I have thrifted many pairs of denim jeans for both myself and my kids over the years. Back when it felt like my kids had orchestrated a never-ending chain reaction of growth spurts, those thrifted jeans kept them clothed during a time when we could rarely afford to “splurge” on new clothes.
But while our thrifted jeans were affordable and got the job done, they rarely fit as well as we would have liked them to. For me, it was always an issue with the length. (Standard-length jeans are always too short for me, but long-length jeans are often a bit too long. Curse these slightly too-long legs!)
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Even though I’ve always been a fairly competent seamstress, I never bothered trying to hem jeans. Because let’s face it, even if you can find that signature gold thread, a newly constructed hem is never going to look as neat or professional as the original one.
It wasn’t until a few years ago that I learned about a way to hem jeans while preserving the original hem. While I can’t go back in time and save myself and my kids from our needlessly ill-fitting jeans, what I can do is pass this brilliant trick onto all of you. :-) I know you’ll find it just as useful as I have!
How To Hem Jeans (While Preserving The Original Hem)
You’ll need:
- Jeans
- Sewing machine
- Sewing pins
- Clothes iron
- Scissors (optional)
- Fabric adhesive (optional)
Step 1 – Measure & Pin
Start by putting the jeans on so you can figure out where you want the new hem to be. (If you envision wearing a certain pair of shoes with this particular pair of jeans, wearing those can be helpful too!)
Guidelines For Hemming Different Styles
- You already know your jeans are too long, but you might not be sure exactly where the hem should go! Use these guidelines as a starting point when deciding where the new hem should fall (but feel free to adjust from there to suit your own preferences):
- Skinny Jeans – Hem should fall at the top of your ankle
- Straight Jeans – Hem should fall at the bottom of your ankle
- Bootcut/Flared Jeans – Hem should fall 1/4-1/2″ off the ground
When you’ve decided where you want the new hemline to fall, fold the bottoms of your jeans up so that the existing hem lines up with where you want the new hem to go. Keep in mind that you’re going to sew right alongside the existing hemline, so it’s important to line it up correctly.
Once the bottoms are folded, take the jeans off. Make sure to line up the side seams of the jeans, then use sewing pins to pin the hem in place.
Step 2 – Sew
Next, it’s time to sew! Thread your sewing machine with any thread you have on hand, since it won’t actually show when you’re done.
Carefully sew a straight line directly below the original hem. (I found that if I removed the front piece of my sewing machine, I could actually slip the pant leg around the sewing area and make the process much easier!)
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Step 3 (Optional) – Remove Excess Fabric
After you’ve sewed the new hemline, you have two options for the excess fabric. You can leave it alone, tuck it up into the pant leg, and proceed right on to Step 4.
The other option is to remove the excess fabric by cutting it off with scissors. If you choose to cut the excess fabric off, either use fabric adhesive or a zigzag stitch along the cut edge to prevent fraying.
Step 4 – Finish Up
Lastly, unfold the bottoms of your jeans and iron the hem down. (Don’t skip this step—it makes a huge difference!) Your jeans are now hemmed to perfection, and nobody will be any the wiser. :-)
Have you ever tried hemming jeans before?
How To Hem Jeans
Equipment
- Sewing machine
- Sewing Pins
- Iron
- Scissors
- Fabric Adhesive
Instructions
- Start by putting the jeans on so you can figure out where you want the new hem to be. When you’ve decided where you want the new hemline to fall, fold the bottoms of your jeans up so that the existing hem lines up with where you want the new hem to go. Once the bottoms are folded, take the jeans off.
- Make sure to line up the side seams of the jeans, then use sewing pins to pin the hem in place.
- Next, it’s time to sew! Thread your sewing machine with any thread you have on hand, since it won’t actually show when you’re done. Carefully sew a straight line directly below the original hem.
- After you’ve sewed the new hemline, you have two options for the excess fabric. You can leave it alone, tuck it up into the pant leg. If you choose to cut the excess fabric off, either use fabric adhesive or a zigzag stitch along the cut edge to prevent fraying.
- Unfold the bottoms of your jeans and iron the hem down.
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I’ve actually been sewing all of my pants this way for many years. I’m 4’11” and most of my family are also short, so we need our pants hemmed. I’m the lucky one they come to for help.
I’ve never done it this way before. I love it because it is always so hard to resew that thick hem. Thank you for sharing.l
This is quite excellent – IF you have a sewing machine and IF you want to go to all that much trouble. JUST FRAY ‘EM!!!!!!
Maybe I’m the odd ball, but I like my jeans longer. I love this way of shortening them though. I have done it and it works excellent. I had to shorten a pair of my husbands overalls to fit me. I use them in the garden. They are old and so soft.
If they are new jeans, be sure to wash and dry them first so they don’t shrink up.
Great point, Barbara. Thanks for this reminder! :-)
It also helps to top sew on the outside very close to the gold edge in matching thread. It keeps the hem straight and does not flip up. It does not show down at your feet and is much neater. I am a professional seamstress and this is a great tool for hemming jeans.
This is a neat way to hem jeans! I’m going to try it as soon as I find my sewing machine.
I have a flare Jeans with no hem,, and it’s too long I want to make it shorter but how to create a hem like any original Jeans? do u have any idea? thank you
I do not know if this is obvious to others but I have to ask. Is this method suitable only for jeans? Can I use it to pants made from other fabric?
You can use it on any pants!
True, but it only works well on straight leg pants. Bootcut, flare, etc. is difficult unless the amount to shorten is very slight.
It works well on pants that have a sewn hem that you can see like jeans do.
if hemming dress pants, with this method you will see the fold you sewed. An invisible hem would be better, either by hand or machine.
At last a way to shorten my hubby’s jeans!! I always buy them as short as I can find then still need to shorten by an inch or more!