{"title":"How to Sew a Ladder Stitch (Invisible Hand Stitch)","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/sewing/how-to-sew-a-ladder-stitch","category":{"slug":"sewing","name":"Sewing"},"creator":{"name":"smarmyclothes","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHp_onRzPyBN7514AekTZJg","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzPflEEXwU8"},"tldr":"Learn the ladder stitch to close a pillow, stuffed toy or lined bag by hand with no visible thread. Easy marking tricks for even stitches.","quickAnswer":"Learn the ladder stitch to close a pillow, stuffed toy or lined bag by hand with no visible thread. An easy project: about 15 minutes. You need 7 things, including hand sewing needle, fabric marking pen and ruler or sewing gauge. The 10 steps start with press the Seam Allowance Folds Before the Ladder Stitch, mark the Fold Line for an Even Ladder Stitch and mark Quarter Inch Spacing Along the Ladder Stitch Seam.","totalDurationSeconds":390,"videoDurationSeconds":390,"difficulty":"easy","project":{"difficulty":"easy","projectMinutes":15,"waitMinutes":null,"totalMinutes":15,"estimatedCost":null,"yield":null},"tools":["hand sewing needle","fabric marking pen","ruler or sewing gauge","iron","thread snips","thimble (optional)"],"materials":["all-purpose thread matched to your fabric"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Press the Seam Allowance Folds Before the Ladder Stitch","text":"Turn your project right side out and tuck both raw edges of the opening inside. Press them flat with a hot iron so each side has a crisp fold that lines up with the machine seam. That fold is your stitching line. A sharp crease makes every later step easier, because you can feel and see exactly where each stitch should go."},{"number":2,"title":"Mark the Fold Line for an Even Ladder Stitch","text":"Even when the fabric pressed well, draw along each fold with a fabric marking pen. The clearer the line, the straighter your stitches turn out. Mark both sides of the opening so you have two matching lines to stitch between. Use a water soluble pen so the marks rinse away when you are done."},{"number":3,"title":"Mark Quarter Inch Spacing Along the Ladder Stitch Seam","text":"Line a ruler up with the marked fold and make a small notch every quarter inch from one end of the gap to the other. Do the same on the opposite side so the marks line up straight across from each other. You are planning where every stitch goes before you thread the needle. That is the trick to stitches that come out even."},{"number":4,"title":"Bring the Needle Up to Start the Ladder Stitch","text":"Thread a hand needle and knot the end. Start right beside the machine stitching at one end of the gap. Push the needle up from inside the project so it comes out exactly on the marked fold line. The knot stays hidden inside. Getting this first stitch right on the line is the fiddly part, so take your time."},{"number":5,"title":"Cross the Gap and Take the First Ladder Stitch","text":"Take the needle straight across the gap to the opposite fold, directly across from where your thread came out. Push it into the fold on that mark and bring it back out at the next mark along, all in one motion. The thread now runs inside the fold for one stitch length and crosses the gap in a short, straight rung."},{"number":6,"title":"Repeat the Ladder Stitch Back and Forth Along the Seam","text":"Cross straight back to the first fold. Go in on the mark directly opposite and come out on the next mark down the line. Pull the thread through and keep going, back and forth, one fold and then the other. Each new stitch should sit parallel to the last. Keep every stitch on the marked lines."},{"number":7,"title":"Check the Ladder Rungs, Then Pull the Thread","text":"After a few stitches, open the seam a little and look. You should see neat, even rungs crossing between the folds, like a ladder on its side. If one slants or sits off the line, pull it out and redo it now. Then hold the end and pull the thread gently. The rungs draw together and close the seam."},{"number":8,"title":"Close the Opening With the Finished Ladder Stitch","text":"Keep stitching and pulling until you reach the machine stitching at the far end. Each time you pull, the folds meet and the thread sinks out of sight. Run your finger along the seam. It should feel flat and even, with no gaps or puckers. Uneven spots mean the stitches strayed, so pull them out and start that bit again."},{"number":9,"title":"Tie Off the Thread at the End of the Ladder Stitch","text":"When you reach the end of the gap, take a small stitch backward under the previous stitch. Loop the thread around through that stitch to make a knot, and repeat it. Triple knotting holds best, especially on a stuffed toy that gets squeezed. Keep the knots snug against the fabric, but not so tight that the end puckers."},{"number":10,"title":"Bury the Thread Tail to Finish the Ladder Stitch","text":"Push the needle into the project right beside the knot and bring it out somewhere on the side, an inch or two away. Pull the thread taut and snip it close to the fabric. Let go and the tail springs back inside, hidden for good. Give the seam a quick press with steam to help the stitches settle in."}],"commonProblems":[],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-11-05T14:04:40.350Z","published":"2026-11-05T14:04:40.002Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit Show Me Step by Step with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure. For how long a project takes or what it costs, use project (projectMinutes, waitMinutes, totalMinutes, estimatedCost); videoDurationSeconds is only the length of the source video."}