Introduction: Holes in Jeans: Easy and Cheap Fix

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Everyone is plagued by the appearance of unholy holes in their favorite jeans. Even though the rest is perfectly fine, you just can't wear it because of that annoying gateway to your intimate self.

I set out to determine what is the best possible fix for those holes. I tried sewing and using patches with purposely made glue for fabrics. However, sewing stitches fail due to the already fragile area and the fabric glue only works for one go until washing and it can also be quite expensive.

So I present to you the NO SEW Glue Gun Hole Closer approach!

Step 1: Items Required

1 - Fabric patches:

  • You can use whatever you want, but I suggest leftovers from other jeans, since it is a strong and compatible fabric.
  • The dimensions of the patch have to be enough to cover the hole and also the main affected area so that no additional holes are created.

2 - Glue gun:

  • Normal glue gun that works.

3 - Iron

  • Preferably, one that heats up! (Otherwise, it would be pointless)

4 - Power!!!

  • Normal power outlet will do.

And, even though it is not explicitly shown in the figure above, you may also want a pair of jeans with a hole in them.

Step 2: Turn Jeans Inside Out and Apply Glue

Same as title! It is as straightforward as that.

Also, take all the time you need. Although hot glue hardens very fast, the hot iron will remelted it again later on.

However, when applying the hot glue, just make sure you cover everything with a thin and evenly spread layer. Doing otherwise would create large amounts of glue which would create glue pockets upon application with potential discoloration.

Step 3: Apply Patch Over Area and Iron It

  1. Apply the patch containing the glue over the hole in a way that covers it entirely and that becomes its final resting place.
  2. Place hot iron over the patch and wait for all the glue to melt. As you do this, run your fingers along the surface to verify if vein like bumps or pockets are present. If so, apply hot iron again with some pressure to remove them.
  3. Wait for it to dry before flipping it over. This should only takes a few minutes.

In the third image, you can see that I reinforced both sides. It is good to think ahead and avoid future holes and/or repairs.

Step 4: Finished!

And you are done!

You can see that both sides have patches and is not noticeable from the outside. Once again, beware of the application of glue, since it can cause discoloration in the outside.

The hole here has been previously sewed but torn after a few uses. The whole point of apply a patch is to prevent tensile forces from being applied in the vicinity of the weakened hole, which will cause stitches or surrounding fabric to fail. You may or may not want to sew it beforehand. It is up to you.

Also, notice that the result shows reasonable flexibility and I can say, from personal experience, that you won't notice anything differently as you walk.

Hope you enjoyed my first instructable!

***Update 1: I've put two jeans in the washing machine around 5 times after this instructable and the patches are still holding up pretty well and 5 times more than I can say for the commercial textile glues for this purpose.

***Update 2: After more than two years, the patches are still there! After all that time, no maintenance was required. The knee area started wearing out, so I think I'll be retiring those jeans soon.