If your kids are constantly wearing the knees out of their pants or jeans, you are going to love this easy to follow tutorial. This patching technique is useful for all trousers, big or small, but especially small.
You will need:
The Jeans or pants you need to patch
Fabric for the patches – I used a piece of denim from an old pair of Mr Man’s jean
Sewing machine
Seam ripper/un-picker
Thread, Scissors, Pins
1. Iron the jeans (these don’t have holes but they are very thin in the knees).
2. Cut out two matching patches, they can be any shape you like.
3. Lay them over the knees to check size and position.
4. (optional) You may like to machine stitch a criss cross pattern on the patches to add interest.
5. Now this the secret trick to make everything a whole lot easier, even on the smallest of garments. You need to unpick the side seam of the leg. On jeans choose the seam that isn’t double stitched. Unpick as far as you can without unpicking cuff. This means you can open the leg out flat to comfortably use the sewing machine.
6. Pin patches into place.
7 & 8. Now with a thread that matches the colour of the patch use a wide zig zag stitch (satin stitch) to sew the patch onto the leg.
9. Turn jeans inside out and resew the seam that you previously unpicked. Zig Zag or serge raw edge if desired.
10. All done! Check out how groovy these old jeans look.
Don’t limit yourself to making patches solely out of denim, why not try patches in prints or fun shapes like a heart or star?
Thank you to Heidi, a fabulous facebook Liker who requested this tutorial on the My Poppet fan page:
‘Cintia, I have a request. My little boys jeans ALWAYS end up with holes in the knees…..I’d love to patch them up but know they wouldn’t end up looking the way I wanted them too. Seeing as you are a jeanious (ha!) I was hoping maybe you could do a tutorial on it?!
I’d love you forever….‘
I’m glad I could help Heidi out.
If you have any tutorial requests, feel free to leave a comment here or over on the facebook page and I’ll see what I can do 
Unpick the leg seam……such a logical solution! Yay, thanks heaps – I now have a plan for the day…three pairs of a very “active” toddlers jeans to knee patch!
My little boy is just the same – I think he has a hole in almost every pair of pants he owns!! It just didn't/doesn't happen with my girls!
Love this I never thought to unpick the seam I have a patch I need to redo now to be able to sew it on better.
Erin
THANK YOU! My patches never look as GOOD as yours so I checked out your tut … now I know a way to make 'em better! I save ALL old jeans here in our family of 6… they all become useful at one time or another! I make tonnes of things from them! LOL PS- Have 17 and 16 year olds, but am still patching jeans: for my 9 and 11 year old sons! LOL. Those jeans become ones for the barn (ie: @ Pony Club nite, riding lessons) or Saturdays at home. Thanks so much for the tut! ~ Ali Here is a Blog post I did awhile back while a DT Member at Savvy 'n Sassy….with an “old-jeans” creation on it! Enjoy…http://snsribbon.wordpress.com/2010/05/15/how-to-make-scruffy-posies/
YIPPEEE! SO logical….you rule Cintia!
I have 6 and 8 year old girls who seem to be wearing out EVERY pair of pants they own, and I have no clue how it happens?! Thanks for the tips – I've got a lot of sewing to do this week, but it will be a little easier now.
Thank you I was desesperated of how to sew a patch on my son’s jeans ! I never tough of unpicking the side seam !
Glad I could help.