We all know that sewing requires a lot of time, patience, and hardwork. So when you accidentally pierce your pen through your favorite shirt, or when it starts tearing after getting worn almost every day, your immediate response is probably to throw it out. Maybe you’ve thought of using safety pins, but you realize it would ruin your aesthetic, so you buy a new one instead. Great.
Thankfully, the days of unceremoniously tossing your old clothes into the trash bin are over. With a little bit of ingenuity and imagination, you can save your wardrobe—and offset the costs—by trying out these DIY tricks for repairing holes in your clothes.
Patch ’em up
Throughout the years, people have already been using embroidered patches to cover up holes in clothes. It’s a simple and reliable hack that doesn’t require any special skill.
For this technique, you can start by cutting off loose threads on either side of where the patch will go. Trim any excess material so that it’s even with the hole. Next, turn your garment inside out. Place the patch over where you would like it to be—lining up with the seams. Sew around all edges except one, then flip back right-side out and cut off extra thread.
But if you really don’t have the time to sew, you can always try iron-on patches. You can find them online or at most clothing stores.
Try sashiko
Sashiko is a traditional Japanese embroidery technique that is characterized by stitched diagonal lines using a running stitch. It’s a quick and creative method to repair holes in clothes (especially denim), finish up raw edges, and fix uneven seams or crooked hems. Sashiko can also be used to patch small tears or holes in fabrics. Anyone can do it with just a little practice.
Do a satin stitch
Satin stitch is a type of filling stitch that intends to cover up holes using polyester thread. To use this method, sew in one continuous motion using loose or tight stitches depending on how much detail you’d like. Keep the length of your stitches fairly loose as you go along to avoid distorting the garment. You can practice this stitch on a scrap of fabric first to get the hang of it.