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You pull out your favourite knit, jacket or sweatshirt and spot a small hole staring back at you. Annoying? Yes. End of the road for your clothing? Absolutely not. Embroidery repairs are one of the easiest and most creative ways to give damaged clothes a second life. Not only do they cover up holes and reinforce worn areas, but they can also add a completely unique detail to your clothing. The best part? You don’t need to be an expert embroiderer or own a sewing machine. Just a few simple tools, a bit of patience, and you’re good to go.
What You’ll Need
- Embroidery thread
- A needle (suitable for the thread)
- Small scissors
- Fabric chalk
- Ruler
Step 1: Find the Hole to Embroider
This repair works best on smaller holes and thicker fabrics like sweatshirts, jackets or knitwear.
Start by finding the area you want to repair. Using your fabric chalk and ruler, draw a square around the hole, leaving roughly 1.5cm of space evenly around the damaged area.
This square will become the base of your embroidered patch.
Step 2: Prepare Your Thread
Cut roughly 60cm of embroidery thread and thread your needle, tying a knot at the end.
Next, number each corner of your chalk square from 1-4. This might sound unnecessary, but trust us, it makes the stitching process much easier to follow.
Step 3: Create Your Base
Start by bringing your needle up through hole 1 and back down through hole 2. This creates the first side of your square.
Next:
- Bring your needle back out through hole 3 and into hole 2
- Bring it out through hole 1 and into hole 4
- Then bring it out through hole 3 and into hole 4
You should now have the base structure of your embroidered repair.
Step 4: Start Weaving the Repair
Now the satisfying part begins.
Bring your needle out about a quarter of the way along the line between holes 1 and 2.
Take the thread across the square and push it back in about a quarter of the way from hole 4 on the opposite side.
Repeat this process around the square:
- Come out opposite hole 4 and stitch across towards hole 3
- Come out opposite hole 3 and stitch towards hole 2
- Come out opposite hole 2 and stitch towards hole 1
Once you’ve completed one full round, your embroidery repair will start taking shape.
Step 5: Build Up the Embroidery
Continue repeating the same stitching pattern, each time bringing your needle slightly closer towards the centre of the square.
As the stitches build up, they’ll gradually cover the hole completely while reinforcing the surrounding fabric.
Top tip: To speed things up, thread your needle underneath the corner stitches and bring it out on the other side, rather than fully re-threading every time.
Keep going until your embroidered patch feels full and the hole is completely covered.
Step 6: Secure Your Repair
Once you’re happy with the coverage, bring your needle out between holes 3 and 4 and thread it back in between holes 1 and 2.
Tie a secure knot underneath the stitches and trim away any excess thread.
And you’re done!
Your item now has a reinforced embroidered patch that not only repairs the damage, but gives the piece a completely new lease of life.
Repairs like this are a reminder that clothing doesn’t need to be perfect to still be wearable. Sometimes a visible mend can make a piece feel even more special than before.
Every repair helps keep clothing in circulation for longer, reducing waste, extending the life of what we already own, and moving fashion towards a more circular future.
Want to see the repair in action? Head over to our YouTube for a full step-by-step video tutorial.
And if you’d rather shop pieces that have already been given a little TLC, explore our collection of pre-loved clothing ready for their next chapter.
Got questions about repairs? Drop us an email at hello@reskinned.clothing – we’re always happy to help.