9 Easy Ways to Mend Your Clothes (and Save Money!)

Easy diy mending techniques for clothes at home

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.

Close up of hands hemming denim jeans to mend clothes and save money
via BuzzFeed Nifty
  • Once you thread your needle and secured it, measure the length of the jeans you want to take in.
Close up of a person mending denim jeans with a needle and thread
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Fold it halfway.


Close up of a finger pointing at a small tear in denim jeans for mending
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Use pins to secure the fold.


Hands sewing the hem of a pair of jeans to mend and extend their lifespan
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Sew using a backstitch.


How to fix a backstitch on jeans to save money and extend clothing life
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Sew the edge of the original hem.


Close up of hand sewing a tear in denim jeans for mending
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Flip it and you’ll see how it looks like you never repaired it at all!


Close up of folded denim jeans highlighting fabric and hem details
via BuzzFeed Nifty

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.


  • Sew a small X.


Elegant flower girl dress featuring lace bodice and beaded waistband for special occasions
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Attach the button on top of the X then sew. Follow the X mark while sewing the button.


Button sewing repair on red fabric for clothing mending
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Wrap the thread under the button.


Close up of hands sewing a button onto fabric for clothing repair
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Tie off and cut.


3. How to adjust a waist

Person holding out oversized pants to show how to mend clothes and save money
via BuzzFeed Nifty

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.


  • Cut 2 slits in the waistband.


Easy clothes mending tips to save money and extend your wardrobe life
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Cut a small strip of elastic.


Mending jeans with scissors and fabric patch for cost effective clothing repair
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Use a safety pin to pull the elastic through.


Close up of sewing a tear in navy fabric with needle and white thread
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Pin in place.


Close up of a pin used to fix a tear in fabric for clothing repair
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Sew to attach elastic to top layer.


Mending clothes with needle and pin to save money and extend garment life
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Repeat on the other side.


Quick clothing mend to extend your wardrobe life
via BuzzFeed Nifty

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.

Elegant flower girl dress featuring lace bodice and beaded waistband for special occasions
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Flip the jeans inside out.


Close up of a person mending jeans with a zipper repair on pink background
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • 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.


Quick guide to fixing jeans and saving money on clothing repairs
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Then stitch.


Casual blue jeans with white sneakers against pink background illustrating easy clothing repair tip
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Sew it.


Person sewing blue fabric to mend clothes with a sewing machine
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Then flip it.


Repaired jeans with rolling stones logo on back pocket
via BuzzFeed Nifty

5. How to fix a ripped seam

This happens a lot — a ripped seam!

Watch this video on how to repair it.

Hand showing a quick fix for clothes repair with a blue fabric garment
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Flip inside out.


Hands mending a blue garment to extend its life and save money on clothing repairs
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Sew to the end of the rip.


Close up of hand sewing a blue fabric garment with a needle and thread
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Sew back over the edges.


Person sewing a tear in blue fabric to mend clothes and save money
via BuzzFeed Nifty

  • Tie off the cut.


Hands sewing a blue garment to mend clothes and save money
via BuzzFeed Nifty

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.


  • Sew the opposite sides of the cloth. Do it loosely.


Close up of a knitted sweater with blue stitches for mending clothes at home
via 5-Minute Crafts

  • Then pull it like a pro!


Close up of knitting repair with a sewing needle on a pink knitted fabric
via 5-Minute Crafts

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.

Quick tip for repairing small holes in clothing to save money and extend your wardrobes life
via 5-Minute Crafts

  • Flip the shirt inside out and pinch the hole together.


Close up of fingers mending fabric to repair clothes and save money
via 5-Minute Crafts

  • Use a fusible bonding web on top of the hole.


Hand holding fabric patch on dark clothing for mending clothes
via 5-Minute Crafts

  • Place a cloth on top then iron.


Close up of an iron on dark fabric highlighting clothes mending and repair tips
via 5-Minute Crafts

  • For bigger holes, you can then sew the shirt to cover the hole.


Close up of hand pinching fabric to mend clothes and save money at home
via 5-Minute Crafts

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).

Close up of torn jeans being repaired to save money and extend clothing life
via 5-Minute Crafts

  • Flip the jeans inside out then use an interfacing.


Mending jeans with a patch for cost effective clothing repair
via 5-Minute Crafts

  • Iron it.


Ironing clothes to fix minor tears and wrinkles easily at home
via 5-Minute Crafts

  • Flip the jeans again, then using a sewing machine, run through the hole using a zigzag pattern.


Using a sewing machine to mend jeans and save money on clothing repairs
via 5-Minute Crafts

  • Do this until the hole is fully covered.


Close up of worn denim jeans showing fabric damage and repair area
via 5-Minute Crafts

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)

How to mend clothes easily to save money and extend wardrobe life
via 5-Minute Crafts

  • Place a cloth on the inside of the jeans where the buttons were pulled out. And attach the cloth to the jeans by sewing.


Person sewing a tear in denim jeans to mend clothes and save money
via 5-Minute Crafts

  • Put back the tack.


Hands repairing a tear in blue denim jeans for cost effective clothing repair
via 5-Minute Crafts

  • Then the button at the front.


Hands sewing a button onto denim jeans for mending and saving money
via 5-Minute Crafts

  • Hammer gently just once.


Hand repairing jeans with a patch and hammer for quick mending
via 5-Minute Crafts

  • Make sure you do not break the button.


How to mend jeans at home to save money and extend their life
via 5-Minute Crafts

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.

So, do you have other ways to mend your clothes? Share it with us!

author avatar
Clare Whitfield Chief Editor
Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

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