How to Make Sandpaper Holes in Your Pants
Beat the premium jeans industry at its own game by distressing your jeans with sandpaper. The right tools and technique will turn a pair of plain, inexpensive jeans into formidable rivals of those retailing for a hundred dollars or more. Besides having fun in the process, you will be able to create your own denim brand.
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Things You'll Need
- Medium- and fine-grit sandpaper
- Round or rectangular coasters
- Washing machine
- Clothes dryer
- Scissors
Instructions
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Pick the areas on the jeans where you want to distress, or sand. Choose areas that would naturally distress, such as the knees, front and back pockets, hips and upper thighs.
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Rub the first area with the medium-grit sandpaper until the first layer gives way to a hole. Follow with the lighter grit to smooth it. Keep sanding until you get a desired effect. Sand the other areas you want to distress.
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Place the coasters in the jeans' front pocket. Sand around their shape. Remove the coasters and place in the back pockets and do the same. This will make it look as if a wallet has worn your jeans.
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Scrunch the jeans' leg in the upper thigh area and rub the folds using the medium- to light-grit papers. Follow with the other leg to create a "whiskered" effect.
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Reinforce the new holes by washing the jeans in cool water. Dry on a delicate/low heat setting to prevent shrinkage. Remove the jeans after drying and trim the excess threads with scissors.
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Tips & Warnings
For extra character, buy jeans from secondhand or thrift stores. They are already soft and the wear is natural, making it easier to sand.
Grit refers to the number of abrasive particles per square inch of sandpaper. The lower the grit, the more abrasive or rougher the sandpaper.
Sanding the jeans' stitching weakens the construction. Avoid cutting them.
Practice this technique on an old pair of jeans or pants before working on more expensive pairs.
References
- Photo Credit rump attractive young girl in blue jeans image by Sergey Sukhorukov from Fotolia.com
