How to patch a hole in jeans (iron-on and sewn repairs)

This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more.

The quickest way to fix a hole in jeans is an iron-on denim patch placed on the inside, with a few rows of stitching over the hole to hold the frayed edges down. If you want the repair to be seen, put a patch on the outside and sew round its edge. Most jeans repairs fail for the same two reasons: the patch is too small for the worn area around the hole, or iron-on glue alone is asked to hold a spot that bends and rubs all day.

Allow 20 to 40 minutes, depending on whether you sew.

What to check first

• The care label. Most jeans are cotton denim and take a hot iron, but stretch jeans with elastane can lose their stretch or go shiny under high heat. If the label shows one dot or a crossed-out iron, sew the patch rather than ironing it.
• How far the wear goes. Hold the jeans up to the light. The thin, see-through area around a hole is usually much bigger than the hole itself, and your patch needs to cover all of it, plus about 1 to 2 cm (½ to ¾ in) of sound fabric on every side.
• Where the hole is. Knees and crotch take the most strain, which changes the best repair (see below).

What you need

• A denim patch. Iron-on denim repair patches come in several shades of blue and black. A scrap cut from old jeans also works for a sewn repair.
• Thread close to the colour of the denim, or a contrasting colour if you like a visible mend. Polyester thread is stronger than cotton.
• A needle, pins and sharp scissors. A basic sewing kit covers it.
• An iron and a pressing cloth such as a tea towel, if you're using an iron-on patch.

Inside patch or outside patch?

How to patch a hole from the inside

1. Trim the loose threads around the hole.
2. Cut the patch to size. It should cover the hole and the worn area with a 1 to 2 cm (½ to ¾ in) margin. Round the corners, because square corners catch and lift first.
3. Turn the jeans inside out and slide a piece of card or a magazine into the leg so you don't patch both layers together.
4. Position the patch over the hole, glue side down against the inside of the denim if it's iron-on. Check from the outside that the hole is fully covered.
5. Iron it on following the instructions that came with the patch: dry iron, no steam, a pressing cloth, and firm still pressure. Then turn the leg the right way out and press over the hole from the front. Our guide on how to iron on a patch covers this in detail.
6. Stitch over the hole. Working from the outside, sew rows of small running stitches back and forth across the hole and the worn area, about 3 to 5 mm (⅛ to ¼ in) apart, catching the patch underneath. This holds frayed edges flat and takes strain off the glue.
7. Stitch round the patch edge if the hole is on a knee or the crotch. A simple running stitch just inside the patch outline is enough.
8. Let it cool and wait a day before washing.

For a sewn inside patch with no glue, pin the patch in place instead of ironing it, then do steps 6 and 7.

How to patch a hole from the outside

1. Trim loose threads and turn the hole's edges under if they're very ragged.
2. Cut a patch larger than the worn area. Turn the raw edges of a fabric patch under by about 1 cm (⅜ in) and press them, or leave them raw for a frayed look.
3. Pin or iron the patch over the hole, with card inside the leg.
4. Sew round the edge with a whip stitch or a small running stitch, through the patch and one layer of denim only. See how to sew on a patch by hand for the stitches.
5. Add a few rows of stitching across the middle on large patches so they don't balloon away from the leg.

Knee holes

Knees stretch every time you sit, kneel or climb stairs, so an iron-on patch on its own tends to peel at the edges. Use a patch bigger than you think you need, round the corners, and stitch both over the hole and round the edge.

Sew with the knee slightly bent, or don't pull stitches tight, so the repair has a little give.

Crotch and inner thigh holes

Holes between the legs come from rubbing, so the denim around them is usually worn thin over a wide area. A glued patch here is likely to stiffen, rub and come loose. The better repair is a sewn inside patch of thin denim or sturdy cotton, covering the whole thin area, with dense rows of running stitches (or a machine zigzag) worked back and forth across it. Repair early: a thin patch is far easier to mend than a split seam.

Don't

• Don't make the patch the same size as the hole. It needs to reach sound fabric.
• Don't rely on iron-on glue alone on knees or the crotch.
• Don't iron stretch denim on a high heat if the label says otherwise.
• Don't sew through both legs. Keep card or a magazine inside.

Common questions

Can you put an iron-on patch on the inside of jeans?

Yes, and it's the neatest way to hide a repair. Iron it onto the inside, then stitch over the hole from the outside so the frayed edges stay flat and the patch doesn't lift.

How do you patch jeans without sewing?

Use an iron-on denim patch on the inside or outside, pressed well from both sides. It works for small holes away from the knees and crotch. For areas that flex or rub, a few stitches make a big difference.

What's the best way to fix a hole in the crotch of jeans?

Sew a thin, flat patch to the inside covering the whole worn area, then stitch rows back and forth across it. Glue alone rarely lasts there.

Will a patch on jeans survive the wash?

A sewn patch will. An iron-on patch usually does if it's washed inside out on a cool, gentle cycle and air dried. Our guide to washing clothes with patches has more tips.

Based on manufacturer instructions and established sewing practice. How we write our guides.