How to Cut Knee Holes in Jeans

Last Updated: December 13, 2022

Holes happen naturally happen in jeans. While they may make other types of pants appear ruined, many people see them as fashionable when it comes to jeans. You can always buy a brand-new pair of pre-torn jeans from the store, but you can save lots of money by making the holes yourself. It takes a little more than just slicing the knees open with a knife, however; knowing where to place the holes and how to fray them can make a huge difference.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Cutting a Simple Slit

1
Put the jeans on and mark the knees where you want the holes. Find a pair of jeans that fit you well, then put them on. Draw a horizontal line across your knee with a pen or a piece. You can do this on just 1 knee, or you can do it on both knees.
- You can create more than 1 slit on each knee.
- For best results, choose fitted or skinny jeans that are already faded in the knee area.
2
Take the jeans off and tuck a piece of cardboard into the leg. Make sure that you slide the cardboard all the way down into the knee. This will prevent the craft blade from cutting through the back layer of fabric.^{[1]
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- Skip the cardboard if you do not have a craft blade.
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3
Cut across the drawn line, stopping 1 inch (2.5 cm) between the seams. Do not cut all the way from seam-to-seam. The jeans will rip further on their own and give your hole a more authentic appearance.^{[2]
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- You can leave more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) between the edges of the slit and the seams.
- If you do not have a craft blade, use a pair of fabric scissors to cut the slit instead.^{[3]
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4
Fray the edges with sandpaper or a nail file, if desired. Keep the cardboard inside the pant leg. Run a nail file or a piece of sandpaper back-and-forth across the raw, cut edges. You can also run the nail file or sandpaper over the cut edge and into the hole.^{[4]
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- How much you do this depends on what sort of effect you want. The longer you file or sand the fabric, the more it will fray.
5
Remove the cardboard. At this point, your hole is done. You can repeat the process to make another hole on the other pant leg. It can be the same size, or it can be a little smaller/larger.
6
Wash the jeans if you want to distress them further. Keep in mind that the hole will fray on its own as you wash and wear the jeans. If you don't want to wait, however, machine wash and dry the jeans. This will fray the raw edges and give them a softer, more natural look.^{[5]
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- Check the how-to-wash tag on your jeans to find out what temperature and cycle setting you should use. Most jeans will require cold water.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making a Square Hole

1
Put on a pair of jeans that fit you well. You can use any cut of jeans you want, but skinny or fitted jeans will look better. If you want the hole to look more authentic, choose a pair of jeans that are already old and faded in the knee area.
2
Create 2 horizontal and parallel marks over your knees. The lines can be whatever length you want them to be, but they need to be equal. How far apart you make the marks depends on how big you want the hole to be. The further apart you make the marks, the bigger the hole will be.^{[6]
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- Use chalk for dark fabrics and a pen for light.
- Leave about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space between the edges of the lines and the seams on your jeans.
3
Take the jeans off and tuck a piece of cardboard inside, if needed. Spread the jeans out on a flat surface, then tuck a sheet of cardboard into the pant leg, just behind the knee. This will keep the blade from cutting through to the back of the jeans.
- You do not need the cardboard if you'll be cutting the jeans with scissors.
4
Cut across the marks leaving a strip of fabric between them. You can cut the marks with scissors or with a craft blade. Once again, be careful not to cut through the side seams. If you inserted a piece of cardboard into the pant leg, remove it when you are done.
- You are only cutting 2 parallel, horizontal slits. You are not actually cutting a square hole.
5
Pull the blue threads out from between the slits. After you cut along the lines, you'll be left with a scrap of fabric between the slits. Use a pair of tweezers to grab the blue threads and pull them out. When you are done, you'll have a bunch of white threads between the 2 slits.^{[7]
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- Do not pull the threads out above and below the slits.
- Do not pull the horizontal white threads out. This will elongate the hole. Let the threads break on their own.
6
Wash the jeans if you want to speed up the distressing process. The threads will break and fray on their own the more you wear the jeans. If you want to see the wear and tear happen sooner, however, toss the jeans into the washer, then dry them in the dryer.^{[8]
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- Check the care tag on your jeans to find out what temperature and cycle you should use. Most jeans should be washed in cold water, however.

Expert Q&A

Question

How ripped should jeans be?

Stephanie Fajardo
Professional Stylist
Stephanie Fajardo is a Personal Stylist based in Portland, Oregon. Stephanie has over 17 years of styling experience in personal consulting, television, photography, and film shoots. Her work has been featured in Esquire Magazine and Portland Fashion Week.

Stephanie Fajardo

Professional Stylist

Expert Answer

Start with a small hole. If you want to cut a hole in your jeans, start small, then wash the jeans in your washer. That way, you can see how they're going to fray, and you can make the hole bigger if you need to.