How To Shorten Jeans Without Sewing

Today I'm sharing a super quick fashion tip.

How to make jeans shorter when you don't know have a sewing machine or don't know how to sew. It's an easy fix and it works well on wide leg jeans that are too long.


I know, I know, you're probably thinking but Kim, you do know how to sew.

And you're right.

I do.

However, when my daughter woke me up at 6:00 am and needed to catch a train by seven. There was no time to sew.

Which is kind of the same thing.

She was on her way to a Yankee game in a brand new pair of jeans.

And you guessed it. Her jeans were too long.

She'd tried them on in the store with heels and they were perfect, but once she got them home and was confronted with the fact that she'd mainly be wearing them with flats, it became very clear that the length was all wrong.

To her, they were a fashion faux pas.

To me, they were a hazard.

I tried to convince her to wear other pants, but since she was set on this pair, I hauled myself out of bed to alter them.

There was just no way she could hop on and off trains and subways and climb up and down stadium steps without tripping on all that excess fabric.

Clearly, it had to go.


The process was a quick one.

And when I was done, I had enough denim fabric leftover for creative upcycles.

In the past I've made:

A Denim Tote Bag
A Denim Cup Cozy
And A Denim Ring

I haven't decided what to do with these wide legged scraps yet, but I'm sure something with come to me.

How To Shorten Jeans With Scissors

It's a quick and easy way to make the length of your long jeans shorter without a needle and thread. Anyone can do it, I promise.

1. Determine Your Length

For this step, I had to get down on the floor (in my pjs mind you) to determine the proper length.

This should've been the easiest step, but when mom is the seamstress and her daughter is the client, nothing is easy.

She wanted her pants to drag on the floor.

And I wanted her to be safe.

Eventually we settled on a compromise and moved on to step two.

2. Fold and Pin

Easy enough, right?

I only pinned the back edge, using just one pin I had tucked up inside one of my fabric covered glass cabinets.

See. More no sew tricks. Trust me, sewing is not my favorite task, so I look for the easy way out whenever I can.

Keep in mind, I didn't need to pin all the way around.

3. Mark The Pants

This is the most important step, marking the pants. It's essentially the pattern, so it needs a bit of attention.

If you mark the pants incorrectly you'll cut incorrectly.

Too long, no big deal, you just go back and do it again. But if you cut them too short? Well then. You end up with shorts.

Remember the old saying, measure twice, cut once. It applies to carpentry and fashion alterations.

I took the jeans and laid them out on my table.

Then I used a yardstick and drew a very straight and even line across the bottom of the leg on the pin line.

I did double check, by measuring from the bottom of the pant leg to the line in three spots, to make sure that my line was straight.

4. Cut The Denim

This part was pretty basic.

Except I lied just a little in the previous step. I did cut twice. On purpose.

My client was very fond of her new jeans and I didn't want to slip up. After all, it was early and my eyes aren't as sharp as they used to be.

So, I took a really good pair of sewing scissors and I cut just below the line.

Once she tried them on and we knew they were good, I trimmed that last bit off.

5. Cut The Second Pant Leg

When the first leg had been cut to the proper length, I laid it on top of the other leg, drew a pencil line where the shorter leg ended and cut again.


The last step in this process was purely aesthetic.

Since there was no longer a finished hem on the jeans, we decided to fray them. 

I ran a razor back and forth along the edge of the jeans and it loosened some of the threads enough to give the pants an intentionally frayed look.


It was just a tiny bit of fray, since we were in a rush, but it was enough to get the process started.

With the threads loosened up, they will continue to fray more with wear...and washing.

Of course, too much fraying could be a potential tripping hazard, as well, but that's a problem for another day.

The most important task, the hemming or shortening of the jeans was complete and just in time to make her train.


The sewing machine stayed tucked away.

No needle and thread required.

And I got to go back to bed.

Now that's fast fashion.


Do you sew?


Happy No- Sewing Friends!!