Repairing your own clothes is easier than you think. Here's how to get started

We all know that sinking feeling when you find a hole in your favourite jeans.

But what if — with a few simple tools — you could bring it back to life?

To get some advice, we sat down with Renae Coles, an experienced 'mender' who has been repairing her own clothes for over 15 years.

For her, mending is more than repairs, it's also about reducing the impact of fast fashion on the environment.

What is 'mending'?

Renae says 'mending' is an umbrella term that's used to describe clothing repairs — usually done by yourself rather than a professional tailor or dressmaker.

There are lots of different techniques when it comes to mending and it usually depends on the material you're using, whether you want your repair to be noticeable, and how big the damage is.

One popular trend within the online mending community at the moment is 'visible mending'.

"Darning is [a technique] that's very popular in the visible mending community where you actually stitch in a warp thread as if you're making your own woven garment," Renae explains. "It's looks really beautiful [and] you end up with a little woven patch covering that hole."

What if I have no sewing experience?

The great news is you don't need to be an experienced sewer or own an expensive sewing machine to try your hand at mending.

Renae recommends starting off with small repairs like stitching on a button before moving onto bigger tasks like fixing holes and tears.

To get started, here are some helpful tools to have in your kit:

• Cotton thread (this is where you can select a colour for your repair to stand out or blend in).
• A needle (the size and thickness will depend on the material your mending).
• Scrap fabric to use as a patch.
• Embroidery scissors to cut your thread.
• Embroidery hoops to securely hold your fabric in place.

Useful tip: next time you put a load of washing in the machine, keep an eye out for any early signs of wear and tear — if the damage becomes too big it might be unfixable. If that's the case, don't throw it away, save this fabric to use as a patch for a future hole or tear.

Will my clothes fall apart?

With more than a decade of mending experience under her belt, Renae says the trick to making repairs last is finding the right technique for your material.

"I've definitely mended things that have fallen apart again, but that's where I looked up what I could've done differently and talked to people in the online mending communities. I feel like you can never learn enough about the way fabrics work," she says.

"My partner has these jeans that I think is up to mend number four.

Another important tip is to make sure you're using the right fabric, especially when it comes to patch work.

"If you're mending jeans, you need denim and if you're mending a T-shirt, you need T-shirt fabric. You really need to match the fabric and have that right fit," Renae explains.

Mending offers other benefits too

Many of us live fast and busy lives, so taking your clothes to a professional – or buying something new — might be more convenient than fixing it yourself. But what if mending provided you with other benefits beyond repairing a hole?

For Renae, it's become a hobby that helps her slow down.

"It feels so good to be able to take something broken and fix it."

It's also a great way to express your individual style, so if you're someone who loves sustainable fashion, mending is for you.

"People are turning their mends into a kind of bespoke show of their work," Renae says.

"Instead of throwing away a damaged garment, they're actually choosing to fix it and it then becomes a little piece of wearable art."