How to Hem Pants by Hand With an Invisible Blind Stitch

Difficulty: Easy
About 1 hour
10 steps

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You do not need a sewing machine to shorten a pair of pants. Domenica from Easy Sewing for Beginners hems a pair of khaki dress pants entirely by hand, and the finished hem is close to invisible from the outside. The trick is a blind stitch that grabs only one or two threads of the pant leg on each pass. It takes longer than a machine, but it is quiet, portable and gives the cleanest finish on dress pants.

How to hem pants by hand: the short version

Unpick the old hem with a seam ripper.
Fold the leg up to the new length while the wearer has shoes on, and pin.
Mark a 2 inch hem allowance below the fold and cut off the rest.
Turn the pants inside out, fold up 2 inches and press.
Tuck the raw edge under, pin, and blind stitch all the way around.

Getting the length right

Always measure with the shoes the pants will be worn with. Dress shoes and sneakers can change the right length by half an inch or more. For a classic look on dress pants, the front should touch the top of the shoe with a slight break. You only need to pin one leg. Measure how far it is turned up and copy that number to the other leg on the table.

Thread and needle

Match the thread to the pants as closely as you can. Domenica used red thread so it would show on camera, and a few red flecks peek through on the outside. A matching color hides them completely. Use a single strand, not doubled, so less thread shows through. A fine, sharp hand sewing needle slips into the fabric without leaving holes.

The blind stitch in plain words

Work with the pants inside out. Angle the needle and pass it through the folded hem edge. Then, right next to where it came out, pick up one or two threads of the single layer of the pant leg, about 1/8 inch above the fold. Move along about 1/4 inch and repeat. Left-handed sewers work left to right, right-handed sewers right to left. Keep the thread relaxed. Pulling tight makes small dimples on the outside.

How long it takes

Plan on about an hour for the first pair: 20 minutes to measure, mark, cut and press, and 15 to 20 minutes of stitching per leg. It goes faster once the blind stitch feels natural. It is good work for the couch, since you need only a needle, thread and pins once the hem is pressed.

Which pants this works for

Best: dress pants, chinos, wool trousers and skirts.
Works: lightweight cotton and linen.
Skip: heavy denim. Jeans hems are too thick for a neat hand blind stitch, so use a machine or keep the original hem.

Common problems

Stitches show on the outside. You caught too many threads. Take only one or two.
The hem puckers. The thread is too tight. Ease each stitch.
One leg ends up longer. Measure the turn-up on both legs before you cut.

More mending and sewing

Have a machine? See how to hem pants at home for the machine and no-sew methods. Keep building hand skills with sewing a button by hand, the ladder stitch and darning a sock.

Quick answer

Hem pants by hand with a blind stitch that barely shows. An easy project: about 1 hour. You need 8 things, including thread to match the pants, seam ripper and sewing gauge. The 10 steps start with unpick the Old Pant Hem With a Seam Ripper, fold the Pant Leg Up to the New Length Over a Shoe, measure the Turned-Up Pant Cuff So It Is Even and mark the 2 Inch Hem Allowance on the Pant Leg.

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