DIY patches for children's pants

Decorative, aesthetically pleasing, practical and affordable super mom rescue for holes on the knees

Maybe you know it too: the crawling knees tear through all the pants... At least that's the case with us and some pants don't last two days. But it's a shame to throw out all pants with holes because of this and it's also a bit out of touch with reality - after all, it's hardly possible to buy or sew a new pair of pants every week.

What can you do as a super mom with perforated knees and save money at the same time? Simply patch them up with some jersey fabric - and the pants will withstand more washes and crawling again. Simple, practical, economical. Almost all of our home-sewn jersey pants now have patches on the knees, which makes them more robust thanks to the multiple layers of fabric and I think colored patches are also a pretty decoration. The patches are also a nice way to use fabric remnants.

I have to admit that mending is not one of my favorite things to do on the sewing machine and I tend to put off these unpopular repairs in favor of sewing something new because it's more fun. However, mending is very easy and quick to do. And it pays off to do it straight away! I have realized how incredibly satisfying it is to quickly mend a pair of trousers that are completely full of holes at the knees (which were still in one piece when I put them on in the morning...) in the evening after the child has fallen asleep, so that they are ready to wear again on the changing table in the morning. It actually took me no longer than 7 minutes in total - I was impressed myself and, as I said, extremely satisfied.

Depending on the model of the trousers, I have opted for patches in the same fabric as the trousers, so they are hardly noticeable, but make the trousers look like new again. You can see step-by-step instructions in the following pictures. It's very simple, even if you have little or no previous sewing experience.

You need the following to patch the pants:

• Jersey fabric (identical or color-coordinated with the pants)

• fusible interfacing, double-sided for ironing on

• Thread in a matching color

• iron

1. Iron the fusible web from the back onto the jersey fabric that is to become the patch. It is advisable to place an old cloth underneath to protect the ironing board in case some of the fusible web sticks out at the edges.

2. If you wish, draw the desired shape of your patch on the fusible web with a pencil or cut out the shape freehand. If you want to patch two holes (on both knees, for example), it is best to use the first patch as a template for the second so that the two are symmetrical.

3. Now carefully remove the protective paper from the fusible web and place the patch with the adhesive side on the trousers so that it covers the hole.

4. Iron the patch on with an iron.

5. To ensure that the patch holds well and survives washing, sew it in place once all the way round using a straight or zigzag stitch. Threading under the presser foot may be a bit of a challenge, as the back of the pants must not be sewn down. However, I have found that even with small baby pants it is quite possible to place them under the presser foot. Depending on the size and shape of the patch and depending on the sewing machine, you can also use the handwheel if you are otherwise worried about not being able to control and control the sewing speed sufficiently. For square or simply round patches, it may also work well without the handwheel. If you don't have a sewing machine to hand, you can of course also fix the patch by hand.

6. Your trousers are like new again! Even better: they are more robust than ever before and ready for new adventures!

I have used colored patches on some pants, which also do a great job of closing holes and also add colorful or contrasting accents to enhance some items of clothing.

The same works perfectly with tights as you can see in these pictures.

Tip: If you have a broken pair of jeans at home, you can also iron the patch onto the hole from the back. This will leave the "fashionable used effect", but the holes won't get visibly bigger and the pants will be usable again - even for toddlers. Whether or not you sew the patch all the way around is up to you, perhaps depending on how well the fusible web adheres to the denim... You can see the (invisible) result in the next picture:

In this way, you can give children's clothes a longer life. It would also be a shame to have to discard some of your favorite pieces prematurely!

If you find this post useful and like it, please share it with anyone who might also find it inspiring and tell me about your patchwork experiences. You'll soon find more sewing projects for children on my blog...

Good luck with your hole patching! A hug and see you soon!