DIY Projects

Five Super-Easy Denim DIYs Literally Anyone Can Do

Omg, this photo. MEMORIES. I no longer have that pair of sandals, that hair, or that zip code (just re-watched our moving day video and sobbed through the whole thing)…but the shorts? Those are still hanging on. (I wore them today, in fact, which may have been a not-so-hot idea considering the fact that they’re in the process of disintegrating, but whatever: I love them, and they fit me perfectly, and they are not going anywhere until the wearing of them results in the exposure of actual NC-17-rated body parts.)

If you’ve been reading here for awhile, you know that denim is sort of my thing. It’s just what I feel best in – and what that means is that I’ve amassed a truly enormous collection of jeans over the years, approximately three of which I actually wear (so sue me: I’m fickle). And so every spring, I dig out a couple of old pairs that I can hack up with a pair of scissors and transform into new items of clothing that I’ll actually wear. (As an aside, I know that jean cutoffs sound like the kind of thing you don’t need a tutorial for – “…So you, like…cut them?” – but trust me: there are myriad ways in which to go wrong when doing something as permanent as slicing up your clothing. Let me help you.)

But DIY cutoffs aren’t the only denim trick I have up my sleeve – and I am not a person who owns a sewing machine or enjoys do-it-yourself projects that take more than five minutes. Which is to say: The below projects require no experience, knowledge, or talent whatsoever, making them – to my mind – just about perfect.

1/5

Denim Midi Skirt

Kendall Jenner confuses me. Because I don’t want to covet her wardrobe, because I am a thirty-six-year-old woman who has no businesses wanting to be like reality show TV stars in any way, shape or form. And yet.

Anyway, I saw a picture of Kendall wearing a $430 denim midi skirt. And thought to myself how extremely cute she looked, and also how extremely ridiculous it is to own a $430 item of clothing that is so obviously easy to make yourself. For free.

So I made my own. For free. I do not look even a tiny bit like Kendall Jenner in it, but such is life.

2/5

"Mega-Shredded" Denim Jacket

Awhile back, I saw a “mega-shredded” denim jacket online and fell in love with it, but there was a problem: I have a little grandmother living inside my head who yells why would you pay extra for something that looks like trash?! whenever I contemplate purchasing an item of clothing with rips in it (which is frequently).

Enter: a Goodwill-sourced denim jacket that I never wore because it was fine but not great, and is now firmly in the latter category. (Also, FYI, “mega-shredding” baaaasically amounts to a free therapy session. So fun.)

3/5

Denim Vest

Another way to repurpose a denim jacket that you never wear: cut off those arms, and make it into a vest. Because you know you’re not going to actually buy a vest – who buys vests?! – but they’re surprisingly fun to have on hand when you’re in a vest-y mood.

4/5

Denim Placemats

I can’t take credit for this one, but it’s on the shortlist of projects I want to try myself. I mean, come on: these are ADORABLE. The pocket napkin holder! Dying.

5/5

Distressed Jeans

And finally, if you have a pair of jeans that fit you well, but find just a wee bit boring and in need of some rips and tears, get thee some sandpaper and a nail file. Ta daaaaaaa: perfect jeans that are perfectly distressed (but only in the spots you want them to be).

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