How Do I Sand Paper Blue Jeans?

Sandpapering blue jeans can make them look well worn.

There's nothing like a well worn pair of jeans with the pockets worn, the hemlines frayed and that beautiful faded color. A quick way to speed up the natural process is to distress a pair of jeans yourself. Using sandpaper and a hand sander, and following a few basic steps, you can achieve a perfectly well worn pair of jeans in no time.

Things You'll Need

• Rotary tool with sanding attachments
• Sandpaper
• Jeans

Instructions

1. Attach a medium grit sandpaper to a hand rotary tool. Grit refers to the number of particles per square inch of sandpaper. A lower grit sandpaper will be rougher than a higher grit sandpaper.

2. Sand the seams around the pockets to create a natural, worn look. Change to a finer sandpaper for more control.

3. Sand the knees, thighs and butt area to wear down the denim. The sanding will distress the area and roughen up the texture.

4. Place a rock or another hard object in the pocket of the jeans and sand over it. This will create a distressed area that appears to be natural.

5. Avoid sanding the inner or outer seams of the jeans because the sanding will weaken the seam and the jeans may rip.

References

• Real Simple: Jeans Handbook: Your Questions Answered
• Martha Stewart: Distressing Blue Jeans with Sophie
• Jeans and Accessories: How to Distress Jeans Quick and Easy Aging