Make your jeans look new again by transforming them.
Okay so I love the thrift store. I love that you can get jeans for less than $5, but I don’t always love how basic or out of style they are. So, here is a solution to the thrift store jean problem, distress them yourself at home!
Here are my basic jeans from the thrift store before I flipped them. These are American Eagle jeans so they are great quality. Usually they run for around $50 new, but the best part is I paid like $3!
It is always a good idea to look up a pair of jeans that you like but can’t afford. This is because you can distress them around the same way. Here is a pair that I was going for. These are $98 at Free People, but I am made similar ones myself these for $3.
Here is what you need:
- A pair of jeans
- Scissors
- Chalk
- A ruler
- A piece of cardboard 7.5 inches x 5 inches
- A steak knife
Here is the process:
Step 1: Lay your jeans out flat. Envision them being like the dream pair of jeans you want, but don’t want to spend all your money on.
Step 2: Try them on and mark your spots to cut with chalk. Every body is different so cut them to where you want. In my pair that I mimicked there are a couple of holes near the knees and they are frayed at the bottom. So I marked where my knees for the holes as an outline and I marked a line above my ankles.
Step 3: Take the jeans off and lay them on the floor again. The line of chalk above my ankles is where I will cut with scissors straight across.
Step 4: Cut a piece of cardboard. Using a ruler to measure the piece should be 7.5 inches by 5 inches. This will be used as a barrier between the jeans to cut the knee holes.
Step 5: Using that piece of cardboard slide it into the bottom of the jeans to where you marked your holes.
Step 6: Pinch a little jean fabric together in the inside of your marked perimeter of the hole. Using scissors cut the pinch. The pinch should make a little hole where you can then cut out the rest of the perimeter making a big cut out.
Step 7: After your holes are cut, carefully use a steak knife to fray the edges using the cardboard directly under the hole. This is so you don’t cut anything else. Fray the edges like you’re cutting bread.
Step 8: Fray the bottoms. Carefully with the knife use the blade and run against the edges until you get to your desired amount of fray.
Step 9: After you finish distressing throw them in the wash this makes them look so much better. And you’re done!
So, it’s pretty easy to distress your jeans at home! Just find a photo of a pair that you love and mimic them without paying lots of money.
