Customising jeans

Don’t start customising jeans that are overused and faded: you might be disappointed with the result. Customise plain, unfaded, straight or slim jeans. 

The right materials

Glitter	Hammer	Rivets	Pencils	Iron
Sponge	White thread	Cloth	Pins	Scissors
Needles	White lace	Beads	Sequins	Sand paper
Dye

How to fade your jeans yourself

Do you prefer your jeans faded? Can’t find a pair that you like? Why not recycle an old pair and personalise them? Be careful when using sand paper: if you rub too hard you could tear the fabric. Use gloves and protect your clothes because fading liquids contain chlorine and discolourants. You can fade your jeans by either rubbing certain parts or by soaking the whole garment. If you want to do this then soak them overnight before rinsing and washing them.

Don’t go mad: you only want to decorate and personalise your jeans, not create a work of art. Remember you still want them to go well with the rest of your wardrobe! Try out some ideas and pin them to your jeans to see what they'll look like. Here are the parts of the jeans that you can personalise.

- The belt loops

These can look like a pretty belt. Stick two or three coloured beads, sequins or strass on the loops, customising alternate belt loops or every third loop.

- The front pockets

The pockets in the front are usually round. To dress them up a little, stick on a few glass beads following the stitching of the pockets. Use a pencil to draw the outline. You don’t have to customise both pockets; it’s probably better just to do one.

- The legs

The legs are the most difficult part to customise. Create a pretty motif up the legs - try an Arabian style or patches of flowers, different coloured stars etc. Avoid the underneath of the thighs because this area is most used and fades more. Follow the outside stitching for a few centimetres and avoid customising both legs to avoid overload!

- The back pockets

Anything goes: patches, glass beads and sequins. Don’t forget that you’ll have to sit on them, so don't use anything too delicate (or sharp!). Make original shapes like a crown or letters.

- The bottom of the legs

If you've customised the legs, use the same motif around the bottom, following the hem stitching. You can also sew white or black lace around the hem to give the effect of styled turn ups. Be careful not to choose big motifs and don’t start too high on the ankle - the result can make your legs look chunky!

- The belt

If you never wear a belt, create one with rivets, beads or sequins, but don't customise both the belt loops and the pockets if you don't want your jeans to look OTT!

Place the sequins the way you want them. To get an idea of what the finished design will look like, fix them on with pins and look in a mirror. When you're happy, make sure you've time for a bit of sewing, because it takes a bit of time (around an hour). Thread your needle with transparent thread and sew the sequin on several times, from the outside to the centre, so that it stays on and will survive washing. 

Sew beads inside the sequins or make shapes with them. Sketch your design on a piece of paper first. Thread two or three beads on your needle and sew them on, passing your needle through as many times as possible so they stay fixed on.

Lace is a fragile fabric, so be careful not to tear it when sewing. Also try not to rub the lace on your jeans because the colour could transfer onto white lace.

 

Inserting rivets 
Rivets are the buttons on jeans, usually in gold, silver or bronze metal. You can find them in sewing or specialist shops. Place the rivets one by one before and position them properly!! Using a hammer, push in the rivets so that the clamps come out the other side of the fabric. Once in, hammer down the clamps. Be careful not to catch your skin in the clamps!!