You’ve probably all seen them: the dyed, painted, studded, and distressed shorts that have been all over the web, from Chictopia to tumblr. They’re big in the blogosphere, but I personally have yet to see them in stores or on an actual person…so of course, I decided to make my own. And here you have it: the blogger favorite of the month, decorated shorts.
The Inspiration
Look no further than the site you’re currently browsing for DIY ideas…
stefaniekuncman rocks super-distressed shorts.
New style icon accordingtoannkia does exposed pockets in a chic way.
HollyDoll scalloped her own cutoffs.
JeanGreige goes with acid-wash for a casual day.
The Steps
You can choose to add or eliminate any of these steps to create a desired look, I just wanted to try out as many techniques as I possibly could!
1. Cut. I decided to use a pair of old jeans that still fit, but were ripped in the knees. Using fabric scissors, I cut them off to a bit longer than the desired length, because I like to cuff my shorts. Eliminate this step by starting out with regular shorts (you can pick up a cheap pair at a secondhand store). Easy.
2. Bleach. I wanted to loosely recreate the “dip-dyed” denim look from the Dries Van Noten SS11 show. I started by filling a small tub half with water and half with household bleach. Use string to tie around the area where you want the bleached area to end, and put that half in the bleach bath. Turn over periodically and leave in for at least 30 minutes to allow the bleach to work. If you want your jeans to bleach white, leave them to soak for a longer period of time and/or don’t mix water with your bleach formula.
When you’re done bleaching, rinse the shorts in cold water and cut the string. Send them through a cycle in the washing machine.
3. Stud. I love the rocker edge that some studs will give a garment, so I chose to stud the inner pocket area of one side of the shorts. itsblitzzz on YouTube has a great video for how to stud.
You can purchase studs on eBay, Etsy, or from wholesale retailers.
4. Paint. The American flag pattern is very popular this year, so I decided to loosely interpret that patriotic theme when painting (plus these shorts will be great for the 4th of July!). I simply mixed acrylic paints with a fabric-safe mixing medium to ensure that the paint won’t come off in the wash.
5. Distress. There are many ways to create a worn-in, distressed look with denim. You can use scissors, a nail file, a cheese grater…anything you can think of that is sharp or has a rough edge. Get creative, but be careful!
I like to use sandpaper; I think it is the easiest way. Just rub it back and forth across the area you wish to distress. I recommend you wear some sort of covering over your mouth and nose because this creates a lot of fiber dust.
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by Heather (headbandit)
image via Denimology
And that’s it, you’re finished! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or send me a note.
I hope this tutorial inspired you, and if you try it out be sure to tweet us a picture @everybodyisugly.
