DIY: How to Hem Pants to Make Them Shorter

Whether you bought pants that were a little too long, or you just want to change your hem-line for the new season's fashions, you can hem your own pants and save a bundle on alteration fees.

The first step to hemming your own pants is to get an accurate measurement of what length you want them to be. The best way to do this is to put the pants on, stand up straight, and have a friend put a pin at the level you want your pants to end. It is important you have a friend do the pinning, because if you try to do it yourself the act of bending over to pin it will throw off your measurements.

You will only need to pin one leg, because later you will just make the other one match it. Once that pin is in, take the pants off and lay the pants flat with the legs together in order to find the same point on the opposite leg. Use scissors or a rotary cutter to cut off all but one inch below the pins. That cut off part can be discarded, or saved for use in craft projects.

You should now have one inch between the point that you pinned and the point that you cut off. Fold it up so that that bottom cut edge matches the line that your pin is on. Make sure you are folding towards the inside of the pants. Then fold a second time so that the second fold is right where the cut edge of the fabric is. This will leave you with a half inch section at the bottom that is 3 layers thick. You may want to take a few straight pins and pin that section to hold it in place later while you are sewing.

Using the same double fold procedure, form your three layer hem on the opposite leg and pin it in place as well. Then, stitch through all three layers on each leg.

Your stitch-line should be about three-quarters of the way up the half inch folded section. That stitch-line will hold your hem in place. If you would like to add a second decorative stitch, you can do that below it, (closer to the bottom edge).

Once your two stitch lines are in place, carefully tie knots in the tail ends of the thread that remains, and then cut away the extra thread.

Hemming your own pants is easy, and will save you a lot of money in alternations over time. You can even use the same procedure to turn pants into shorts if the lower sections of the legs wear out.

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