Stop Financing your Tailors' Vacation Home: Save Money With DIY Clothing Alterations

I won’t even pretend that I’m a Domestic Diva but out of necessity I’ve learned how to do some basic at home repairs and alterations. It was either that or go out with clothes held together with staples and scotch tape. I learned how to sew (badly) from my mom who sews (badly). She used to dress my sister and me in matching homemade shapeless shifts that were one piece over the head, no buttons or zippers, and adorned with a single crooked pocket. How festive! But I did learn a few VERY EASY things like taking in seams, putting in or letting out cuffs, hems or sleeves, and tailoring with a few darts.

For easy DIY alterations, invest in a Sewing Machine for about $100 so if you are sewing sober, you can get a straight stitch. Also buy scissors, pins, thread in basic colors and most importantly a Seam Ripper. With that you can re-hem pants by ripping seams, pinning them to the desired length and then stitch them up. An extra step of ironing the hem first makes it easier to sew. Same thing for sleeves. If you want an invisible hem that doesn’t show the stitch, get a product called Stitch Witchery at the fabric store. It’s basically a kind of cloth glue that you put between the fabrics you’re binding and then iron it. The heat melts it and sticks the pieces together and won’t wash or dry-clean out.

To get a better fit run a dart or seam in the waist pants and the sides and back of shirts or jackets. Each one of these at home projects will take about half and hour and save you $10 to $15 a garment. So take a minute to take it up and then take yourself out.