How to Hand Sew A Small Hole in Clothing

Introduction

In this guide, we will be learning how to hand sew a small hole in an article of clothing. This guide is perfect for first-time hand sewers and provides tips that make the learning process easier. This guide is necessary in order to help prevent any more toxic waste from ending up in the landfills by simply mending our used clothes back into better conditions.

Before following this guide, I would suggest readers purchase a thimble as a precautionary tool. If you don’t know what a thimble is, it’s a small rounded cup that protects your finger from getting pricked by the needle. Although optional, I feel it could help prevent any minor cuts from occurring. Also, in this guide, I used notes as a way to emphasize important information, and tips as a way to highlight information that is more beneficial to the reader. I hope this guide provides clarity throughout your sewing journey and is beneficial for use in the future as well. Now let’s get to sewing!

What you need

Step 1 How to Hand Sew A Small Hole in Clothing

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Grabbing a long piece of thread, insert it into the eye of the needle.
Make sure the thread is long enough to sew the entire hole.
If it happens to be that your thread is too short, you will need to take a look at step 8 to properly secure the thread to the piece of clothing. Then, you would grab a second thread and repeat steps 1-3 before continuing the sewing process.

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Step 2

Align one end of the thread to the other end of the thread.
To keep it simple, this step is folding the thread in half. This allows the stitching to be more secure and less likely to de-thread, especially when washing your clothes.

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Step 3

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With the two ends in hand, tie a double knot to form one single thread.
You may need to tie more than two knots in order for it to hold in place when sewing.

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Step 4

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Fold the clothing inside out. From the hole, pinch the two sides together, making sure the outside of the clothing is even and smooth.
We will be sewing the inside of the clothing. However, you want to make sure the outside of the clothing is even. If not, the hole will not be sewn correctly.

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Step 5

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Starting on one end of the hole, poke the needle through the clothing, passing the thread and needle to the other side of the hole. The double knot should not move from the original side you began with, but instead, be held in place. Make sure to pull the thread and needle firmly in order to seal the hole properly.
If the double knot goes through the other side, take out the needle from the clothing and continue to tie a few more knots. Do this until the knot does not pass through the other side of the hole.
Keep the length of the stitching small and the distance rather close to each other for a more precise stitch.

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Step 6

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Then, from the other side, poke another hole and pass the thread to the side originally started on, following the same process in step 5.
Make sure the holes poked with the thread form a straight line for a neater appearance.

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Step 7

Continue this process in a zig-zag motion until the hole is completely sewn.

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Step 8

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At the end, use the needle to loop the thread, tying a few knots to hold the stitching in place.
Cut any remaining thread with a pair of scissors.
Tie the knots as close to the clothing as possible so that the thread doesn’t hang and de-thread the stitching when pulled.

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Conclusion

Thank you for reading my guide and I hoped it helped you understand the basics of hand sewing. Don’t worry if you can’t get it right the first time, practice makes perfect! Happy sewing :)