In this post, I’m going to share the best DIY jeans ideas so you can learn how to customize jeans.
Denim is iconic in the world of fashion. It has maintained its status as a wardrobe necessity throughout every trend and fad. Jeans and a t-shirt are the staples we will never see fade out of style.
In recent seasons, customized clothing has been gaining a lot of momentum on social media. Beyond jeans, the custom movement has taken over as indie fashion designers promote their own collections of DIYed sets. Through patches, paint, sewing and cutting, any regular pair of jeans can turn into a fab fashion statement.
Not only is this trend so cute, it can also be so sustainable! Every thrift store has racks upon racks of used denim that is still in perfect shape. If you want to experiment with your art skills but don’t want to ‘ruin’ an expensive pair of jeans, the thrift store has what you need.
Through this trend, you’ll end up upcycling an old pair of jeans that may have otherwise ended up in the landfill. Plus, you’ll have a super unique and customized pair of jeans to add to your wardrobe!
If you’re anything like me, every time you pick up an art utensil, any and every creative thought you’ve ever had vanishes from your mind completely. So if you, like me, need inspo, look no further. Your jeans are your canvas now and that means there are a lot of directions you can go in with your design.
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Below, I’ve collected five different ways to DIY your jeans. Pick the design that best suits your personality, or choose one that looks super fun to make. Either way, you’ll end up with the cutest DIYed jeans ever.
Here are the best DIY jeans ideas to help you turn your regular jeans into bold fashion statements!
Table of Contents
Patches
Patches are so in right now, so why not hop on the trend?
There’s a few different approaches you can take to making your jeans a patchwork beauty.
The first is iron-on patches. This is such a simple DIY as all you need is an iron and a needle and thread to secure the patch on. Picking out the patches is an exciting part of this DIY because you choose designs that create a certain theme or look.
These ones from Amazon come in a huge pack for just $10:
Since it’s Halloween, you could get a bunch of spooky patches and have a seasonal pair of jeans. Or, you could get a bunch of random patches and just go haywire with the iron.
On the other hand, you could make your own patchwork jeans out of clothing scraps! This will create a super cute grunge or streetwear look. Get some scraps from old pieces in your closet that no longer serve you, or from pieces from the thrift store. You can cut the pieces in any shape, although rectangle is most common, and stitch the scraps onto the denim.
Paint
The DIY jeans ideas are endless when it comes to paint!
The look you are going for will help determine how you should paint your jeans. Think about where you might wear the jeans or what pieces you may pair them with.
First, get a set of fabric paints like this one:
Now you’re good to paint!
For a streetwear look, or pop of color, try splatter paint! This method of painting your jeans will create a fun and artistic look. You can smudge some of the splatters and use a bunch of different colors for the look.
If you have a patient hand, stencil out a design on the back pockets, or anywhere on the denim, and draw out a design which you can then color in with paint. Get some inspo from Pinterest or Instagram if you’re having trouble deciding what to create.
Studs
For all the glitz and glam girls out there, this DIY jeans idea is for you!
Bedazzle your jeans with jewels to create a sparkly look. You can level-up your going-out jeans by adding some studs anywhere on the jeans. You can make patterns and designs with the studs as well.
The actual DIY for this style hack requires a few extra steps so we linked a how-to vid above! Method two (explained in the video) is definitely the best one — make sure you get the right glue and studs and you’ll be all set!
The shape and style of the stud will determine the outcome of the jeans, so choose ones that best fit your style! For a glamorous look, pair your studded jeans with some jewelry and stilettos for a gorge evening fit!
Embroidery
For this DIY, you may need to have some sewing experience. However, it’s never too late to learn. Embroidering your jeans is a fantastic excuse to start your journey with a needle and thread, if you haven’t done so already.
If this is your first time trying out embroidery, maybe get some extra fabric and denim to experiment with. We also linked another how-to vid above to get you started. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to make the cutest designs! Plus, you’ll have an awesome new skill which you can use to DIY other items!
Embroider some flowers, little planets or words onto your jeans for a sturdy and cute design.
Fringe
If adding a bunch of color or sparkle to your jeans isn’t you thing, we still have a fun DIY jeans idea for you.
Whether you like to keep it minimalist or you’re not ready to lay the paintbrush to the pants, you’ll still end up with a cute and custom pair of jeans through fraying the denim.
This is a quick and easy turn-around for any pair of jeans. You just need a pair of scissors and a metal fork to create the chic detailing.
You can add some holes with fringe to any pair of jeans and you can decide how dramatic you want the look to be.
Why not do-it-yourself with these DIY jeans ideas?
I hope you liked these five awesome ways you can transform any regular pair of jeans into an artistic masterpiece.
Don’t forget, you can also combine some of the DIYs to make a really fun pair of jeans!
Let us know your favorite DIY in the comments below!