Mending Clothes: Creative Ways to Sew a Hole, Mend a Seam, and Beyond

We've all had that "Oh-no!" moment when we notice that our favorite shirt has developed a hole or a ripped seam. Next time it happens to you, don't worry. A little snag doesn't mean you need to ditch your go-to button-down just yet.

Regular mending is tried-and-true, but "visible mending" is another approach, in which the craftwork of the repair becomes part of the aesthetic. The following creative sewing ideas will let you breathe new life into worn clothes, and give them a unique new look as well.

01 of 07

Gather Your Sewing Supplies

sewing supplies to mend clothes — Ryan Liebe

All you need to mend woven or knitted fabrics is an embroidery hoop or mushroom darner, as well as yarn or thread.

02 of 07

Highlight Holes

woman wearing a mended sweater — Ryan Liebe

The most skillful darning (otherwise known as knitwear repair) used to be the invisible kind. Today, displaying your handiwork and expressing yourself is more in style. As part of an installation for the British clothing brand Toast, artist Celia Pym restored this plum sweater with pink thread, rather than monochromatic.

03 of 07

Pops of Color

a mended sweater vest with pink thread — Ryan Liebe

To make your own statement, choose yarn that complements your garment, like Pym's fuchsia. Or opt for a contrasting color, as demonstrated by this vest that Silke touched up here. Just make sure it's of a similar thickness and material, so the end result will feel evenly fuzzy or smooth.

04 of 07

Give Tears Flair

a woman wearing a mended denim dress — Ryan Liebe

When a thick woven fabric like cotton twill or denim splits or wears through, stitches alone aren't the solution—it's a job for a patch. Sew a rectangle of fabric onto the inside of a garment, as British professional textile repairer Molly Martin did on the back of this denim dress, and let the tidy stripes of thread get the attention.

05 of 07

Save a Shirt

woman wearing a mended denim shirt — Ryan Liebe

When your trustiest button-down starts to fray, revive it colorfully. To fix the rip in a pocket, former Martha Stewart Living contributing editor Silke Stoddard secured an interior patch with bright rows of running stitches. She refortified a buttonhole by patching the placket and covering the hole's edges with closely placed blanket stitches.

06 of 07

Patch Up a Throw Blanket

a mended blanket draped over a chair — Ryan Liebe

Or add pops of color, like Martin did to this heavy linen blanket, by affixing patches to the outside.

07 of 07

Regenerate Your Jeans

Favorite pairs of jeans always give out in the same spots: the knees and inner thighs. To turn damage into decoration, American textile artist Katrina Rodabaugh punched these up with interior patches and visible running stitches. For the smaller holes, she did horizontal and vertical rows. Up top, this mohair sweater's thinned elbows and forearms were darned by Pym.

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