How to Fix Ripped Jeans: 6 Methods for Patching Denim

If you're not sure how to fix holes in a pair of jeans, know there's not one right way. You can choose from several methods depending on the type of rip and your desired patching style. Next time you spot a rip in your favorite pair of jeans, don't fret. Instead, just follow this DIY guide to repairing ripped jeans.

1. 1. Use a sewing machine to patch jeans from the inside. This method is particularly effective for large or small holes in the crotch of a pair of jeans. It's not a completely invisible mending technique, but the stitches are relatively undetectable. Use scissors to trim fraying threads around the edge of the hole. Turn your jeans inside out and take a scrap denim patch that matches the wash of your jeans and place it face down over the hole. To hold the patch in place before sewing, either apply a fusible (a thin webbing that bonds fabric together when ironed) or use a tack stitch (a loose temporary stitch intended for removal) around the edge of the patch. Turn your jeans right side out again, place them under your sewing machine, and thread the machine using a thread color that matches your jeans. Using a zig-zag stitch or straight stitch (whichever best matches your denim fabric), stitch across the patch to bond the joining edges of the hole together. Make sure to stitch in the same direction as your jean’s fabric weave. Once completed, cut off any tack stitching.
2. 2. Apply an iron-on patch. While it's not the longest-lasting method of mending jeans, an iron-on patch is certainly the simplest. Buy an iron-on denim patch that matches your jean color, place the patch over the hole (adhesive backing down) so that the edge of the patch covers at least a quarter-inch of jean fabric, and iron the patch using light pressure until it’s bonded. If you want, you can sew the edges of the patch using a zig-zag stitch to make the repair more permanent.
3. 3. Hand stitch a clean rip. Hand sewing is the simplest way to mend a clean tear in which no actual fabric was lost. First, apply fabric mending tape under the damaged area using heat from an iron. Then, using thread that matches your torn jeans, sew an overcast stitch over the rip's edges. Trim off any excess fabric from the fabric mending tape on the inside of the jeans.
4. 4. Use darning stitches. Darning is a patchless technique that repairs holes using needle and thread alone. Darning resembles weaving and is best for small holes that do not run along a seam. To repair jeans by darning, begin from the underside of the hole. Sew rows of vertical straight stitches over the entire hole, going back and forth in parallel lines as close together as possible. Once you've covered the hole with vertical stitches, weave the thread horizontally in rows of stitching that are perpendicular to your first stitches. This will form a weaving pattern that fills in the entire hole. Darning with a sewing machine is your fastest option, but you can darn by hand as well.
5. 5. Mend holes with hand embroidery. Place a fabric patch behind the hole and hand embroider stitches over the patch to secure it to your jeans. Since you can embroider any design you wish, this method is a great way to spruce up old jeans with fun decorations.
6. 6. Apply a patch using Japanese sashiko embroidery. Sashiko embroidery is a decorative stitch traditionally used in Japanese culture to mend boro textiles. To mend jeans using sashiko embroidery, begin by selecting a piece of fabric to use as a patch, making sure it covers the hole’s border. Since sashiko has a unique design, don't be afraid to use a fabric patch with a non-traditional color or pattern. Use a fabric glue stick to temporarily secure the patch over the hole. Assuming you want to show off your unique sashiko stitching, select a color of embroidery or sashiko thread that stands out from the color of your jeans. Then, thread at least four thread strands into a long embroidery needle. Begin the patching process by embroidering a line of running stitches parallel to the edge of one side of the fabric patch. Continue adding parallel running stitches until the entire patch is filled.
   

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