To start, cut horizontal strips half an inch apart. You’ll want to start by trying them on and use a piece of chalk to mark any areas you’d like to distress. Rub the hem surface with horizontal strokes and then vertical strokes to damage the weave. Take the jeans off and place them on a flat surface. This will break down the vertical or blue threads in your jeans and give it a naturally worn look. Apply gentle pressure and focus on areas that you wish to fade --the knees, seat and front of the legs typically make the most sense, as do the edges of the pockets and belt loops. Promise. I also tore some of the white threads to make the opening a little messier. This is a popular technique for when you're layering colors, because you can use it to create a “natural” looking worn effect. To lighten the jeans for a distressed and worn look, carefully use bleach to fade the jeans from dark to light blue. Continue rubbing the sandpaper back and forth until the jeans begin to look worn. In no time at all you can sandpaper your jeans into a trendy fashion statement. Marker pens, unless you want to create art. Jeans that achieve this look are available at all the trendy stores but the cost of buying such jeans does not fit into everyone's budget. Because how denim wears is such a part of our love affair with blue jeans, brands purposely fade and age their denim to give it a vintage, worn look. Launder the jeans … Rub sandpaper or a grater over random areas, such as over one ankle, pockets, or down the thigh. You can also use the items to make frayed patches on the jeans. Focus on the areas that will get the most wear, such as hems, cuffs, and knees. In denim, the white threads run horizontally and the blue run vertically. Here’s how to do it: This content is imported from YouTube. 2021 Spring Fashion: Gorgeous Getups and Easy-to-Wear Runway Styles, How to Turn Your Old Jeans Into Cutoff Shorts, FYI, You Need These Life-Changing Jeans RN, 5 Ways to Make Your Butt Look Amazing in Jeans, The Internet's Favorite High-Waisted Jeans, Live Your Best Life with These 20 Types of Jeans. There are a bunch of ways, though, to get that same worn-in look on your own, and the good news is you’ll be saving money while doing it! To soften your jeans, use some sandpaper to gently sand and soften the jean. The key is to have a pair of jeans with the right look. The jeans must be durable and well made, but have the appearance of a pair that is well worn that show no signs of being new. Remember: The coarser the grit (i.e., the rougher the sandpaper), the more it will create holes in your denim, so if you only want to make the fabric more soft, choose one that’s less coarse. Distressing jeans is fun and therapeutic. These are particularly helpful when going over the zipper area, waistband, and pockets. Continue rubbing the sandpaper back and forth until the jeans begin to look worn. Hey guys! Check. For your distressing project, all you need are some items found around the house. Choose one, two, or all the tips at once to distress your jeans just the way you like ’em. Wash the jeans after this process is complete, before wearing them for a more naturally distressed look. Use sandpaper to distress hems, cuffs, knees. Elle holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan. If you've never distressed jeans before, you may want to opt for old jeans you do not mind damaging. The best finish will be achieved by distressing the places on your jeans that would normally show signs of wear. Bobby pins? I prefer the look of jeans that have really been put through the wash a few times. These days someone can turn a pair of blue jeans into formal attire with the right accessories. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. This is my favorite way to distress jeans because the finished look is always so cool. Although she was right that distressed denim can be pricey—maybe even more so than unripped pairs. Elle has been writing for Demand Studios since 2007. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we love. One of the quickest ways to fray denim is with a … If you use sandpaper that’s too course, the distressing won’t look natural. Iron on Some Cute Patches, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Brooke Shunatona is a contributing writer for Cosmopolitan.com. One of the quickest ways to fray denim is with a regular disposable shaving razor or sandpaper. Put on your jeans. You can distress any type of jeans. Or you can skip this step completely if you’re satisfied with the color! You’ve all probs heard it from your mom when you were younger: “Why are you spending money on jeans that are already ripped? Be careful not to over-distress them which will cause a hole to form in the fabric. Use a 220 or higher sand paper when distressing your jeans. Cosmopolitan participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. ... Rub the toothbrush along the hems to make the distressed spots stand out. Decide where you want to distress your jeans. As a matter of how to distress jeans, the third type of … Look in fashion magazines for the best-looking rips and where they are located. For slightly lighter distressing, you can also use the sandpaper to scuff up the jacket without cutting holes. This project is about to peel off all the blue parts … Here's How to Clean Patent Leather @ Home, Your Guide to Shrinking (Almost) Any Shirt, In the DIY Mood? ), so with some time and a lil patience, you can transform any of your old jeans into the tattered, frayed, holey pair you’ve always wanted. Fray the pockets and edges. Wash the distressed jeans … Copyright © 2021 Leaf Group Ltd., all rights reserved. And if you don't want to try it and would rather get a great pair of jeans that are already distressed / destroyed please check out: Distressed / Destroyed Jeans Shopping. Do not forget to wear a protective mask. Be careful not to over-distress them which will cause a hole to form in the fabric. Rub the sandpaper gently over each area you want to distress. This way, you won't accidently tear up the fabric on the other side. Check. Many jeans feel stiff when they are first purchased. To make your jeans look (and feel) more lived-in, rub them down with some sandpaper. If patience isn't your thing, nor is the idea of mass-manufactured holes, we put together an easy step-by-step guide on how to distress your jeans … !” But there’s just something about the look of distressed denim that’s so much cooler and more relaxed than a regular pair, MOM. While using sand paper is a popular way of ripping your jeans and does very well for creating soft, worn areas and subtle frayed spots, there are easier ways that take less time. How to do it at home – You can hand sand/ hand scrub your denim with sand paper to get a similar look. Distress the remainder of your jeans for a rougher look. So distressed/ripped denim jeans are a huge trend right now. Run a sanding block or piece of medium-grit sandpaper along the hem folds to weaken the denim at the marked spots. Start out with a fine-grit sand paper (around 180 grit) and see how you like the results. I'm Cosmopolitan's Associate Fashion Editor and write about any and all trends, major celeb fashion moments, and why wide-leg jeans are basically the best. Shop These Cute Ones Stat, Right This Way for Cool Gender Fluid Brands, 20 of the Best Bra Brands for Bigger Boobs, 25 Best Loafers on the Internet Right Now, 20 Cute Spring Jackets You'll Wanna Throw on, 5 Easy Tricks for Distressing TF Out of Your Jeans. Sandpaper: Take sandpaper, the pumice stone, steel wool, or cheese grater and go over patches of the material until it develops a rough, coarse texture or starts to show small holes. Tuck a piece of cardboard into the garment first. To rip, tear, or add tasteful little holes to your jeans, you can use a wide range of household tools such as … Protect the other side. Use a pencil or chalk to mark where you want the fabric to look distressed, that is, softer and lighter, and the width or length you want. A well worn pair of blue jeans is as comfortable as it is versatile. Purchase a pair of jeans. How To Fray The Hems. Put the jeans on. Scissors? Protect the other side of your jeans by inserting a solid … Washing the jeans will help to make the jeans softer and more flexible which will make them easier to work with. Select the jeans you want to distress. Rub the marked area with rough sandpaper to soften and weaken the jeans. Worry more about the quality of the jeans rather than the appearance of the jeans since you will be distressing the jeans yourself to create the look you want. You can achieve this by washing the jeans for two years straight, or do what I did: Make a mixture of 50-50 water and bleach. Fold the sandpaper to make it easier to hold. Fortunately you can make your own pair with an affordable pair of jeans and a few squares of sandpaper. Rub the wet jeans with medium-grit sandpaper attached to a sandpaper block for easy scrubbing. Wash and dry the jeans. This is best for areas of the jacket that have two sides sewn together, like the bottom, the collar, or the sleeve cuffs. As you continue to sand the fabric, you will notices that the fibres … You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Pull the threads of the slits apart to create natural-looking holes. I let the bleach water set overnight to make them really light (I recommend checking on them every hour or so to make sure your denim isn’t fading too fast for your liking), and then an hour before I washed and dried them, I painted the seams (where jeans tend to hold on to color the most) one last time for an even fade all over. Take the jeans off and wash them before wearing. ... Distress the jeans to your preference … Once you’ve … Cut the rip with a pair of scissors to customize it, or leave it as is. Put on the leather gloves and run your hands over the jeans while wearing them. We'll show you common tools you can use to achieve different looks for wrecking your denim. Choose a pair of jeans you do not mind ripping or fraying. Pull out your favorite “I think I’ll wear these again” jeans that have been hiding in your closet and get ready to give them new life. Place the stone or the sandpaper on where you want to distress your jeans and scrub your jeans horizontally with your tool. Take a pair of tweezers and pluck all the blue threads out of the strips. Julie Elle's diverse writing portfolio includes product descriptions, marketing copy, newsletters, and web content for private clients on numerous topics such as home decorating, holidays and celebrations, and personal finance. Crotch area and back of knees are given aged look by fading or highlighting. Tear the corner of a pocket. Begin with a bit of research. Distressed Ripped Jeans. Sandpaper (preferably 220 grit or higher): For light distressing and breaking … For this part, you’ll either… Make the strips as long as you want the hole to be. Just scrape the razor or press the sandpaper back and forth until you get the look you want. They’re easier to control so you’ll be able to distress exactly where you want to. By removing the blue threads, you can create that horizontal white threaded look. I painted the bleach water on the jeans with a brush to give it a streaky effect and focused most of the bleach water at the knees, where jeans tend to fade the most. Tweezers? You will achieve the most natural looking finish on your jeans if you wear them as you use the sandpaper to distress them. Lay your jeans out flat on a table, and use a pencil or chalk … Stop sanding once you make a rip in the jeans. Keep Going! (However, if your goal is to create a hole, then continue rubbing the sandpaper on the jeans until a hole forms.). If you don’t have a paintbrush on hand, soaking the whole pair in a mix of water and bleach also lightens them all over (like in the video above), but with this method, you can’t really lighten one specific area. The same pair of jeans can just as easily become the perfect backdrop for a sweatshirt and tennis shoes. Remember, the higher the number, the finer the sandpaper! Sandpaper block Step one: The easiest way to cut in an even line is to directly follow the hem of your jeans with a pair of scissors. 2 This content is imported from {embed-name}. These places include the knees, the back pockets, the bottom hems and the belt loops. Almost all of these methods use simple household items (I know you have tons of bobby pins lying around! The next step is just to play it simple and begin to cut where you’ve made your markings. This allows you to see the areas your jeans naturally show wear, which can lead to a more authentic distressing. Rub the sandpaper gently over each area you want to distress. Check. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 with other places on the jeans until you achieve the look you want. Sandpaper (coarse or extra coarse) Step 1: Prep Your Denim for Distressing. Wear your jeans for two weeks straight. Use a bobby pin with a blunt metal edge to pick and scrape at the denim and create tiny holes. A Dremel Moto Tool is probably the easiest to handle and there are special tips with sandpaper attached. (However, if your goal is to create a hole, then continue rubbing the sandpaper … Shop These Cute 'Fits, Cozy Sweaters That Conjure Up Fireplace Vibes, Baguette Bags Are Back! You can create a number of beautiful looks with this method. Pick a spot to rip. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Wanna Be a Soft Girl? 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