DIY Fringed Jeans

When you want something but are so impatient to wait for your online delivery to come, why not make it yourself? All you need it
- An old pair of jeans
- An eyeliner
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- An a whole lotta patience

I had the idea to repurpose some old jeans and to make them into some fringed bellbottoms for Sea and Vines this year.

Step 1: Choosing your denim
You want to pick yourself a ridged denim, so basically any denim that has that vintage, 100% cotton, minimal stretch denim. I picked up a pair of straight leg Levis from Salvos. When you flip the jeans inside out you want to be able to see the vertical and horizontal weaves of cotton, because the easier these are to see the easier they will be to fray (if that makes sense). You will struggle with a highly-elasticised denim, because the weave is less noticeable.

Step 2: Measuring out your fray
Firstly, you want to cut of the hem of the jeans so you’re left with an exposed hem instead. Then, getting a ruler and an eyeliner (I find eyeliner is easier to rub or wash off in comparison to a permanent market or pen, white eyeliner would be even better but I couldn't find mine).

Step 3: Making your cuts
Now you want to make cuts 2-3cm apart, cut to the line that you just drew (I worked out later that its easier and takes less time if you make wider cuts, like maybe a maximum of 4 cuts).

Step 4: Fraying Time!
Now comes to the time-consuming part.... making the frays. Grabbing yourself a pair of tweezers you want to start pulling out all the HORIZONTAL weaves in your denim. Once you pull out the horizontal frays, you will be left with only the vertical ones making the frayed design. Once you get to the end of the cut, the frays won’t allow you to the pull them out anymore (because the ends of the threads aren’t exposed anymore) so you don't need to worry about the whole denim leg eventually fraying. TIP: You must make sure you’re pulling out the last exposed horizontal thread, if you try pulling out threads that are in the centre of the denim, it won’t come out.

Step 5: Taking out the side seam
Because you want the frays to continue seamlessly around the whole bottom of the jean, you need to take out the side seam so your left with only one layer of denim in this area. Using scissors or an unpicking tool, you want to unpick the side seam apart.

  

Once you've unpicked the side seam you want to cut off the top layer of denim so you're left with just the back one. 

You'll have to repeat the same steps with the other seam. The other seam is a little different to this one, however you kinda do the same thing. Trust yourself you'll work it out ahahahah :)

Step 6: Repeat!

Once you've finished the front you wanna fray the back and then do the other leg! Yes this is time consuming, but its worth it cos you're left with some sick jeans that YOU MADE Wooohoooooo