One of the greatest things about denim is that it never goes out of style. In every decade, it has made an appearance in a big way — today it’s SO big that denim-on-denim is on trend (Wha?!). We absolutely can’t get enough of this timeless fabric here at Brit + Co, but we do have one problem, ‘specially with jeans. We find it’s tough to get the perfect length right off the shelf, so we find ourselves trekking our brand new, splurged-on jeans to the tailor, only to spend another $20 to get them hemmed. But that’s so unnecessary, because hemming your own jeans is actually SO SIMPLE. Plus you will save tons of money over the years once you ace this life hack. Don’t be scurred: Follow the step-by-step right down to how to make that last stitch.
Materials:
– jeans
Tools:
– sewing machine
– ruler
– pen or marker
– scissors
Instructions:
1. Measure what length you want your jeans to be by folding them up while you are wearing them.
2. Measure one inch from the end of the fold of each leg and cut.
3. Turn your jeans inside out, and fold your jeans up 1/2 inch. Iron the seam. Fold your 1/2 inch seam over one more time, so the frayed end isn’t exposed and iron the seam again.
4. Sew the seam.
5. Tie a knot at the end of each seam.
We know it’s intimidating, but trust us. It’s super easy, and we’ve got every itty bitty step for you along the way! First, measure what you want the length of your jeans to be by folding them up while you are wearing them. After you take your jeans off, make sure the length of each leg matches by folding your jeans in half lengthwise.
To make a 1/2 inch seam at the end of your jeans (this works for most jeans) measure 1 inch from the end of the fold of each leg and cut. Leave a full inch because you’ll double fold the ends to create a clean hemline. If you want to make a larger seam (most wide-leg jeans have a larger factory seam), just double the size of the end seam you want for this step. If you don’t have enough fabric, just add 1/4 inch and don’t double fold in the next step.
Next, turn your jeans inside out, and fold your jeans up 1/2 inch. Iron the seam. So the frayed ends aren’t exposed, fold the jeans over once more keeping this 1/2 inch seam. Iron the seam again. See? Nice hemline.
Now it’s time to sew! Using the jean thread, make sure to thread your sewing machine according to the instructions. Sew the very top of the fold using a simple straight stitch. The sewing machine will help you guide the jeans through… easy peasy. Keep your seam as straight as you can by lining the ends of your jeans up with the seam’s guides on the right. Sew all the way around your jeans and be sure to backstitch the end to reinforce each seam.
To tie a knot at the end of each stitch, grab the end of the thread that is inside the jean and tug on it to reveal a loop. Grab this loop and pull it. This will pull the outside piece of thread to the inside of your jeans. Now tie these two ends together a couple of times to create a knot. Snip off the ends.
That was a lot simpler than you thought… huh? Will you give it a shot? Tell us your #lifehacks in the comments below!
