How to Make New Jeans Vintage

Vintage Jeans

Distressed jeans with a vintage appearance are very popular now. Unfortunately, distressed jeans can also be extremely expensive. The vintage look is not difficult to achieve, however. With a little time and patience and a few household items, it can be easy to make new jeans look well-worn.

Things You'll Need

• New jeans
• Rubber gloves
• Sponge
• Small bowl
• Bleach
• Old towel
• Knife
• Pumice stone
• Sandpaper

Instructions

1. Place the new jeans flat on the old towel. Make sure that the towel is completely covering the work surface. Put the rubber gloves on.

2. Pour a small amount of bleach into the bowl and dip the sponge into the bleach. Squeeze out the sponge completely.

3. Wipe the jeans with the dampened sponge, making sure to cover all the denim. Dip the sponge back into the bleach and wring it out again as necessary. Work until the whole pair of jeans (both back and front) has been dampened with the bleach.

4. Wash the jeans alone in the washing machine in a full cold-water cycle. Dry the jeans in the dryer.

5. Lay the jeans onto a flat work surface again and use the knife to carefully shave across the surface of the denim. For the most natural distressed look, it is best to work slowly to take away layers of denim. Work until you have achieved the desired effect.

6. Rub a medium-grit piece of sandpaper or a pumice stone back and forth across the denim. This process will take some time, but the denim will become distressed and frayed. If desired, the sandpaper or pumice stone can be dampened with water while you are working. Focus on pockets and hems for the most natural fraying appearance.

References

• Making Vintage Jeans