Patching Pants... the Right Way

Kids wear out their pants, right?  If your kids' pants are completely gone, check here for what to do with them.

If they just have a little worn spot in the knee, or even a little hole, then it's not too late to save them!

First, you need some patches.  They're less than a dollar for two at WalMart, or JoAnn Fabric, in a variety of colors and thicknesses.  You can choose one that matches the pants you want to patch, or you can just use whatever you have.  Mostly you won't see the patch anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

My mom taught me how to put a patch on "the right way", and it turns out that it really does matter.  If you just slap it on there any old way, it's going to start peeling off really quickly, which is frustrating and a waste of a patch, and of your time.

First, decide how big you need it to be.  An inch bigger than the hole or worn spot, in every direction, is a good rule of thumb.  Sometimes this means you need to use the whole patch, and that's okay.  Fifty cents to keep your kid's favorite pair of pants around another few months isn't a bad deal.  Usually though, you can get away using half or less of the patch.




1. Take a pair of sharp scissors, and (here's the most important part): Round The Corners Of The Patch.  If you don't, they'll start peeling off within a wash or two.  So do yourself a favor, and round those corners.

2. Set your iron to the hottest setting that your item of clothing will allow (no steam).  Usually you'll be patching jeans or other cotton pants, so you can go ahead and go all the way up to Linen, or whatever your hottest setting is.




3. Pre-heat the spot to be patched by ironing it for at least 15 seconds, maybe 30 or more.

4.  Put the patch on, (shiny side down - you really don't want to stick it to your iron!) and iron away.  Err on the side of doing it for too long.  Move your iron around, making sure the hottest part of your iron makes contact with every single part of the patch, especially the edges.

5. Check to see if it's stuck all the way around, and if it is, let it cool before you put it on or fold it.  If it's not, keep ironing.

Hooray for making pants last longer!




Kate