Distressed Denim Jacket

Today we will be taking a regular denim jacket and adding rips and distressed areas to give it a more modern and fashionable look. The beginning bleaching process is recommended, but not required.

• Denim Jacket
• Tweezers
• Highlighter
• Spray Bottle
• Bleach
• Water
• Scissors
• Tarp/Trash Bag
• Razor
• Gloves
• Washing Machine
• Dryer
• Detergent
• Dryer Sheet

Spread out tarp/trash bags on floor or another large surface. Lay jacket on tarp.

Fully button jacket.

Pour approximately 2 cups of bleach into the spray bottle. Dilute slightly with 1/3 cup of water.

Spray bleach generously over desired areas of jacket. Spray the sleeves, collar, front, back, anywhere where you want the color to appear as a lighter denim.

• Make sure you hold the spray bottle about 1 foot away from the jacket.
• The darker the denim, the more bleach should be used.
• After spraying the desired amount of bleach, wait until the jacket shows slight signs of bleach stains.

Take the jacket and put it in a washing machine. Use your normal amount of detergent. Set the washing machine to your normal, desired setting.

Once the jacket is finished in the washer, put the jacket in the dryer. Dry the jacket on the medium heat setting for 60 minutes.

After the jacket is finished in the dryer, lay the jacket out on the floor.

Mark the areas where you would like there to be distressed holes. Take the highlighter, and draw three consecutive horizontal lines no more than 3 inches apart from each other. The first and third line will indicate the total size of the hole.

NOTE: The lines that are drawn on the sleeves should be parallel to the sleeve's cuff and the lines drawn anywhere else should be parallel to the bottom of the jacket.

With the x-acto knife, box cutter, or scissors, cut along all three highlighter lines in the jacket. Pinch the fabric across each line in order to create the cut in the fabric if using scissors.

Take the razor and shave area in between the two cuts. Shave vertically, horizontally, and diagonally until the denim is tussled.

After cutting each line, take the tweezers and begin to separate blue and white threads.

Grab the blue threads on the cut line with the tweezers. Pull the blue thread away from the cut until the thread is fully removed. Remove only the blue threads that are between two cuts. Leave the horizontal white thread still attached to the jacket.

Continue to remove the blue threads until none remain. This is what it should look like when completed.

Continue to mark lines, cut, and use the tweezers to pull out the blue threads in every spot on the jacket where you want distressed.

Some ideal spots for distress are along the sleeves, on the front, on the back, near the breast pockets, etc

Once you have achieved everywhere that you want rips, take the razor and shave around the edges of the hole. Also use the razor in random spots around the jacket and shave where there is no distress.

To speed up the razor process, fold the desired area against the edge of a table. Use the razor to shave the area that is pressed on the edge.

Once you complete all of the distressing, wash the denim jacket like you normally would. This will create a more natural look for the rips.

Bleach all the white threads. Repeat Step 5.

Wear your newly distressed denim jacket out on the town! Style accordingly.