Make do and mend: tips for repairing clothes

Clothes can be expensive, so when yours get a little ragged or worn don't just chuck them out! Here are some crafting tips to rescue your favourite clothes from the bin and give them a new lease of life.

Add patches

If you want to patch a hole, find a similar piece of material to the item you are fixing and cut it into a small, uniform shape. Turn the item of clothing inside out and attach the patch by stitching all the way around the edge. Alternatively, you could make your patch into a feature by using bright, contrasting material or fixing your patch to the outside.

Of course, if you'd just like to add a little embellishment, you can always get your hands on some pretty iron-on patches. Just pop them on with an iron for a newly revamped addition to your wardrobe!

Darn socks

Do your toes poke out of your socks? Is there a pesky hole in the heel? You can fix it using the old-fashioned art of darning! To do this, you will need a darning egg (alternatively a tennis ball, or anything solid and round will do). Put the egg into your sock so the hole is stretched across it.

Next, thread a darning needle (a large, blunt needle) with the correct coloured thread. Make criss-cross stitches all across the hole, then pull the thread tight. This should close up the hole! Now you can tie off the thread and wear your repaired socks with pride.

Fix seams and hems

Sometimes clothes come apart at the seams, making relatively neat holes that are quite easily repaired. Simply turn the item inside out and hold the loose edges of seam together using a pin. Now you can stitch across in a straight line, following the pattern of the rest of the seam.

Mend a broken hem - or take up a long skirt or trousers to the correct length for your body - by folding up the edge of the fabric. Fold it backwards so the rough edge is on the inside, and secure it with pins. Then hand or machine sew all along the hem. Easy!

Repair knitwear

If your favourite jumper's sprung a hole, never fear! You can put your knitting skills to the test to rescue your favourite piece of knitwear. Sometimes a hole appears because a weak thread has stretched out of place, in which case trace along that thread with a stronger one.

For bigger holes, you can use the same darning technique you would use with socks, stitching across the hole and pulling it tight. Or, if you're a bit of a knitter, use a crochet hook to pick up the dropped stitches around the hole, then stitch these threads into something secure, like a nearby seam.

Recycle!

Of course, if you're bored with your tired old clothes you could always do something drastic with them! Those regular old jeans could make a great denim mini skirt (or even a maxi skirt!). That skirt that pinches a little could become a stylish handbag.

These goodies require some sewing skills, but there are loads of detailed tutorials online to show you how to give your old clothing a new purpose in life.

Check out DotComGiftShop's craft department for everything you need to get started with make do and mend!