How to Hem a Pair of Pants
This guide will help you to hem a pair of pants while keeping the original hem showing for a finished look.
- If you don’t know your preferred pant length, measure yourself or a well-fitting pair of pants. For dress pants worn with heels, hem the length to about an inch above the floor. Otherwise, pants should hit at the bottom of the ankle.
- With this measurement, decide how much length to take off the pair of pants. Divide this number in half.
- Cuff your pants and measure this distance from the original hem. For example, if you want to take off two inches from the pant length, measure one inch from the hem. (Do not measure from the end of the pant leg, but rather from the thread of the original hem. The “abrasion area” is not included in your calculation. You will basically be measuring from the hem down towards the fold you made in cuffing the pant.)
- Using your small ruler or tape measure, pin around the cuff making sure the length is the same all the way around the cuff. (Pins should be parallel to the direction of the cuff, going up and down, and not perpendicular across the cuff.) Keep an eye on the seam of the pants, making sure the folded seam lines up when pinning.
- Place the foot of your sewing machine right next to the original hem, at the opposite side from the end of the jeans, and slowly stitch all the way around the cuff. As you sew, do not lay the front and back sides of the cuff flush together. You'll end up sewing your pant leg closed!
- Flip the cuff back out and push any extra fabric inwards. For a larger hem, you can trim off this excess fabric leaving ¾ inch for fraying in the wash.
- Press any excess material inside the pant leg upwards with your iron.
- Close the pant leg and push the new seam flat with your fingers.
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flowergirl
Jun 11, 2018
If you're petite like me then almost all the pants you buy will be way too long for your legs so you always have that awkward fold at the hemline. Well, not anymore with this video on how to hem your pants. I loved how detailed and precise this video was, I am going to try to hem one pair and if it urns out perfect then I'll never have to worry about fitting pants.
Weberme
Oct 11, 2016
This is a very different way to do a hem. I always sewed a new one. I guess this would be faster. Very nice video and she knew what she was doing and she was very cheery which is a big plus when doing a video so she is not boring. I will try this on a pair of my pants when one needs hemming. She did a great job. Anyone else do their hems like this?
Hondar
Feb 28, 2011
Good idea and the tutorial was great! I am not sure I like the finished look up close. Thanks!
lmw102 0442490
Dec 31, 2010
in doing her sewing, she sewed across the straight pins which is a no no. could break a needle and damage the sewing machine. also serger thread to match the fabric would make it more unnoticeable.
didough
Sep 19, 2010
Good idea - just so long as your trouser legs are the same width all the way up - wouldn't work if they were tapered though ...
Member 17635
Sep 19, 2010
This looks easy enough even for me. Better than paying $10 to have it done for me. Thanks for the video.
craftybeez
Aug 12, 2010
Thank you for your idea! I knew there was a way to do this but didn't know how. Now I do! I printed it and put it in my "idea" binder. Thaks.
craftybeez
Aug 12, 2010
I have heard there is a way to hem pants this way but never saw how to do it. Now I know! Thank you for putting this article on FaveCrafts.com.
teeloc
Apr 30, 2010
I also, didn't think about doing that - Good idea! The person ? Didn't do justice! I personally thought that? (Whom am I to think?) Sounded like SHE was just doing it to get paid! NOT, that she was actually enjoying to Share it with anyone, or that SHE was HELPING someone to achieve this task! Just that SHE was or had(s) done it so much - Maybe she wasis tired of doing it??? Thank you! I Again... Hadn't thought of doing that!
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