Every now and then, your clothes get ripped, torn, pulled, but it doesn’t mean you have to buy new ones again!
You know how frugal we are here at SAHM and perhaps the reason why you’re reading this is because you are too, right? So we know you’ll agree that as much as you can, you do not spend money on things you can still mend and repair, such as clothes.
All you need is a basic knowhow on stitching and using a sewing machine.
So, here are easy ways on how you can mend your clothes and eventually save money!
And if you’re looking for more ways to save money, check out our
50 Simple Ways To Save Money Right Now!
1. How to hem a pair of jeans
If you just got your new pair of jeans and realised it was too long, save yourself some time from doing a trip back to the store to repair your jeans and just DIY! Here’s how.
- Once you thread your needle and secured it, measure the length of the jeans you want to take in.
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Fold it halfway.
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Use pins to secure the fold.
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Sew using a backstitch.
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Sew the edge of the original hem.
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Flip it and you’ll see how it looks like you never repaired it at all!
2. How to sew on a button
For some, sewing a button would look like a mess (Yep, that’s me too!). So, here’s a video on how to securely…and neatly, sew a button.
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Sew a small X.
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Attach the button on top of the X then sew. Follow the X mark while sewing the button.
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Wrap the thread under the button.
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Tie off and cut.
3. How to adjust a waist
If suddenly all your efforts to lose weight paid off and your jeans look like a bag of sack when you wear it, well, as much as you want to buy new ones, the frugal you want to mend it yourself. So here’s how.
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Cut 2 slits in the waistband.
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Cut a small strip of elastic.
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Use a safety pin to pull the elastic through.
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Pin in place.
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Sew to attach elastic to top layer.
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Repeat on the other side.
4. How to mend baggy jeans
Along with a loose waist is a baggy pants that’s loose on the thighs down too. Here’s what you can do about it.
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Flip the jeans inside out.
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Measure the amount to take in. You can use pins to adjust the jeans. Make sure to make adjustments on the outer side of the jeans.
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Then stitch.
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Sew it.
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Then flip it.
5. How to fix a ripped seam
This happens a lot — a ripped seam!
Watch this video on how to repair it.
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Flip inside out.
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Sew to the end of the rip.
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Sew back over the edges.
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Tie off the cut.
6. How to do an invisible stitch
Okay so you have a crocheted sweater that’s quite loose or maybe has something you want to hide, here’s how to do a stitch to make it look invisible.
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Sew the opposite sides of the cloth. Do it loosely.
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Then pull it like a pro!
7. How to mend holes in clothes
You can’t escape this one either. Mending holes in clothes, especially when it’s around the centre of your shirt where there’s no way it can look untouched once you sew it, is quite tricky. But here’s how to do it. You can jump right to 10:56 for this one.
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Flip the shirt inside out and pinch the hole together.
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Use a fusible bonding web on top of the hole.
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Place a cloth on top then iron.
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For bigger holes, you can then sew the shirt to cover the hole.
8. How to mend holes in jeans
Now this is one huge problem for most of us ladies — the hole in between the legs — eeeekk! But don’t worry, girl, here’s a solution for you (See 0:30 for the instructions).
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Flip the jeans inside out then use an interfacing.
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Iron it.
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Flip the jeans again, then using a sewing machine, run through the hole using a zigzag pattern.
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Do this until the hole is fully covered.
9. How to mend broken tack buttons
I have been recently a victim of this because…food! Lol! So if you’ve been in this situation but still want to use your favourite jeans, there’s still a way around it. Watch this (1:01 has what you need)
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Place a cloth on the inside of the jeans where the buttons were pulled out. And attach the cloth to the jeans by sewing.
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Put back the tack.
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Then the button at the front.
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Hammer gently just once.
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Make sure you do not break the button.
So there you have it!
Some frugal ways of mending your clothes.
Well, not that you’re on a tight budget for your clothes, but it’s the most practical and frugal way of bringing back the old and making it new.