Get Crafty With DIY Denim

With so much time on our hands, who doesn’t love a good DIY project? Especially when it comes to fashion. Denim has become the latest canvas to experiment on, as there are so many ways to put your creative touch on it. With painting, embroidering and patchworking, the possibilities are endless. Grab a pair of jeans and try one of these projects out!

Painting

There is no better way to spice up a pair of jeans than with some paint. This is an inexpensive DIY option that leaves your jeans looking new and trendy. The back pockets and legs of jeans are perfect places to add a unique and custom touch. Keep in mind some of the following tips while painting, and check out some fabulous creations to draw inspiration from.

Helpful Tips:

• Wash and iron jeans before painting
• Place cardboard or another sturdy surface in legs of jeans
• Use fabric or acrylic paint
• Painters tape is useful for blocking out sections
• Let painted jeans dry overnight
• Wash jeans in cold water and air-dry each time going forward

Embroidering

A sewing needle and thread can do wonders. Embroidering jeans can be a relaxing process that can help cover up a stain or a worn up area in a stylish way. The images below are simple designs to start practicing with that will help you eventually be able to embroider more complex patterns.

What You’ll Need

• Embroidery needle
• Embroidery thread
• Pair of washed jeans
• Pen or thin-tipped marker
• Transfer paper, if desired
• Scissors

What You’ll Do

1. Find a spot you want to embroider.
2. Lightly free-hand sketch a pattern in the desired spot. You can also use transfer paper if you prefer.
3. Cut the amount of thread needed for the design and thread the needle. Tip: Smaller patterns typically use 2 arms-length of thread give-or-take.
4. Begin stitching. Make sure the first stitch is from the inside of the jeans.
5. If you are embroidering from one section of the pattern to another, make sure the last stitch is going from the outside into the inside.
6. Once completed, make sure to knot the end of the thread tightly.

Patchwork

If you have pieces of fabric laying around, this is a perfect project to put it to use! You can simply revamp your old pair of worn jeans by sewing different pieces of fabric onto them to give your garment a brand new look. You can truly put whatever type of fabric or accessory onto your jeans as patches. Below are some examples of truly unique patchwork.

If you want a simpler and easy way to do this, purchase iron-on patches — some of the best patches can be found on Etsy.com!

Helpful tips:

• Choose fabrics or accessories that are not too thick or tough to work with.
• Try to mix and match colors, textures, and designs of fabric for a unique look.
• If you add anything delicate to your jeans, make sure to air-dry them after each wash.

If you try any of these DIY denim projects, tag @VALLEYmag on Instagram!

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