Learning how to hem pants is an easy skill that can pay off big time. When you know how to hem jeans while keeping the original hem, you don’t have to stress about finding a pair that fits perfectly! It’s easy too — the ability to sew a straight line is the most advanced skill required.

Jillee’s Take:
In addition to learning how to shorten jeans, you’ll also learn how to hem dress pants without sewing. (Don’t have a sewing machine? I’ve also included tips on how to hem jeans by hand!) First up: how to shorten jeans!
Table Of Contents
How To Hem Jeans (And Keep The Original Hem)
You’ll need:
- Jeans
- Sewing machine
- Sewing pins
- Fabric marker*
- Clothes iron
- Scissors (optional)
- Fabric adhesive (optional)
*If you don’t have a special fabric marker or pencil, use chalk or a sliver of soap — it will wash right out!

Step 1: Measure And Pin The Pants
Put the jeans on and determine where you want the new hem to fall. (If you envision wearing a certain pair of shoes with these jeans, put those on too!)
If you’re not sure where the hem should go, the guidelines below can help.
Hem Length Guidelines
- 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

Once you’ve decided on the ideal leg length, fold the hem of the jeans up so that the existing hem lies where you want the new hem to go. (You’re going to sew right alongside the hem, so it’s important to line it up correctly!) Use chalk or soap to mark the fold so you don’t lose track of it when you take the pants off.

Next, take the jeans off and lay them on a flat surface. Line up the side seams of one leg, then use sewing pins to pin the hem in place — no need to turn the jeans inside out!
If your jeans have a slightly tapered leg, pin the two side seams first, then add two more pins in between. (Once you start sewing, you’ll want to pull lightly to ease the fabric between the pins to avoid creasing.)

Step 2: Sew The Hem
Next, it’s time to sew! Thread your sewing machine with any color thread — it won’t show when you’re done — then sew a straight line just below the original hem. (Using a zipper foot on your machine can help you get as close as possible.)

How To Hem Jeans By Hand: You can do this step by hand using a sturdy needle and doubled thread (or embroidery floss or quilting thread, if you prefer!) Use a thread that matches the color of the pants, as hand stitching may be more visible, and make your stitches about 1/8″ away from the hem to give the fabric room to fold.
Step 3: Remove The Excess Fabric (Optional)
After sewing, there are two ways to deal with the excess fabric: leave it tucked up inside the pant leg or remove it with scissors. (If you choose to cut away the excess fabric, using fabric adhesive or a zigzag stitch along the raw edges can help prevent fraying.)

Step 4: Press The New Hem
Finally, press the new hem. Unfold the bottoms of your jeans so that the hem points down and the fold points up, then press the area with your clothes iron. Your jeans will be hemmed to perfection and ready to wear!

More Ways To Shorten Jeans (With Or Without Sewing)
You don’t need to know how to sew to make too-long jeans fit better. Consider these alternatives:
- Create a temporary hem by following the directions in Step 1, but use safety pins instead of sewing pins to secure the hem.
- If you don’t mind losing the look of the original hem, you can hem jeans like any other pair of pants. The tricky part is sewing over the bulky seam after folding it. To make it easier, try trimming the side seams in the folded area, or do a zigzag stitch over the raw edge so you only have to fold it once.
- The simplest way to shorten jeans is to cuff them by folding the bottoms up once or twice. Cuffed denim jeans look great with a lot of different types of shoes!
- For a casual and carefree look, cut the jeans to the exact length you want, then leave the edges raw and let them fray naturally.
- Use duct tape to create a temporary hem — that way, you can get the look you want with any pair of shoes!

How To Hem Pants Without Sewing
You don’t need a sewing machine to hem your slacks or casual pants! One easy way to hem pants without sewing is with a fusible bonding product like Stitch Witchery. They come in different weights, so choose one that suits the fabric you’re working with.
Another no-sew option is to use iron-on hemming tape for pants, a special fabric tape with iron-on adhesive along the edges. You’ll find more details on both no-sew approaches below.
No-Sew Hem With Stitch Witchery
If you simply need to turn the hem of your slacks up once, this is an easy way to do so.
- Adjust your iron according to the directions on your fusible bonding product.
- Turn the pants inside out, lay them on your ironing board, and press the hems.
- Turn the hems up to where you want them and press again.
- Cut a short length of Stitch Witchery and place it just under the top edge of the hem. (Make sure it’s completely hidden; otherwise, it could stick to your iron and make a mess!)
- Press the hem(s) according to the product directions.
- Allow the fabric to cool and press the hem again, then press the crease if necessary.
No-Sew Hem With Hemming Tape
This is the way to go if you need to shorten a pair of slacks so much that you need to cut the bottoms off. When using hemming tape the edge of the fabric does not need to be turned or finished because it will be under the tape. Hemming tape also works well if you need to shorten slacks just a bit — simply remove the original hem stitching carefully with a seam ripper, and press it so the fold line is gone.
- Read the directions on the package of your hemming tape and follow them carefully.
- Turn the pants inside out, turn the hem up to where you want it, then press with your iron.
- Starting at the inseam, carefully position the hemming tape so that one bead of adhesive is on the hem and the other is on the pant leg. Press according to the package directions.
- Allow the fabric to cool, then turn the pants right side out and press the hems and creases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Hem Shorts?
If you’re wondering how to hem shorts, you’ll be pleased to know you can use any of the methods outlined above for shorts, slacks, and jeans.
Is There A Way To Hem Jeans Quickly?
Yes! See the tips in the “More Ways To Shorten Jeans” section for methods that are either quick, temporary, or both.
How Do You Hem Pants With A Sewing Machine?
As long as you don’t mind the stitching showing, you can do it by turning the hem up to where you need it to be and using a straight stitch along the edge. (Check your sewing machine manual to see if it does a hemming stitch — it will give your hem a professional-looking finish!)
How Do You Hem Pants By Hand?
It depends on the pants! You can hem jeans by hand using the method I outlined earlier. If you’re hemming slacks, press and pin the hem in place, then use an invisible hand-sewing stitch and matching thread.
How Much Does It Cost To Get Pants Hemmed?
If you don’t want to do it yourself, there are likely tailors or alteration shops in your area who can do it for you! Prices vary widely for clothing alterations, but you can expect to pay between $10-50 per pair of pants.
Conclusion
Finding pants of the perfect length can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, and paying for alterations can be pricey. Instead, you can use these tips and tricks to hem jeans and other pants (with or without sewing) to save time, money, and effort!
Have you ever tried hemming jeans or slacks before?

How To Hem Jeans And Keep The Original Hem
Equipment
- Sewing machine
- Sewing Pins
- Fabric Marker (chalk or sliver of soap will work)
- Clothes iron
- Scissors optional
- Fabric Adhesive optional
Ingredients
- 1 pair denim jeans
Instructions
- Fold the bottoms of your jeans up so that the existing hem sits where you want the new hem to go, then mark the fold with a fabric marker.
- Line up the seams, then use sewing pins to pin the hem in place.
- Carefully sew a straight line directly below the original hem.
- If you want to remove the excess fabric, use fabric adhesive or a zigzag stitch along the cut edge to prevent fraying. (You can also leave the excess fabric as is.)
- Unfold the bottoms of the jeans and use an iron to press the hem down.
Video

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.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is quite excellent – IF you have a sewing machine and IF you want to go to all that much trouble. JUST FRAY ‘EM!!!!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If they are new jeans, be sure to wash and dry them first so they don’t shrink up.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great point, Barbara. Thanks for this reminder! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is a neat way to hem jeans! I’m going to try it as soon as I find my sewing machine.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You have to divide the amount they need to be shortened IN HALF. For example, if you need to hem your pants 4″, you fold them up 2″. Also, after pinning them in place but BEFORE doing any sewing, try them on to make sure you have the finished length you want.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You can use it on any pants!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I had to kind of chuckle at something you said. “… nobody would be able to see it from far away”. While I was growing up, my mom sewed all of my clothes. And I can still hear her say about the occasional flaw “no one will see this on a galloping horse” (myself being that galloping horse, of course). LOL
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Ha ha I love that!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Mine said almost the same. “No one will notice on a galloping goose!” Horse make more sense! Or maybe that’s what she said and I heard “goose.” LOL!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A quick sewing hint: When you pin an area that’s going to be sewn on the sewing machine, it works better to place the pins at a 90 degree angle to the line of sewing.
Placing the pins at 90 degrees, you can either sew over them or easily pull them out before the sewing machine needle gets to the pin.
Personally, if I were sewing these jeans, I would take 5 minutes and quickly hand-baste the proposed line of machine sewing in a contrasting color thread. Basting holds everything together so that you can focus on perfecting the line of stitching and navigating over the thick side seam.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve done this a number of times. It works great. However, they will fray if you cut them off so you need to overcast or use Fraycheck as Jillian suggests. I, too, sew on top to keep them hem in place better. It’s called “stitching in the ditch”.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.To get your stitching as close to the original hem as possible you can use a zipper foot. The needle goes on the outside of the foot not the inside, so when you use it, it will be only moving along the “leg” portion of the fabric, not straddling the hem and the leg fabric. Just make sure you move the position of your needle to the correct side of the foot! (When you see a zipper foot this will hopefully make sense; I can see how this would make NO sense if you have not seen one of these!) Thanks Jillie for ALL of your posts – the are fantastic and you are wonderful!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You sew at position 1, not 2!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.On skinny jeans, the hem is smaller than the upper leg, how do you adjust it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I know this isn’t exactly what you want to know, but I always just tuck all my skinny jean legs under and they never fall down because of how tight they are. I never shorten them.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A tip for sewing close to the original, I would use my zipper foot attachment! Otherwise this is a great tutorial…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks
Genius:-) I am amazed at how you came up with this. Once I get new needles for my sewing machine (they all broke hemming jeans) I will try this. Thank you.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Speaking of needles, be sure to use a denim needle for most jeans. Otherwise you will not be able to sew through the thick flat felled seam on many jeans. For heavy weight denim, I use an upholstery needle. The flat felled inseams on his jeans are so thick that I can’t sew through it. Instead of stitching through without bending or breaking the needle. Instead, I use a zipper foot to stitch on each side of these seams to hold it in place. The stitching is not visible because it is on the inseam.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is awesome. I have like 5 pair to hem and now I am gonna do them this way. So much easier and so much better looking. Thanks so much for an awesome idea.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you so much, Kaitlyn, for spelling this out for us! I, too, had seen the instructions for this more than once, but decided I wouldn’t try it and mess up! (I’ve been sewing since before I started to school! Just didn’t quite understand how this was done.) Now, I understand! Next time there’s jeans to hem up, I shall try this method!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Absolutely Brilliant! Thank you.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love it! I am 5’2″ and even the short jeans are too long.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have done this on my jeans for a few years now and it works great!!!! No one has ever noticed the new hem line. I love that my jeans all have the original hems, since I am only 5′ tall and every pair of jeans is to long, this is great.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.After you do this one or two times it will be very easy, it is confusing at first, but gets easy once you get the first one or two pairs down.
I agree. I need to find longer jeans. 34-36″ inseam is not easy to find in ladies jeans. In my budget at least.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Very awesome! I cant wait to give this a shot.. what a no-brainer! Wish I’d known this trick a long time ago. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you so much! I love this idea–I know what I will be doing today!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love this. I’m going to have to experiment with this one. Being a shorty my jeans always have to be hemmed. Unless, I buy the petite length ones, and occasionally even with those sizes.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This seems to be ingenious. I really dislike having to hem my jeans (most of them need it). What a time saver this will be. I will definitely try this but have reservations as to how close one can get to the bulky hem of jeans.. Obviously Kaitlyn did this so….
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for the post!
I hem jeans for people, cut them off and redo the hem at the bottom. I can do this without anyone knowing it was cut off.. The seams are easy to do if you do what I do, and you don’t need the jean a majig.. I use a hammer. after I have the seam ready to go pinned ready to sew. I smash the seam with a hammer on a brick.. and the seam stays down and I run right up over it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Make sure you use either a 16 or 18 size needle.
This tutorial can leave a raw and fray able edge… and hard to finish that edge.
I keep the Coats and Clark denim thread that will blend into the jean/ any color of jean.. and then several colors of jean thread in the gold shades..
If it is worth doing , it is worth doing right.