Thursday, May 7, 2015

DIY: Distressed Jeans

Do you love the look of distressed jeans, but find it painful to cough up $250+ for the right pair?  It is easier than you think to create the look yourself.  Most of us have a pair of jeans in our closet that are just sitting there.  We don't part with them, but we don't wear them because they are boring or dated.  A little distressing can take an old pair of jeans and make them new again.  And yes, I get the irony in that statement.  Below is my step-by-step process, and it is so easy!




Above are the tools of the trade.
1. Razor blade
2. Very rough sand paper
3. Water-erasable pen (can be purchase at any fabric/crafting store)
4. A block of wood


Step one - Put on the jeans, and with your knees bent, mark the top and bottom of the area you want to distress.
Step two - Once you take the jeans off, put the block of wood inside the jeans and under the area you plan to distress.
Step three - Use the sand paper and/or razor blade to distress the area.  Keep in mind, this will take a little elbow grease!  The sand paper will create a look with the white threads going through the distressing, while the razor blade will make a clean cut.   If you choose to make any cuts with the razor blade, go back over them with the sand paper to fray the edges.
Step four - Wash the jeans, and repeat the process in any area needed.  You will also want to trim some of the white threads after washing.


I've had this pair of Rag & Bone jeans for a while, but I never seemed to wear them.  One night, while catching up on Empire, I gave distressing a try, and now I love them!  I did a combination of sand paper and cuts with the razor blade.  I also chose to cut the hems to crop these jeans just a little.  Then I used the sand paper to fray the edges.  I also added some distressing on the thighs and on areas that wear naturally (i.e. the edges of the pockets).


The finished product!



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6 comments:

  1. Such a great DIY!! I have to say why spend $100s on jeans that are already ripped when you can do it yourself on the cheap! xo, Biana-BlovedBoston

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    1. I got a wild hair one night and decided to give it a try. It was so easy to do, and I love how they turned out!
      Cheers, Emily

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  2. Found you through another blog. What a great idea to make distressed jeans without having to pay a fortune!

    Liz → {sundays with sophie}

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    1. I'm not exactly "crafty" except when it comes to my clothes. I love to remake, embellish, distress, etc. to make something old new again! Thanks for stopping by! Cheers, Emily

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  3. Wow! These came out great, such an awesome DIY!!

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    1. I was pretty pleased with how they turned out! Thanks for stopping by! Emily

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