How to save a pair of kids shorts for $2

Money's a bit tight at the moment so I am rather pleased with myself for having saved a pair of Happy One's shorts from certain disintegration for a mere $2. The sad thing about this is that the shorts are hand-downs anyway and I suspect they have already serviced at least two busy little toddlers. But I love them. They're a good quality well-known brand, light-weight, which is perfect for this environment, and they look great. They have an adjustable waist band so they'll fit him for a fair while yet. 

So when the knees went I was a bit disappointed. They looked really cool and I was tempted to leave them but I knew their days would now be numbered so I decided to iron on some patches.

I took myself off to Spotlight. Without the shorts. Not recommended but I was nearby at another shop and thought I'd take the chance to pop in. I was shocked at the price of patches. The cheapest ones were almost $5 each! I picked up a couple of lovely space themed ones. But in the back of my mind I was thinking I could buy a new pair of shorts for that price. Not Pumpkin Patch ones, admittedly, but still. And what if the patches don't fit?

And then as I was on my way to pay I spotted a sales rack that just happened to have some iron-on patches. For $1 each! As the Aussies say, stoked!

Here are the before and after photos:

The smaller patches didn't quite fit but I'm pretty sure they'll hold it all together for a few more months. Time will tell.