Make Your Jeans Tighter

After hours of shopping, you’ve finally found a decent pair of jeans, but they’re a bit too roomy. Or, maybe you found an old pair of jeans while cleaning out your closet, but they’re out of date. Lost cause? Not quite! With a little know-how, you can alter your jeans at home. If the roominess is just in the waist, you can fix that, too. All you need is some hot water, laundry appliances, and/or a sewing machine.

Steps

Shrinking Your Jeans with Heat

  1. Wash your jeans in hot water. Avoid sharing the wash with any other clothes. Don’t use fabric softener. A front-loading washing machine might have more impact than a top loader because the tumbling action is what shrinks the fibers. If you don’t have a front-loader at home, try one at your local laundromat.
    • Wash your jeans inside out. It causes less wear on the jeans.
    • This method doesn’t work that well for preshrunk jeans or jeans that contain synthetic fibers.[1]
    • Alternatively, you could soak your jeans in a bucket of hot water. Dunk the jeans into the water. Use a wooden spoon to submerge the jeans completely. Wring them out after the water cools.
  2. Toss the jeans into the dryer. Dry them on the hottest setting. Make the drying time as long as possible. Read the label first! If it says don't tumble dry, you risk making them too small in the dryer. Air dry them if this is the case.[2]
  3. Try on the jeans. Your jeans should feel at least a little tighter. Make sure you can walk and run in them. Be aware that this method doesn't last. With wear, the jeans will slip back to their original "comfy" shape.[2]
    • With each wash and hot dry, the strength and appearance of your jeans diminishes. Avoid over-using this method.[3]
  4. Boil your jeans. This step is optional but helpful with jeans that are difficult to tighten. Use a pot that’s clean and large enough to fit the jeans. Fill it with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Monitor the pot regularly. Add more water, if necessary. After the water reaches a boil, lower the heat to simmer. Cover the pot and continue to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.[4]

Sewing New Seams

  1. Try on your jeans inside-out. Button or zip them up so they fall as they would when you'd wear them. Stand in front of a mirror. Note the areas where you would like the jeans to fit more snugly.[5]
    • Remember that when you turn your jeans inside-out, your left leg inside-out is your right leg right-side-out.
  2. Pinch the fabric together at the crotch and down the inseam. Keep the inseam at the edge of the pinched-off area so that the new inseam will be centered.
    • Pin horizontally so that you can guide your sewing machine over each pin without jamming the machine. Use safety pins to avoid pricking your leg as you move about or handle the jeans.[6]
    • To get the smoothest result, make an entirely new inseam by pinching off the extra fabric in a smooth curve along the entire inseam.
  3. Check for symmetry. Measure from the inseam to the newly marked edge to the original seam. Measure again from the new inseam to the bottom of the leg. Repeat this process for each pin marking the new inseam. If they don't quite match, adjust the further-in line outward to make the size of the smaller leg match the bigger one. Make sure your pinned seams are flat as you measure.
    • Mark as you measure. Use a pencil or tailor’s chalk. Take off the pants when you are satisfied.[7]
  4. Set up the sewing machine. Use thread appropriate for denim and a needle suited for denim-sewing. Turn the machine on.[7]
    • If you haven't used a sewing machine before, sew a couple of lines in some practice fabric (preferably denim). You want to know how fast your machine goes and make sure things go smoothly when you get to your real project.
    • Use a Serger are not recommended for this step.
  5. Start at the crotch. Keep the jeans as flat as possible and completely together. Try an easy-to-remove basting stitch to test the fit first. Press the reverse sewing lever for just a moment when you start to secure your stitch.[7]
  6. Continue stitching. Stitch in a smooth curve along the line of pins and markings that you added. In essence, you are creating a new seam. Try to keep your line straight as you work your way down. Aim to make the excess denim bigger as you get towards the bottom if you are making the flare smaller.[7]
  7. Fasten off the thread. When you get to the very bottom, press the reverse sewing lever for just a moment to secure your stitch. After you’ve fastened off your stitch, repeat the process on the other leg.[7]
  8. Remove the pins. Replace them in their container. If you used many pins, double check to make sure you didn’t miss any.
  9. Try on the jeans. Turn them right-side out. Inspect every seam for imperfections. Try walking, running, kneeling, and any other activity you might do in jeans.
  10. Finish the new seam. Turn the jeans inside out before you do this. Use sharp fabric scissors to cut off the excess. Leave an allowance of about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} between the scissor blades and the new seam. Since denim frays, secure the new seam with a Use a Serger if you have one.[7]
    • If they appear lopsided or tight, Rip out a Long Straight Seam and start over.
    • If you notice bunching around the crotch, don't worry too much. This will settle down when worn and won’t be noticeable for most jeans.

Tightening the Waistband by Sewing

  1. Remove the center belt loop. Carefully use sharp fabric scissors to cut it from the center rear of your jeans. Set it aside and hang on to it. You’ll need to replace it when you’ve finished with the alterations.[8]
  2. Draw the mid-mark. Draw a vertical line in the spot where the belt loop used to cover. Make the mark as straight as you can. Use a ruler or other straight edge if you like.[9]
  3. Try on your jeans inside-out. Button or zip them up so they fall as they would when you'd wear them. Stand in front of a mirror. Make a note of how much fabric you need to remove.[8]
  4. Pinch the fabric together at the back of the waist. Make sure you’ve left enough room to breathe. Use the chalk or pencil to mark the edges you've gathered on the waistband. At this point, your marks don't have to be straight. Make sure they're visible enough for you to see and long enough to complete the process after you've taken the jeans off.[8]
  5. Take off the jeans and measure the width to be removed. Unbutton or unzip them. Keep them inside-out. This will allow the outside to look professional after you're finished with the alterations. Measure half the width of the area to be removed from the mid-mark. Use the chalk/pencil to mark that location. Do the same on the other side. For example, if you need to remove {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}, you’ll place a mark at {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} to either side of the middle.[10]
  6. Mark the wedge to be removed. Trace a wedge- (triangle-) shaped form starting at the top rear of the waistband. Its length should measure about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. Connect it to the marks on either side of the mid-mark. Do this with either your tailor’s chalk or pencil.[10]
    • The length of the wedge can be longer or shorter, depending on how much you need to alter.[8]
  7. Rip out some stitches. This will be the area where the waistband meets the yoke (the area just below the waistband). Rip only about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} to either side of the wedge. This makes the sewing process run more smoothly.[8]
  8. Cut the waistband. Place your scissors at the mid-mark and snip the entire band in half. You’ll probably cut through the label. Feel free to remove it if it’ll get in your way.[10]
  9. Rip the center seam. Use your seam ripper for this step. Carefully remove the center stitches from the waist to the bottom of the wedge. When you reach the bottom of the wedge, tie off the remaining threads to prevent any more unraveling.[9]
  10. Pin the new seam. Hold the ripped areas horizontally. Line up the wedge lines you made with the chalk. Use either safety pins or straight pins. Insert your pins horizontally so that you can easily remove them as you sew. As you pin, make sure the wedge lines and ripped edges continue to match up.[9]
  11. Start at the crotch. Keep the jeans as flat as possible and completely together. Try an easy-to-remove basting stitch to test the fit first. Press the reverse sewing lever for just a moment when you start to secure your stitch. Continue stitching. Use the slowest setting on the machine, since you're working with a small area. Move the jeans from the crotch to the yoke. Remove the pins as you reach them. Fasten off the thread when you reach the yoke.[9]
  12. Finish your new seam. Use fabric scissors to cut any excess from the edges. Give yourself an allowance of at least {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. If you have a serger, secure the seam with that to prevent the denim from fraying. If you don't have a serger, use a zigzag stitch on your sewing machine.[9]
  13. Look for asymmetry and secure the seam. Turn the seamed are right-side out. Make a note of which pocket is farther away from the center seam. Turn the jeans inside-out again. Go in the direction of the pocket that's farther away from the center. Pin it in place, if necessary. Iron the seam in this direction. Remove the pin(s).[9]
  14. Add a second line of stitching. Turn the newly seamed area right-side out again. Feel the inside for the new seam. Place the edge of the seam under the needle of the sewing machine. This should be about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. Start at the area just below the (still separated) waistband. Move toward the crotch. Fasten off the thread.[9]
  15. Pin and finish the waistband. Twist each side of the waistband so that the right sides are facing each other. Pin them on the marks you made to either side of the center. This will be where your new stitch will be. Place the waistband beneath the needle of the sewing machine. Start at the bottom of the waistband. Continue to the top. Remove the pins as you sew.
    • Make sure the pinned area lines up with the center seam. If it doesn't, readjust your pins. If it does, pin the bottom of the waistband to the yoke.[9]
  16. Reattach the belt loop. Line up the top seam on the belt loop with the top seam of the waistband. Pin them together. Do the same with the bottom. Place the top of the belt loop under the needle of the sewing machine. Stitch horizontally across the top. Do the same with the bottom. Remove the pins.[8]

Tightening the Waistband with Hot Water

  1. Boil the waistband. Pour boiling water into a laundry tub, sink, or bucket. Immerse only the waistband into the water using a large wooden spoon. Keep it in the water for 10 to 15 minutes.[4]
  2. Remove the jeans from the hot water. Pull up from the legs or use the wooden spoon. If you're worried about burning your hands, wear rubber gloves.[4]
  3. Dry the jeans. Wring the waistband in a towel. Throw them into the dryer. Use high heat and dry. The waist should shrink temporarily.[4]



Tips

  • Check out Buy Comfortable Skinny Jeans for more tips on buying tight jeans to start with.
  • To make your new seam look worn, lightly bleach the area around the new seam using a paintbrush or a sponge. Use a very diluted bleach solution so that the difference between the bleached part and the rest of the denim is subtle.
  • Ask the dry cleaner for help. The dry cleaner can sometimes help. Starching and stretching several times might help to reduce the waist size.[2]

Warnings

  • Remember, though you can always cut off more denim to sew jeans tighter, you can't put it back; when in doubt, err on the larger side.
  • Be careful when using a sewing needle and scissors.
  • Wearing jeans too tightly can cause health problems, such as cutting off circulation, cutting into your thigh nerves, and causing tingling (tingling thigh syndrome or meralgia paresthetica), numbness and pain.[11] Avoid wearing jeans so tight that you're in pain.

Things You'll Need

  • Loose jeans
  • Tailor's chalk or pencil
  • Sewing machine
  • Serger (optional)
  • Sharp fabric scissors
  • Seam ripper
  • Straight pins or safety pins
  • Iron
  • Washing machine, or tub/bucket/container

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28623-2004Nov5.html
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://www.jeanshub.com/HowToShrinkJeans.aspx
  3. ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28623-2004Nov5.html
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 http://www.marieclaire.com/fashion/news/a18926/jean-fit-tricks/
  5. ↑ http://jeanshub.com/howtomakejeanssmaller.aspx
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekODvGvr6Ew
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekODvGvr6Ew
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 https://www.craftsy.com/blog/2016/04/how-to-alter-jeans/
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaoQLPKwXxA
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkypCuHblAg
  11. ↑ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30870617/
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