Sewing: A Simple Way To Hem Your Jeans

Being only 5' 3" there is always a length issue when it comes to buying jeans. Before I learned how to sew I got really creative with "hemming" my jeans. I used safety pins, duct tape, packing tape, or fabric glue. The sad truth is, I was too lazy to get them hemmed. Finally after taking a few sewing classes, I learned how to hem my own jeans. Now mind you, I am not good at sewing. I can do basic things. If you can go a basic forward and back stitch, you can hem your own jeans. Here's how I did it...

Mark your desired length and measure how much you'd like to take off. I am taking 4 inches off this pair.



Cuff you jeans up 1/2 the length you plan to take off, and measure it starting at the bottom of the hem. You don't want to include the hem because you will not be taking that off. Notice that I measured 2 inches below the hem. Make sure your seams are lined up properly and pin your cuff all the way around.



Time to sew! Sew a simple stitch right under the hem all the way around the cuff. It doesn't matter what color thread you use since you won't even see your stitch. Don't forget to take out the pins as you sew along and backstitch at the begining and end to lock in your stitch.



If you look closely, you can see my stitch right under the hem. I used a cream colored thread.



Fold the cuff under and press at the hem with a hot iron. You can choose to keep the cuff underneath as is if you plan to let out the hem. Or you can cut the excess cuff. If cutting, cut right under the stitch you just sewed. Be careful not to cut your stitch and iron the hem to ensure that it stays flat. Here's how it looks...


You've now hemmed your jeans but got to keep the original hem. BTW, I meant to wear taller shoes in this pic, but ended up grabbing my flats. Oh well...



I hope this lesson was useful!

Have a great day!!!
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