an inch or two down the side or back of the jeans. Set the tapering with an iron before you begin so that, too, will have a solid crease to stitch.
