How To Hem Pants

Want to learn about how to hem pants? Finding pants that fit perfectly is difficult, so the next best option is to hem them. You may be inclined to get them professionally altered, but you don't have to spend money on an expensive tailor. With a few tools and a little practice, you can learn to hem your own pants.

What you will need:

• Sewing Needle
• Thread (Preferably one that matches the pant)
• Sewing Pins
• Scissors
• Full-length Mirror

1. Determine the pant length you want. While wearing the pants, look at how they fit in the mirror. Your pants should not drag on the floor. Cuff the ends  inside the pant until they are level with the bottom of your feet. Trick: Put on a pair of shoes that you wear frequently. The pants should be level with the middle of the heel. Adjust the length until you are satisfied.
2. Pin the cuffs with sewing pins. Turn the pants inside-out while maintaining the cuffs. Make sure the cuffs are even all the way around the pant. Using the sewing pins, pin the cuffs by placing the pins horizontally about a half inch from the upper edge of the cuff. Important: Placing the pins directly on the cuff edge will make the sewing process more difficult.
3. Thread the needle. Cut a  few feet of thread and pull it through the needle eye until both ends are even. Knot the ends together to secure the stitch.
4. Sew the cuffs using a back-stitch. Sew the cuffs securely to the pant by sewing through the cuff and the pant. Put your hand in the pant leg to make sure you don't sew the legs together. Push the needle through the fabric and pull it back out about a half inch away. Push the needle back into the fabric at the original point of entry. Now pull the needle through the fabric a half inch from second point of entry. This is  the back-stitch technique. Continue this process until you've sewn the cuff all the way around. Important: Make sure the stitch is secure, but don't let the fabric gather.
5. Secure the stitch. At the last full stitch, wrap the thread of the needle through the loop of the stitch. Only go through the fabric of the cuff. Cut the thread and knot the ends together.
6. Check the length in the mirror. If the length is incorrect, you can take out the stitch and start over.
7. Your pants are ready to wear. This technique can be used for most types of pants.