Video:How To Patch a Hole in Jeans

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Transcript:How To Patch a Hole in Jeans

Hi, I'm Pamela Wicinas for About.com, and I'm going to patch pair of jeans.

Supplies Needed to Patch Holes in Jeans

For this exercise you will need:

• a pair of fabric shears
• thread
• a ruler
• pins
• a needle
• an iron

When you choose your fabric for the patch, you want to choose something that is at least as sturdy as the jeans fabric. So what I have chosen is a stretchy denim. That is going to go right over this knee here.

Size the Hole and Patch

The first thing you are going to do is measure the area that needs the patch. So I am taking the ruler and I am putting it across the center of the hole, giving myself enough space on either side. What I have here is about 3.5 inches. Putting the ruler across the other way, 3.5 inches gives me enough space too, so I can have a square patch.

On the fabric you are going to want to allow for the edges to be turned under on each side. So the original measurement of 3.5 I am going to turn into 4.5 and that gives me a hefty seam allowance on each side and I am making a little clip here where my ruler says 4.5, and I will measure down the other side and clip it at 4.5.

Iron the Patch Fabric

I am cutting along the straight edge of the ruler where my clips are. The next step is to take the fabric that will be your patch and, turning it over, turn each side in and press it. You will need a very hot iron to do this, and you go all the way around. Now your patch is ready to pin over your hole.

Pin the Patch to the Jeans

Now comes the tricky part: Putting the patch on and pinning it to the jeans without pinning it through to the other side. So you place the patch over the hole and take your straight pins and put them in touching only the first layer of fabric.

Sew the Patch Over the Hole

When you sew the patch to the jeans you want to find a thread that matches the patch. That will be less obvious. The hard part about sewing a patch on your pants is not sewing the leg together, which means you have to scrunch the fabric up to get a good starting place. I always start from a corner, and I come from under so I can tuck the knot of the thread underneath so it will not show.

With the thread attached, take your needle and catch a little piece of the pant leg and a little piece of the patch. The object is to make your stitches nearly invisible but to catch enough of the fabric to make a firm connection on the pant leg and the patch. As you come around to the end you want to make your last stitches and make a knot. Pull it through both the pant and the patch, pull it through the thread, pull it tight and clip the extra thread off. And there you have your patch.

Thanks for watching. To learn more, visit us on the Web at homegarden.about.com.