How to Make DIY Distressed Jeans
In fashion certain things are timeless like a really nice pair of jeans. I can think of nothing more comfortable than an old beloved pair of denim jeans. It just so happens that distressed denim is rather fashionable these days. If you were like me and lacking that old pair of jeans, but long for the look of distressed denim and really didn't want to fork out the cash for a pair of ripped pants, I'm here to help. Distressing a pair of jeans you already own that sit in your closet right now is easy and free!To make a pair of distressed jeans you will need the following supplies:
- Sharp knife. A butcher, steak, or serrated bread knife or a disposable razor all work great.
- Cheese grater
- Cutting board
- Plastic bendable cutting board or a wooden block.
- Sandpaper (optional)
- Q-tips (optional)
- Bleach (optional)
Directions:1.Lay your jeans flat on your cutting board. This will be your work area. It's not necessary but it helps prevent damaging tables and such.
2.Decide which are you want to distress. Knees, hips, legs, pockets, all work great. You want to think about the areas that would normally get a lot of wear and tear. 3.Fold the plastic cutting board into a circular shape and place it inside the jeans. You can also use the wooden block here.
4.Rub your knife, razor blade, or cheese grater either vertically or horizontally on the area of denim that you would like to distress. Rub gently for mild look or rub longer and harder to create a well worn look and holes. If you're using a razor blade take care to not let the blades get clogged with fabric, blowing on the blades usually does the trick for me. DO NOT cut holes with scissors. It's always tempting to keep distressing. Remember you can always go back and and more but you can't take away, and unless you're going for the completely shredded look, keep that in mind.
5.Gently rub the area with your knife or cheese grater to fray the edges slight. Sand paper also works great. Areas to consider, knees, pockets, hem, front of zipper... 6.If you'd like you can take a Q-tip and dip it in a little bleach and gently pat it on the frayed areas. See above picture. Use sparingly, as you can always do this step over.7. Wash your jeans. I also added a little bleach to the wash and let them soak in the solution to fade them a little as they were darker jeans.Here is the end result of the pair of jeans I distressed.