How to hem pants without a machine
Hem pants without a machine by trying them on with the shoes you will wear, pinning the new length, pressing the fold, trimming to leave about an inch and a half, then sewing a hand blind hem: small stitches that catch only a thread or two of the outside fabric. Iron-on hem tape is a quick fix for straight hems that will be washed gently.
Why it matters: A hand hem saves a tailor trip and makes new pants wearable today.
Steps
- Put the pants on with the shoes you will wear and have someone pin the fold at the right length, or pin one leg in a mirror.
- Take them off, measure the pinned leg, and pin the other leg to match.
- Press the fold with an iron to set the crease.
- Trim the extra so about an inch and a half remains, and turn the raw edge under or finish it with a zigzag of stitches.
- Thread a needle with a single strand in a matching color and knot it.
- Blind hem: pick up one or two threads of the outside fabric, then take a small stitch in the folded hem, every half inch around the leg.
- Press again, and check both legs match with your shoes on.
Common mistakes
- Measuring in bare feet for pants you will wear with heels.
- Taking large stitches through the outside, which show as dimples.
- Cutting before pinning and trying on both legs.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to hem pants without a machine
What to say
Hem pants without a machine by trying them on with the shoes you will wear, pinning the new length, pressing the fold, trimming to leave about an inch and a half, then sewing a hand blind hem: small stitches that catch only a thread or two of the outside fabric. Iron-on hem tape is a quick fix for straight hems that will be washed gently.
What to show
- Put the pants on with the shoes you will wear and have someone pin the fold at the right length, or pin one leg in a mirror.
- Take them off, measure the pinned leg, and pin the other leg to match.
- Press the fold with an iron to set the crease.
- Trim the extra so about an inch and a half remains, and turn the raw edge under or finish it with a zigzag of stitches.
- Thread a needle with a single strand in a matching color and knot it.
- Blind hem: pick up one or two threads of the outside fabric, then take a small stitch in the folded hem, every half inch around the leg.
- Press again, and check both legs match with your shoes on.
Check question
Which shoes should you wear when pinning the length?
Answer: The ones you will wear with the pants. Heel height changes where the hem should fall.
Your checklist
Saved only in this browser.
Quick quiz
Three questions. Your score is saved only in this browser.
Related skills
Sources
This skill is general practice and draws on no single published source.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .