How to distress denim

As much as we love new purchases, it’s our well-worn, broken-in pieces that tend to hold a soft spot in our hearts as well as our wardrobes. Jeans that have molded to our bodies over time can feel almost as cozy as sweats, but with everyday wear comes the inevitable: tears and roughed-up patches. Do you finally part ways with your beloved denim or try to fix it?

As it turns out, distressing jeans at home isn’t too difficult. With a few key tools, you’ll be able to transform your old pants into something celebrity-approved. Today’s most in-demand distressed denim designs—which come from brands like Miu Miu and Balenciaga—could easily cost you upwards of $1,000. However, a revamped version of something you bought long ago? Well, that’s essentially free.

Ahead, we’re sharing our step-by-step tutorial on distressing your jeans. Now, when people ask where you got your look, you can tell them, “Oh, these? They’re actually custom.”

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Gather Your Supplies

• Jeans
• Chalk
• Tweezers
• Box cutter
• Safety pin
• Sandpaper

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Mark With Chalk

1. Slip on your jeans.
2. Use chalk to roughly mark the area you want to distress.

For a rather impressive hole in the knee area, it’s best to start cutting two inches above the knee and two inches below.

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Insert a Magazine

1. Insert a magazine into the leg to prevent the box cutter from slicing through both layers of fabric. Alternatively, you can use cardboard or anything thick enough to act as a buffer.
2. Firmly place the buffer under the area you’re cutting.

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Slice With a Box Cutter

1. Use the box cutter to begin slicing the lines you marked.
2. Continue to slice in horizontal strips. Make each strip about 1/2 inch to an inch apart. The cuts don’t need to be equal in length or width.
3. For a natural-looking rip, start the hole with short slices, gradually create longer ones midway, and end with a shortcut (so that it looks like a diamond versus a perfect rectangle).
4. Remember less is more when you’re first starting. You can always add more distressing but you can’t take it away if you overdo it.

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Carefully Loosen Threads

1. Flip the first strip of material over and individually tease out each white thread (these are long woven strings that run from side to side) with the sharp point of a safety pin.
2. Carefully continue to loosen and extract each white thread without breaking them.

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Tweeze Short Vertical Threads

1. Once you’ve teased out enough of the long white strands, you’ll notice that a frayed fringe will have formed. Use your tweezers to pluck out and remove those short vertical threads.
2. When you’re done, what’s left of the strip will be a cluster of white threads running horizontally—the beginnings of your ripped hole.

For variety, try leaving a small strip of denim material untouched and use sandpaper to fray the edges.

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Wear Your DIY Distressed Jeans

The finished look should be a distressed pair of jeans. Put them on and be prepared for lots of compliments.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the best tool for distressing jeans?The best tool for distressing jeans is a box cutter. A sharp blade with a precise tip would also work. Note scissors aren’t the best tool to reach for because they won’t create a uniform hole.
• Can you distress jeans with a cheese grater?Similar to sandpaper, a cheese grater can help create a simple distressed effect on the denim. A shaving razor can also provide a similar effect.
• How do you fade denim?If you want to add some fading to your jeans while you’re distressing them, lightly blotting bleach onto the denim with a brush or washcloth can help lighten the color.