DIY Distressed Denim

So here’s my STAYING HOME update:

I have NOT curled my hair in 4 weeks (washed it YES, curled it NO)

I HAVE used a whole tube of root touch-up

I have NOT put on make-up in 4 weeks

I HAVE made 2 fabric face masks (Click HERE for the pattern and instructions)

I have NOT worn my wedding rings in 4 weeks

I HAVE washed my hands 560 times

I have NOT worn anything besides yoga pants in 4 weeks

I HAVE distressed a couple of denim jackets

That’s right — I got bored today and decided to distress 2 denim jackets that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.

They’re great jackets— stretchy and comfortable. But they look a little stuffy to me. And a little too….

….perfect

So I decided to make them look a little more worn-out. A little more lived-in. A little more loved over time.

It’s super easy to do.

I used coarse (60 grit) sandpaper. And a lemon zester. Yep, the kitchen tool for zesting lemons!

Basically you just want to rough-up the areas that would naturally wear over time. Like the band around the bottom. And the pocket flaps. And the collar and cuffs.

Start in an inconspicuous spot until you get your technique down. (Or use an old pair of jeans that don’t fit anymore to practice on.) The sandpaper will take longer to rip through the fabric. The zester will rip it pretty much the first or second swipe.

I basically just held my hand behind the area I wanted to distress and just scraped away with the zester.

Then I worked it a little more with the sandpaper until I got the look I wanted. I trimmed off most of the long threads. Then I washed and dried it.

And that’s all there is to it!

These are some jeans I distressed a few years ago.

I started with a pair that I didn’t love anymore. So I didn’t care if they didn’t turn out. Then I just started sanding the knees with super coarse sandpaper. I folded the sandpaper in half and used the fold on the areas where I wanted it to rip.

Now these are one of my favorite pairs!

So if you have lots of time on your hands and you like distressed denim — try doing it yourself!