A few months ago my mom and brother gave me about ten pairs of their old Levis. They both buy original 501s brand new and actually wear them into {in my opinion} ripped perfection rather than buying already distressed jeans. However, once they’re perfectly distressed, they don’t like them any more and send them my way, which is a win win WIN for all of us!
While some fit me quite loosely, which I love, for this project I went with a pair that were more fitted through the hips, butt, and waist, though the legs are still pretty roomy. You can see how the baggier pairs fit here, which would work as well, but I think the fitted version is better for this trim.
I’ve been dying to DIY them since I got them but it may have been Saturday’s post: The New Old Jeans | Denim Trends for Spring 2014 that finally inspired me to get creative and reinvent them into something new, and I have to admit, I am IN LOVE with this new look…
Here’s What You’ll Need…
* A pair of vintage Levis or a great fitting pair of jeans. They can be any style or fit for this project, though stretch denim is not preferable.
* Pom Pom trim in your favorite color
* Needle/Thread/Scissors
*NOTE: You can use a sewing machine for this project if you prefer. I like to hand-stitch everything because I’m ridiculous that way BUT ALSO it makes it really easy to remove if I decide I’d like to one day and I love versatility.
Steps…
* Begin by folding over the raw edge of your pom pom trim, and stitching it to give it a nice finished edge that won’t fray.
* Carefully hand-stitch your trim along the edge of your pocket seam so that it doesn’t pull or gather, but lays smoothly along the denim. This is why stretch denim is not the best option for this project. {Coachella Nails seen in this photo}
* Finish by folding the edge of your trim under and stitching it along the edge of your seam. The denim gets really thick here so it’s easier to overstitch along the edge of the seam. You can’t see it from afar, and if you’re going to continue your trim all the way down your jeans, you won’t see it at all.
* Mine looks like this… if I wanted to get really fancy, I would have carefully stitched it to the denim so that the thread wouldn’t be visible from the pocket material, but I’m not that fancy 😉
You can leave it like this, which is cute, but it’s even cuter if you continue the trim all the way down the leg.
* Repeat the top step and stitch your trim down the side of your leg. I placed the trim on the inside of the seam, lining the edge of the trim up with it.
And… Voila!
Have Fun!
* Find all my DIYs here
* Full outfit post coming soon! {because I am IN LOVE with these jeans}
