Clothing + Fashion: The 14 Best Ways to Patch Jeans

jeans patched with embroidery thread photo via Shutterstock (1 of 1)
jeans patched with embroidery thread photo via Shutterstock

Hole in your pants?

You can fix that. Learning to repair your clothing is a great step to take in making your life more eco-friendly–every knee you patch is a new pair of pants that you don’t have to buy.

There are many right ways to go about patching your pants:

  • Just mend it. If what you’ve got is a rip, not a hole, then follow the correct steps to mend the ripped pants and forget a patch!
  • Patch it. Here’s how to make a simple, satin-stitched, basic patch for your pants.
  • Patch it without sewing. No-sew patches are a little less eco-friendly than sewn patches, since they use fusible interfacing, but it’s still a whole sight better than buying a new pair of pants.
  • Crazy-stitch a patchWant to sew the patch yourself, but maybe you’re a beginning sewer and worried that your stitching will look untidy? Make that untidiness look intentional!
  • Hand-embellish a patch. The decorative stitching on this embroidery thread-embellished patch won’t last forever, so it’s a fun detail to add to a kid’s patch, especially when you’re only mending the pants to get the last of the season’s wear out of them. But if you satin-stitch the same fun patches, the stitching will last a lot longer.
  • Patch a hole in a pocketDo it right, and you’ll be able to use your pocket again.
  • Add knee padsIf you’re patching a spot that gets a ton of wear, you might as well reinforce that spot while you’re at it.
  • Add extra patchesIf you’re worried that just one patch will look weird, then add a few more in other places to make the look intentional.
  • Add a ruffleJust remember that since you’re not mending the original hole in these patched jeans, you’ll need to reinforce your patch VERY thoroughly.
  • Reverse applique onto jersey knitThis is a great fix for little kids’ jersey knit leggings, and makes them look even cuter afterwards. Hint: this method also works on T-shirts.
  • Reverse applique onto denimThis is less sturdy than a conventional patch, since you’re not mending the original hole, so it works best for an adult’s garment that won’t get a ton more hard use in that spot.
  • Patch with lace. Add a layer of lace to any reverse applique patch for a decorative embellishment.
  • Patch with felted woolFelted wool sweaters are sturdy enough to patch jeans, and you can add some really cool effects by playing with their colors and textures.

1 thought on “Clothing + Fashion: The 14 Best Ways to Patch Jeans”

  1. Pingback: From Our Friends: February 7, 2014

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