How to repair holes in worn out jeans.

Repair Over Replace: Giving My Jeans a Third Life

I don’t know about you, but my “repair” pile is way bigger than my works-in-progress. I think it’s because I just can’t bring myself to throw anything into landfill if it still has potential—to be repaired, upcycled, or even just altered to fit better. The only trouble is… I rarely feel motivated to actually dive into that repairs basket. Creating something new is just so much more exciting—especially when I’m surrounded daily by gorgeous fabrics and inspiring haberdashery.

But today, I stuck to my plan: tackle all my worn-out jeans in one go. And guess what? It only took a couple of hours, and I had five “new” pairs of jeans ready before lunch.

My Repair Method

I always start by patching all the worn-out spots—both inside and out.

My go-to patching fabric is Vlieseline G700. It’s iron-on, 100% cotton, and makes the perfect base layer before any sewing begins. It’s quick, easy, and really reliable. For stretchier garments like leggings or sportswear, I switch to Vlieseline H609, which is better suited for stretch fabrics.

No matter the hole size—tiny frays or large tears—I always apply G700. Even if the fabric is much darker than the denim, it doesn't matter. I match the colour later with thread during the darning process.

Some of these jeans were literally hanging on by threads—and I was still wearing them!

The Darning Process

The key to repairing denim? Layering.

I select a few reels of thread that match the denim—usually in greys, blues, and blacks—and start darning. While my machine has several darning stitch settings, I actually prefer freehand straight stitching. I guide the fabric with my left hand and control the reverse with my right, which gives me more freedom and control.

I always begin with the darkest threads, gradually layering lighter shades to blend and reinforce the fabric.

In this case I used a selection of Guterman sew all threads in greys, blues and black.

 

The best needle to use on denim is obviously the Schmitz jeans one.

I love their combination packs—they include a variety of essential needles, which is perfect if you don’t want to buy a bulk pack of each type. I keep big packs of universals on hand, but for everything else, this mix is super handy.

This was such a satisfying project—and honestly, a lot easier than you might think. It’s a great reminder that repairing should always come before replacing. And these jeans? Some of them were already secondhand when I got them, so they’re officially on their third life now.

If you’ve got a repair pile growing in the corner of your sewing room, consider this your sign: dust off the mending kit and give your clothes another go. You might even enjoy it more than you expect.