Have you ever found yourself pushing your old pair of jeans to the back of your closet to make room for newer, trendier options? Or even throwing your tried and true pair of jeans away? Instead of getting rid of old items of clothing, it’s always a better idea to refashion and upcycle them. Upcycling breathes new life into old clothing and may mean that you don’t need to purchase new clothing after all. Give your old pair of jeans another chance with these easy hacks.
Read on to discover fun and fashionable ways to bring old jeans back to life.
Sew them!
Admit it: When your jeans started to pick up a few holes here and there (not trendy rips, but actual holes), instead of fixing them up, you simply bought a new pair. We’ve all been there, but let’s be honest – it’s not a habit worth holding on to. Other than being a great skill to learn at any age, sewing a patch underneath the hole can reinvigorate the jeans and hide anything unsightly. Even the Levi’s YouTube channel recommends fixing up any holes by sewing on a patch, and you can’t argue there.
Washing jeans correctly
A chocolate smudge, splash of paint, or tomato sauce from your fries… all sorts of things can end up on your jeans. The worst thing to do is throw your jeans into the corner of the room and think about washing them the next day. Either you’ll forget about them or the stain will be difficult to remove once you finally bring them to the washing machine. Stains are best dealt with ASAP. The overwhelming majority of blemishes can be removed if you follow the right guidelines for how to wash jeans and do it quickly enough. Also, make sure you are air-drying your jeans after washing, as experts say that dryers can damage the color and fabric of jeans.
Bleach them up
Some people think getting bleach on jeans is the end of the world… but if you embrace the bleach as a fashionable look, you can do no wrong. For jeans that are perhaps at the end of your rotation, try bleaching them for a new look that always works like a charm. You can often end up paying hundreds of dollars for pre-bleached jeans at big name retailers, so why not save some cash and make some DIY bleached jeans instead? If bleach isn’t your thing, then go for a 70s look and tie-dye them!
Get jeans tailored
You’d be amazed at how a tailor can alter a piece of clothing, and jeans are certainly no exception. We end up disliking jeans for a number of reasons, maybe the cuffs are too long, the back isn’t tight enough, or they are too wide at the bottom of your leg. Ask a tailor to change your jeans and get them measured to your body shape. You could also ask them to do something radical and change them into denim shorts for the summer season!
Start embellishing
Embellished jeans are trending right now, but you can do it yourself for your lesser-worn pairs at home. Adding studs, rhinestones, (fake) diamonds, and even floral patterns are easier than you think and is a great way to add a bit of dazzle to your jeans. Get some awesome ideas here.
There you have it! Lots of fantastic ways to bring old jeans back to life and prevent you from getting rid of them or pushing them towards the back of the closet. You’ll find that it’s unnecessary to buy new jeans when you can simply repurpose and give some attention to your older pairs. Start the change now!
