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Forget the tailor: We've got an easy way to fix up your denim and other favorite styles right at home.

Sometimes, you have no choice but to buy pants that are too long. And while you can always take your pants to the tailor and let them do the work for you, it's quite simple — and much more affordable — to hem your own pants right at home.

We turned to expert sewer Amanda Perna, Project Runway alum and fashion designer behind The House of Perna, to give us a step-by-step tutorial of how to hem pants with a sewing machine. Different fabrics and pant styles call for different hems, so Amanda went with the topstitch hem, which is better suited for denim, thick fabrics or anytime you don't mind seeing the stitching marks.

No matter if you're a total beginner or occasional sewer in need of hemming how-to, follow Amanda's tutorial to ensure a proper fit. And while you're at it, brush up on your other skills by checking out Amanda's how-to guides on threading a needle and sewing a button by hand.