How to Fix Ripped Jeans

Some folks go out of their way to distress their jeans and make holes. If this style is not for you and you end up with a hole or rip in your favorite jeans, do not despair. Fixing ripped jeans is a simple process that anyone with basic sewing skills and a sewing machine can remedy. You might even choose a bright colored thread and mend the rip with style.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cotton fabric
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Scissors
• Pins

1. Turn the jeans inside out and find the ripped section. Place the jeans onto a flat work surface with the ripped section facing up.

2. Cut a piece of cotton fabric that is large enough to cover the entire ripped area. It is fine if the cotton fabric is narrow. It must be approximately two inches larger than the entire ripped area.

3. Pin the cotton fabric over the ripped area on the wrong side of the jeans. Make sure you only pin the cotton fabric to the top layer of denim.

4. Turn the jeans right side out and position the jeans in the sewing machine so you can stitch the ripped area closed. Make sure you only have one layer of the jeans in the sewing machine and not both layers. Set the sewing machine to a zigzag stitch that is wide enough to go back and forth across the rip.

5. Arrange the rip so the edges of the fabric are butted up against each other and stitch a zigzag stitch along the entire rip. Use the back stitch function and stitch backward along the entire rip. Stitch forward one more time to finish.

6. Turn the jeans inside out again and remove the pins. Trim away any excess cotton fabric, leaving approximately half an inch of cotton fabric around all of the sewn edges. Turn the jeans right side out again to finish.

References

• How to Zigzag Stitch