Repair Ripped Jeans (Invisible Patch) | Denim Mending Tutorial, by The Sewing Room on YouTube. 1 min 23 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 23 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Turn the jeans inside out and trim loose threads around the rip with small sharp scissors so the edges sit flat.
Cut a piece of fusible interfacing about 2 cm larger than the tear on every side.
Slide the patch behind the tear with the fusible side facing the denim, then pin or clip it in place.
Set the iron to medium heat with the steam off and press the patch for 10 to 15 seconds until it bonds.
Let the fabric cool, turn the jeans right side out, and ease the torn edges together with your fingers.
Thread the machine with your matching thread and fit a denim or universal needle.
Sew straight lines back and forth across the tear, close together, to copy the direction of the denim weave.
Run each line a little past both ends of the rip so the repair does not pull open again.
Press the finished repair once more from the inside to settle the stitches into the fabric.
Tips and common mistakes
Test the iron on the inside hem first so you do not scorch the denim.
Keep the stitches tight and follow the diagonal twill lines of the jeans for a truly invisible finish.
Skip steam when fusing the patch, since moisture can stop the glue from sticking.
Use polyester thread rather than cotton, because it lasts longer against the rubbing of daily wear.
Questions
Can I do this repair by hand?
Yes. Backstitch or running stitch across the tear in tight rows instead of machine darning. It takes longer but holds well on small rips.
Will the patch show on the outside?
Only if the stitches are loose or the thread colour is off. Dense stitches in matching thread over a fused patch blend into the denim.
What kind of rip is too big for this method?
Tears longer than about 5 cm, or holes with missing fabric, need a sewn-in patch of denim rather than invisible mending.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
