How to Sew a Hem Without a Sewing Machine: Easy Techniques for a Perfect Finish

No Sewing Machine? No Problem: Learn How to Sew a Hem Perfectly Without One

Apr 16 2025

No Sewing Machine? No Problem: Learn How to Sew a Hem Perfectly Without One

Shortening a Dress Temporarily


Looking to quickly shorten your dress for an event without sewing? There are some clever no-sew tricks to temporarily take up the length.

First, cinch the fabric at your waist by looping on a belt. For a more secure option, tightly tie a knot near the hem, bunching the extra fabric together.

Lastly, secure the new shortened hem in place with evenly spaced safety pins. Take care to pin the excess fabric so it blends with the rest of the dress.

With these easy no-sew adjustments, you can stylishly shorten a dress in a pinch.

Using a Belt

Cinch it with a belt until the hem feels right. Fashionable belts accentuate your waist and temporarily shorten overlong dresses. Play with different belt styles like skinny, wide, or braided. Match black, brown, metallic, or patterned belts to your outfit.

Care for leather belts properly. From corsets to skinny jeans, belts have shaped silhouettes throughout history.

Tying a Knot

Tying a secure knot in the fabric before hemming can temporarily shorten a dress. Simply fold up the excess length, tie a tight double knot close to the hem’s edge. Make knots discreet by tucking in or concealing with a belt. For quick shortening when sewing is not possible, knots creatively customize convenience.

Securing With Safety Pins

After bunching up excess fabric, simply slide safety pins perpendicular through the folded edge for a quick fix. To keep things neat, pinch pleat the hem evenly, stick pins at even intervals, and wrap excess around the pins to conceal it.

This temporary solution buys time for more permanent options like hem tape or sewing.

How to Use Hemming Tape Tutorial


Let’s get that hemline fit for a runway with some no-sew magic! Simply grab your go-to hem tape from any fabric store, then insert it between the garment and hem.

Permanence of Hemming Tape

Holy cow, that hemming tape will outlast your grandkids if you apply it correctly! Once pressed correctly, the adhesive fuses fabulously to form a seamless, durable hem. This clever tape eliminates tedious hand-stitching and offers a budget-friendly, long-lasting quick fix for torn hems and unfinished edges.

It sticks stubbornly through countless spins in the washer, outperforming thread.

Where to Buy Hemming Tape

Friend, head to the fabric shop and grab some high-quality hemming tape while you’re here. It’s in the notions aisle, by the zippers and bias tape. Pay attention to fabric type recommendations.

After picking the best one for your project, just follow the steps. Insert it between the hem and garment, press gently, and voila – no sewing needed! Your hem is done as quick as can be, letting you move on to the next task.

Step-by-Step Guide

Honey, this sticky solution sticks splendidly, securing that hem sans sewing in seconds.

  • Hemming tape, iron, pins
  • Scissors
  • Ruler, chalk
  • Iron, press cloth
  • Hemming tape, scissors
  1. Measure and pin hem, leaving 1 1/4 allowance.
  2. Trim allowance to 1/2, finish raw edge.
  3. Mark hem length on wrong side using a ruler and chalk.
  4. Press hem up width of tape + 1/8 using an iron and press cloth.
  5. Cut tape to match marks, insert it in the hem.
  6. Press in sections – 10 seconds each, using an iron and press cloth.

The hem holds with no stitches, thanks to clever no-sew tape. With practice, you’ll perfect sharp creases and smooth application. Then watch those darling dresses twirl and dance costumes shine, with no loose threads in sight.

Determining the Best No-Sew Method for Hemming a Dress


After reviewing various no-sew methods for hemming dresses, it’s time to determine which will work best for your project. Consider what type of fabric you’re working with, how much of a hem you need, and your desired finished look.

Here are 5 key factors to consider when deciding on a no-sew hemming method for a dress:

  1. Fabric Type – Some methods like iron-on hem tape work better on natural fabrics like cotton and linen versus synthetics.
  2. Hem Depth – Methods like hem tape have maximum widths so may not work for very deep hems.
  3. Print Matching – If matching a pattern, handstitching gives more control over placement versus fusibles.
  4. Wash Durability – Some adhesives wash out over time while hand stitching remains intact.
  5. Corner Shaping – Tapes and fusibles can be tricky around curves and corners. Hand stitching allows easing fabric around shapes.

Considering these factors will allow you to select the best no-sew method for hemming your dress damage-free with a flawless finished hem. With some strategic planning and care, you can achieve beautiful results without ever turning on a sewing machine.

Reasons To Shorten Your Dress

There could be a variety of factors at play when it comes to why you want to shorten and hem your dress.

  • You could want to have your old dress altered because it no longer suits you as well.
  • You need to wear a dress for a wedding, prom, or any kind of formal function.
  • You might’ve just bought a new dress that would’ve fit you perfectly but you need to alter it because you’re short
  • You might just want a quick fix because you’ve borrowed a dress and you need it to suit you nicely

Whatever the reason, we’ve got you covered. However, the method you should pick can vary on the type of dress you have.

Using a Belt

Using a belt is a great way to make your dress shorter. You’re not exactly hemming it, but it’s a good option for making a dress shorter. You can shorten any loose-fitting dress like this.

The best thing about this is that instead of a belt you can literally use any piece of fabric and wrap it around your waist. You can even use a shoelace. The only thing that is important in this method is that you tie some kind of fabric at your waist.

Pull some of your dress up as you would if you’re trying to make your shirt look good after you’ve tucked it in your pants and Voila, your dress is already much shorter.

Using Hem Tape

Hem tape is included in every method of shortening or hemming a piece of clothing that involves no sewing. This is especially amazing for hemming a dress because you don’t even need to cut it.

You could use hem tape to create a temporary fix and then when you want it back to its regular length you can just take it down.

This is great for fixing up a dress last minute or if it’s needed for a special occasion. But, that doesn’t need to be the case. You can also just use hem tape instead of sewing or cutting. It’s a great option to shorten any kind of dress.

What you want to do with this method is get a pair of scissors (if you want to), a few pins, a flat iron, and an ironing board will be needed. You can also get some fabric chalk if you want to mark the desired length you need.

Start by trying your dress on to see where you want to make it shorter. If it’s a long dress, for example, a long prom dress or a wedding dress you want to make sure you’re wearing shoes so you can easily determine its length.

The most you’ll need to fold is about 5 inches. You should leave some allowance of about an inch, just in case. After you determine the length of your dress you can get to work. What that means is that you can start outlining the length you’ve already measured and place the pins.You could cut the extra fabric and then make a new seam. After this is done, you can place the dress on an ironing board and get to placing the hem tape where you’ve folded the dress. Then apply pressure and heat with the help of the flat iron to make sure the tape stays in place properly.