DIY: Distressed Jeans

When the "explosive dirty torn up denim" craze started, I was a mere lad playing hooky from my college classes. In attempt to be cool like Hollywood stars, I took a pair of clean, straight-laced jeans and did everything to them to make them look as distressed as possibly. I tied them to my friend's truck and had him run them through the mud. I soaked them in coffee grinds for a week. I even slashed them up with artistic madness. Although all these ideas were considerable, I was extremely overzealous and the jeans became virtually non-wearable. It was quite disgusting. Don't follow my mistakes. A pair of clean denim is like a blank canvas. You have to have careful madness to your method. Whether torn, worn or bleached, you have to be careful not to totally obliterate your jeans.

First off, if you want your jeans to be less rigid, you can wash them with fabric softener and then throw them in the dryer with an old sneaker. It may sound odd, but it works. This gives them that beat-up look.

After giving your jeans a good wash (I prefer not to wash them before I create), make sure you have a good working surface so that you can lay your preferred jeans flat. Now, it is time to have some good ol' fashioned denim deconstructing fun!

Sure, the rips in the jeans via scissors is fun, but one of the top techniques of wearing down a pair of denim is a cheese grater. By running a cheese grater (any grade of your choice) across random parts of your jeans, it raises the fabric. The more and more you wash it the more apparent the small rips will become. Just make sure that the grater is thoroughly washed before you use it. You don't want your denim to smell like moldy cheddar.

If you refuse the cheese grater because it's against your culinary religion, an X-acto knife does a more aggressive rip. Poke small holes in the same vicinity of the others. This gives a comparable "frayed cluster" look that the grater can give. Not only that, but you can also use the X-acto to give unique claw marks when grazed across the fabric properly.

Sandpaper is another tool that is useful in constructing a deconstructed designer look. This is where you can go wild! After carefully protruding holes into your jeans with the X-acto or cheese grater, rub the sandpaper all over. This will even further the worn-in, faded, tattered look. By concentrating on one particular area, you can create the beginnings of those new "unfinished threaded" holes, which are street-smart attractive. A non-electric razor or an X-acto knife does the same trick. Just make sure while scratching the jeans, you rid the lint from the razor so it doesn't clog. While doing this denim sand-down, you may notice a lot of lint that flies off the denim. Don't worry, it's normal. It's just a bitch to clean up.

The sandpaper can also help with other rugged elements of denim. Place a block (or something flat and square) in the back pocket. Once you've positioned the block in a spot that you like (try for a natural look) use the sandpaper to rub a square in the back pocket to make it look like you have a wallet in there. Even though I don't enjoy keeping my wallet in my back pocket, this will make it look like you've had one in there for years.

For that dirty, "I rolled around in the mud" denim look, you have two options: an extremely strong pot of coffee or a dainty spot of tea. You can soak the jeans in a big bucket and let them bake in the sun; or you can put the liquid in a spray bottle and spritz away. If you don't like that tired, dirty look, try something a little bolder. A paintbrush and some bleach will do wonders for your jeans. Don't go too wild though--you don't want that 80's acid washed look. For something even bolder, use some fabric paint and create some hip graffiti jeans. Whatever you choose, your jeans will be a one-of-a-kind, Pollock-esque work of art.

The secret to deconstructing denim is that it's the details that make it unique. You can sew on old Boy Scout patches or find some really chic ones at your local thrift or arts store. If you can't sew, don't worry! They sell iron-on patches at the craft store as well! If you can't iron, then I can't help you.

Once you have ripped, torn, painted, bleached and sanded, throw your jeans in the wash. After you pull them out, you'll notice a lot of the frays have surfaced. The holes are apparent, they feel softer, and most of all, you should be satisfied with your work. (It's kind of like pulling a painstakingly constructed cake out of the oven.)

I have just scratched the surface when it comes to techniques in creating a designer jean look. In fact, there really aren't specific instructions when doing this DIY task. These are just guidelines. All you need to have are the proper materials and a Roberto Cavalli vision. Yes, having those famous brand-name jeans slapped on your ass invokes a feeling of unstoppable confidence, but think about it--how practical is it to spend an unnecessary amount of money if you don't have to? By using some of these techniques (or some of your own) you can look like a rock star on the red carpet in no time!