How To Mend A Hole In Denim Jeans Or Leggings

Don’t you just hate it when a hole appears in your favourite pair of jeans or jeggings? What do you do? Do you  throw them away? Make them into something new? Well, today I am going to show you how to mend a hole in denim, so that your favourite jeans, jeggings, dress or jacket will live to last a little bit longer!

How To Mend A Hole In Denim Jeans Or Leggings

I pretty much wear my denim leggings all year round. And I have told you this before, but when my jeans wear out, they wear out in a particularly delicate spot. Between the legs. A friend always says that hers wear out on the knees, and yours may wear out in an altogether different spot.

But what do you do when this happens? I’ve spoken before about how I have made a denim skirt and a handbag from my worn out jeans. But there are only so many denim skirts that a girl needs!

So whats the best way how to mend a hole in denim and keep your jeans or leggings going for longer? Well today I am going to show you how.

Like this idea? See my post here on how to make all your clothes last longer.

But onto mending that hole!

You Will Need

• Your worn out denim garment – complete with hole
• A piece of denim or material that closely matches in colour – or not if you prefer!
• Some iron on interfacing material. I prefer black – and an iron
• A sewing machine and coordinating thread 

Now, before I start I do have to say that this will NOT be an invisible mend.

I have seen plenty of photos of people who try to do as invisible a mend as possible. However, I have found that you cannot completely get over as frayed a hole as the one in my jeans.

And really I am looking for a more practical mend where the garment remains functional, but is not necessarily unblemished.

I actually find that once I have mended the hole in between the legs of my jeans, that the finished mend is pretty much unseen in polite company, unless I have my legs open wide.

And so a mend like this serves to extend the lifespan of these garments that little bit further, which means less garments going to landfill. And the result is a much more sustainable wardrobe. Which is better for the planet.

So How Do You Mend A Hole In Denim?

Take a small piece of cloth that closely matches the torn garment. Alternatively you can use a contrasting piece of material, and this looks particularly effective with larger holes in knees and legs of garments. But I used a very close matching coloured piece of cloth. Cut the piece to be just larger than the hole, and tack it into place on the wrong side of the garment behind the hole. You can see the tacking stitches in the photo below on the right.

Next, take a piece of iron on interfacing that is slightly larger than the patch piece. Using a pressing cloth, press the iron on interfacing over the patch on the wrong side of the garment. Effectively this secures the patch to the garment. 

Finally, take a sewing machine, and some closely coordinating  thread to the denim garment, and run over the patch back wards and forwards a few times to secure the patch in place. You can also go around the edge of the iron on interfacing layer to reinforce this into place. 

And you are done!

As you can see, not an invisible mend at all. But the garment will live to be worn quite a bit longer, and it is saved from the trash can and landfill.

Which is our ultimate goal after all.

Will you be mending a hole like this in the near future? I’d love to hear what you think of using this method and about your successes. Comment below, or do find me over on my social media channels.

And please do pin this post for later.