Blue Jean Shirt Embellishing Ideas

You don't need to hide your favorite denim shirt behind a jacket anymore.

Denim shirts aren't the most charismatic items in a wardrobe and unlike a pair of trusty jeans that become more comfortable as they fade and lose their shape, washed out denim shirts will start to lack character and look frumpy over time. But that doesn't mean it's time to relegate that shirt to the back of the closet or even worse -- garage cleaning duty. There are a number of creative ways to breathe new life into this classic look.

Collar and Cuffs

Brighten up your shirt by adding enhancements to the collar and the cuffs with bold patterns like animal print or stripes. Cut strips of fabric and sew them to the collar trim for a subtle embellishment or cover the entire collar in a deep red or multi-colored plaid design. The cuffs can match your design on the collar or you can go it alone on the sleeves and give them their own new fabric makeover with polka dots or corduroy. Use more of the same matching fabric and sew some over the top flap of the breast pocket if your shirt has one.

Sew Buttons

Replacing the boring flat buttons on your shirt is a sure-fire way to give new life to that denim. There are thousands of dynamic looks, from the simple, such as beads, chinese knots, velvet, pearl and satin, to the ornate, like glass, shell, bone, antler or leather. If you're freshening up shirts for the kids, you can add fun little novelty buttons in cartoon and bug shapes.

Stitching

Stitch different color thread to outline the trim and pockets with wild and exciting colors that stand out against the blue denim. Most sewing machines have a wide variety of stitches to choose from so be creative and try various stitch patterns to add bright colors to the shirt. Add some beadwork in strategic areas of the shirt by drawing a pattern and using a needle and thread to stitch your beads to the denim.

Appliques

Build an applique design out of different fabrics and iron it to the shirt. Appliques can be anything you like, from animals and logos to freestyle design work. All you need are the right color fabrics, iron-on adhesive, tracing paper, a pair of scissors and a hot iron and you're ready to stick the embellishments to your shirt. Be careful not to burn yourself or your shirt when you're ironing the applique to the denim.