You've found your absolute favorite pair of jeans, but unfortunately they're a bit too long for your height? You can still buy the jeans because you can shorten them - without a sewing machine and, if you want to do it particularly quickly, even without sewing. We have DIY instructions for you that are also suitable for sewing beginners.
To shorten your trousers yourself, you only need a few things:
- pins
- tape measure
- iron and ironing board
- matching thread
- scissors
- full-length mirror
- Put on your trousers, fold the hem in the right place and pin it in place. Check the hem several times in the mirror and repeat the process if necessary.
- Take off the trousers and turn them inside out. Now measure the folded hem with a tape measure and iron the fold flat. For a double hem, fold another edge of the fabric down.
- If there is too much excess fabric, trim off the excess.
- Now sew the resulting hem in place with a blind hem stitch.
If you want to shorten your trousers, put them on to determine the right length. The ideal length of your trousers also depends on your footwear. If you measure the length barefoot, the trousers will be shorter than desired later when you wear shoes.
Now fold the hem at the right length and pin it. It is best to ask someone to help you with this because if you bend over to pin the length, the hem may not be completely straight. Check the hem several times in the mirror and repeat the process if necessary to adjust the trouser legs.
After measuring, take the trousers off again and turn them inside out. Now use a tape measure to measure the folded hem. If the fold is even on both sides, iron it flat with an iron. This way you keep the original hem and don't have to cut anything off. Fold another edge of the fabric down to create a double-folded hem. If shortening the hem has created a lot of excess fabric, you should trim off the excess. Then make sure to neaten the edge of the fabric so that it doesn't fray.
Now it's time to sew. Take a needle and thread and guide the needle through the top edge of the folded hem. Sew with the blind hem stitch: This involves making small stitches through the fabric on the outside of the pants and longer stitches through the folded fabric on the inside of the pants. Sew around the entire hem, keeping the stitches small and even.
And you're done. Your pants are shortened so quickly and easily! If you use a matching thread, the stitches are barely visible. We hope that our instructions for shortening pants have helped you. If you would like to find out how to upgrade old items of clothing, we recommend our posts on #Renew. Here you can find out, for example, how to repair your fast-fashion jeans.
This tip is only a temporary solution, but if you're in a hurry, you can shorten your pants without sewing at all. There are various adhesive tapes for this, also known as hem tapes. Some of them are iron-on, others are peel-off. It's best to read the manufacturer's instructions before using these materials. The adhesive could leave unsightly marks on the pants. Feel free to visit Ask Team Clean if you need tips on cleaning and stain removal.