Are your pants too long? Do you lack sewing skills?
It’s okay! You can hem your pants without a sewing machine. In fact, I’m going to tell you three ways to hem pants without sewing! I’m a short girl with extremely minimal sewing skills. If I can hem pants, so can you! Here are some tips.
Start by measuring your pants accurately.
Honestly, taking the time to measure correctly is the most important step in learning to hem pants without sewing. The best way to do this is to put on the pants and whatever shoes you plan to wear with them.
Have someone else fold over the extra length at the bottom of your pant legs and pin them up to the desired length. If this other person is talented, have them fold the extra fabric to the inside of the pants leg and then pin it in at least four places. If you’re using someone less skilled, such as a child, just have them pin the extra length to the outside of the pants, again, in at least four places.
Carefully take off the pants and turn them inside out. If it’s not already pinned in, make sure that the extra fabric is pinned to the inside of the pants leg. To make things easier on yourself, iron the bottom of the pants legs to make a crease. Read the label on your pants first to make sure it’s okay to iron them!
If you are alone, find a pair of pants that fits you well, length-wise.
Turn the pants to be hemmed inside out.
Line them up with the good pants at the crotch. Then pin the extra fabric in long pants so the length matches the model pair.
Like the other method, make sure the extra length is pinned in at least four places and is folded to the inside of the pants leg.
Iron the bottoms of the legs to make a nice, crisp crease.
Are you in a hurry? Do you want the hem to be temporary?
The quickest way to hem your pants without sewing is to just use safety pins. Is this beautiful or long-lasting? No. Is it quick and easy? Yes!
Use the process described above for pinning your pants to the correct length. Use enough pins to hold up the hem in place without it sagging in between pins. Make sure that the bulk of the pin is on the inside of the pants. While the pins will be somewhat visible on the outside of the pants, this method sure is fast. Also, if you’re changing regular-length pants into capris, you can just take out the pins to get the pants back to normal.
Another quick option to hem your pants without sewing is by using double-sided garment tape.
After you measure the hem, use the tape to stick the extra fabric to the inside of your pant leg. Then you can remove the pins and the tape should hold up for the day. If you are taking up a lot of length, you should use two strips of tape, one near the bottom of the hem and one near the top. This method is quick and the tape can be removed at the end of the day. Just make sure that the fabric isn’t too delicate, or it could rip when you remove the tape.
Do you have some time? Do you want the hem to be permanent?
Iron-on hem tape is amazing and it is the third way to hem your pants without sewing.
After measuring your hem, you put the tape inside the hem and then iron it into place, removing the pins as you go. If you have taken up a lot of material, use two strips of iron-on tape to help the hem hold better. Place one strip near the bottom of the hem and one strip near the top. Iron-on hem tape is washable, so you won’t have to redo your hem every time you wash your pants. Just make sure that the fabric is safe to iron. Also, if the fabric is too thin, you might see the outline of the tape.
The next time you need to hem your pants, you now have some no-sew options!
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