Simple Ways To Mend Your Clothing Without A Sewing Machine

 
 

This article was contributed by a member of our beloved Sustainable Baddie community. Sustainable Baddie exists in part to share perspectives outside of our own and to present a rich array of diverse voices. The opinions presented are those of the guest contributor and do not necessarily reflect or represent Sustainable Baddie’s voice, tone, and point of view. 

One of the most sustainable things we can do when it comes to our wardrobe is #rewearthat. But what happens when you #rewearthat so much that your garments start to need repairs? Mending can seem super intimidating or inaccessible, considering not everyone has a sewing machine available to them. But there are plenty of items you can fix with a mending kit. 

Here’s What You’ll Need

  • Scissors (fabric or regular!)

  • Sewing needle

  • Thread (you can buy a spool that matches the color of the thread on the garment you’re repairing)

Below are 3 simple repairs I’ve done with just a needle, thread, and scissors that you can also try out!

 

1. Replacing lost or loose buttons

 
 

This one is probably the easiest repair you can do without a sewing machine. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to sew a button onto a garment by hand.

  • Most garments that have buttons will provide 1-2 replacement buttons, either attached to the care tag or attached to the price tag in a small bag. I find that my sock drawer is a good spot to keep all my loose replacement buttons handy for when I need them.

  • Alternatively, if you don’t have any matching replacement buttons for a particular garment, you can use a mismatched button to make your garment stand out.

 

2. Hand-sewing a rip or small hole

 
 

This one requires a little more effort but is still fairly simple.

  • You may want to use pins to hold your fabric in place as you sew, but I’ve also done it without them.

    • First turn your garment inside out.

    • Then, pinch together the two pieces of fabric that have ripped apart so that the pinched fabric is facing the inside of the garment.

    • Finally, sew together those two pieces. And there you have it! 

If you need a visual on how to do this, check out this tutorial.

 

3. Hemming Pants

 
 

This may be the most challenging of all three projects, but is still doable! Depending on the pants you’re hemming and the look you’re going for, the skill level necessary may vary. I have altered jeans by just cutting the bottom without hemming at all. (It’s a look!)

If the raw edge look isn’t your thing, check out this tutorial on how to hand-sew a hem.

Some tips:

  • It’s good to start by cutting little by little. If you want to cut more off, you can, but once you’ve cut too much, it’s a little harder to fix, so just take it slow. 

    • I usually take an existing pair of pants that I like the length of and line them up with the pants I’m hemming. 

    • Then, I will cut a little below that so that I can fold up the raw hem to sew after cutting. 

    • Using pins and an iron can also help here, but once again, aren’t necessary.

  • Don’t worry if your hem is not perfectly straight. Depending on the fabric, the drape might hide any unevenness.

It’s important to remember that the goal is to be imperfectly sustainable! Mending my clothes myself, however imperfectly, makes the clothing I have more meaningful to me since I’ve taken the time to care for them. Hopefully, you can also start incorporating small repairs like the ones mentioned above into your sustainable clothing practices!

Guest Contribution By: Marissa Elena

LifeMarissa Elenaclothing, fashion, mending, repairComment