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How to Create Vintage Looking Jeans

by Alexis Dawes

  • Overview

    Browse through the denim racks of your favorite upscale boutique and you might be shocked at prices of vintage looking jeans. Faded designer brands with holes in the legs can cost upwards of $100. But don't sweat it. You don't have to pay designer prices to get that coveted look. With a few simple household items you can create a pair of vintage looking jeans in only a couple of hours.
 

  • Step 1

    Sponge bleach the jeans. Pouring bleach directly onto jeans will only make them look bleached, not vintage. Instead, lay the jeans down on a towel that you don't mind staining. Put on a pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands and pour a quarter cup of bleach into a bowl. Place a sponge into the bowl of bleach. Now squeeze the excess bleach out of the sponge - you don't want the sponge sopping wet. Gently wipe the sponge on the areas where you want to fade the jeans. The most likely areas are the front and backs of the legs.

  • Step 2

    Wash the jeans in cold water. As soon as your finished sponge bleaching the jeans, toss them in an empty wash to get rid of the bleach. When they're done washing you should have faded sections where you applied the sponge bleach.

  • Step 3

    Do some strategic cutting. Grab a razor and place an old magazine into the pants leg wherever you'd like to make a cut. The magazine will prevent the razor from cutting through to the other side of the jeans. Now make a one or two inch slice in the area where you want the hole. Make the cut on a slight angle to give it a more natural look.

  • Step 4

    Rub the jeans with sandpaper. When buying sandpaper from your local home improvement store, you'll notice that it comes in various grit levels. The lower the grit number on the label, the rougher the sandpaper. You may want to start with a mid-range grit and work your way up to something less abrasive. Rubbing the sandpaper on the jeans helps weaken the denim fibers, making them look more worn. For that true vintage look, rub the thighs, around the pockets and at the bottom of the jeans. Don't forget to sandpaper the area where you made your cut with the razor blade, to get that frayed look.

  • Step 5

    Wear your jeans around the house. You can continue to add to that vintage look by simply wearing your jeans while doing chores around the house. A little staining just adds to the authenticity.
  • 3
  • Rubber gloves Bleach Bowl Sponge Razor blade Sandpaper
  • Rubber gloves
  • Bleach
  • Bowl
  • Sponge
  • Razor blade
  • Sandpaper
  • You can make the job a little easier by purchasing a pair of jeans at your local thrift store. They may already have a little wear and tear to work with.
  • You can make the job a little easier by purchasing a pair of jeans at your local thrift store. They may already have a little wear and tear to work with.

References & Resources

     
     
 
 

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