How to Do Something Your Don Know: How to Fix a Hole in a Shirt

Discovering a hole in your shirt can be frustrating. Fortunately, you don’t have to get rid of your shirt because of a minor hole. You can fix the hole in your shirt at home using a patch or a needle and thread. By using thread or fabric that matches the color of your shirt, no one will be able to tell that your shirt had a hole in it.

EditSteps

EditPatching the Hole

Find fabric that matches your shirt. If your shirt is a solid color, look for fabric in that color. If your shirt has a busy print, look for fabric that will blend in with the print. If you have to choose between a darker and lighter shade fabric, go with the darker shade. It will be less noticeable on your shirt.^[1]
- You can get fabric at your local fabric store, or you can use fabric from an old garment you don’t wear anymore.
- Make sure the texture and weight of the fabric you use are similar to the fabric your shirt is made out of.
Cut out a patch of the fabric that’s slightly larger than the hole. Try to make the patch around greater in diameter than the hole. Measure the hole in your shirt with a ruler so you know how big of a patch to cut out. Draw the outline of the patch on the fabric in pencil and cut it out with scissors.^[2]
Cut out a piece of fusible bonding web that’s the same size as the patch. Fusible bonding web is a thin, transparent adhesive sheet that will help the patch of fabric stick to the inside of your shirt. Place the patch of fabric you cut out over a sheet of fusible bonding web and trace trace the patch onto the bonding web with pencil. Remove the patch of fabric and use scissors to cut out the shape you traced.^[3]
- You can find fusible bonding web online or at your local fabric store.
Make a cut out the size of the hole in the center of the bonding web. Place the bonding web over the hole so the hole is centered. Trace the outline of the hole with a pen or pencil. Then use scissors to cut out the outline. There should still be at least of bonding web on each side of the hole.^[4]
Turn your shirt inside out and place the fabric and bonding web over the hole. The bonding web should be in between the hole and the patch of fabric. Make sure the cut out you made in the bonding web is lined up over the hole in your shirt. The side of the fabric you want to show through on the outside of your shirt should be facing down.^[5]
Iron the patch of fabric and bonding web onto your shirt. Press the iron down onto the patch and bonding web and hold it in place. Don’t iron back and forth or the patch and bonding web could shift. Hold the iron on the patch and bonding web for around 10 seconds. Read the instructions that came with your fusible bonding web for specific timing instructions.^[6]
- After you iron on the patch and bonding web, turn your shirt right side out and the hole should be covered!

EditHand Sewing the Hole

Get thread that matches your shirt. Choose thread that’s the same color as the shirt you want to sew. If you can’t find an exact match, go with a darker thread rather than a lighter one. Use a matte thread and avoid thread that is reflective or shiny. Matte thread will be less noticeable.^[7]
Thread a needle with your chosen thread. Use scissors to cut off a piece of thread from the spool that's about long. Insert one end of the thread through the small hole at the head of the needle. Pull the thread through the hole until the two ends of the thread are the same distance from the needle. Tie the two ends of the thread together in a knot.^[8]
- Try dampening the tip of the thread if you're having trouble getting it through the needle hole.
Start inside your shirt and poke the needle through the fabric above the hole. Poke through the fabric about above the hole. If you’re any closer to the hole, the thread may come out and your stitch could fall apart. Keep pulling the needle up through the fabric until the knot you made at the end of the thread catches on the fabric.^[9]
Bring the needle through the hole and back up through the fabric. This time poke the needle through the fabric directly to the left of where you first poked the needle through. The closer you are to the previous stitch, the more secure the thread holding the hole together will be when you’re finished. Pull the needle up until the knot on the thread catches on the fabric.^[10]
Repeat, this time to the right of where you first poked the needle through. Bring the needle through the hole in your shirt and poke it up through the fabric directly to the right of the first stitch you made. Keep pulling the needle up until the knot on the thread catches on the fabric, just like you did with the first two stitches.^[11]
Continue alternating between the left and right side of the hole. Make your way down and around the perimeter of the hole as you’re making the stitches. As you sew back and forth along the hole, the edges of the hole should get pulled together. Stop sewing once you reach the bottom point of the hole and it’s completely sewn together.^[12]
Bring the needle inside your shirt and tie several knots with the thread. Tie the knots so they’re right up against the fabric on the inside of your shirt. To tie the knots, hold the needle between two fingers. Wrap the part of the thread coming out of your shirt around the needle 3 times. Pull the needle up through the 3 loops and continue pulling until all the thread has been pulled through. Repeat to create more knots.^[13]
Use scissors to cut off the leftover thread at the knot you tied. Turn your shirt right side out and examine the stitched hole. Your shirt is now ready to wear!