How to Hem Pants by Hand-Sewing

Written By: Irish Pellas

Comments: 1

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

Time Required

30 minutes - 1 hour

Introduction

Do you have pants that need hemming but don't have a sewing machine to do it? Use this guide to help you hem any type of pants without using a sewing machine.

Tools

Parts

Sewing Thread

Step 1

Wear the pants and fold the hem up until you get your desired length.

Step 2

Remove the pants, making sure that the folded hem remains fixed.
Lay the pants down on a table and measure the length from the original hem to the folded edge.
Make sure to take note of all of your measurements.

Step 3

Turn the pants inside out, and unfold the folded edge.
Starting from the original hem, measure out the length of what will be your new hem.
The length you will need for this step would be the length you measured out from the previous step.
Using your fabric marker, draw a line marking where your new hem would be.

Step 4

Starting from the line you just created, measure out 1 inch and mark with a line.

Step 5

Using the 1 inch line as your guide, cut off the extra fabric.

Step 6

Fold the raw edge up to the new hem line.
Fold it again along the new hem line, so that the raw edge is now inside the fold.

Step 7

Place a sewing pin parallel to the fold to make sure that the fold stays in place.
Fold and pin all the way around to create your new hem.

Step 8

Have your needle threaded and ready to go.
Sew the fold close to create a new hem; try to keep your stitches small and even.
White thread was used instead of black to make the stitches more evident in the pictures.

Step 9

Once you're done stitching, tie off the thread by creating a knot towards the end of the string.
Cut off the excess string above the knot.
Remove all of the sewing pins.
Repeat steps 3 to 8 for the other pant leg using the same measurements, and then you're officially done!

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

One comment

Thank you for this guide! The only thing I am uncertain about is how determine a good length for the pants. I read in another guide that it would be good to measure with shoes on. So that the pant leg grazes the shoe. Can you recommend the same?

Christin Kalina -