Lace Denim DIY

March 18, 2021

Ever pull out an old pair of jeans and wish you were creative enough to refashion them into something you’d actually wear today? Has mom ever passed down her favorite jeans to you, but you wouldn’t be caught dead in such hideous clothing?

Don’t worry, L2B is here to help (with lace!)–and it is a lot easier than you might think. Simply follow these steps and you’ll be rocking a new pair of trendy shorts in no time.

You will need:

1 pair of old jeans
a pen or pencil
scissors
needle & thread or sewing machine
2 feet of lace
6-10 pins
1 gallon of bleach (optional)

Directions:

1. First, put on your jeans and use your pen or pencil to mark how short you want them to be. Remember, make them about an inch longer than you plan on wearing them. They will fray after being washed and dried. 

2. After marking them, use something with a straight line (like a ruler or a piece of paper) to draw a line where you will cut the front of your shorts. L2B tip: make your shorts a little longer in the back than in the front. Cut your pants into shorts.

3. Optional: If your shorts are too dark for your liking, bleach them for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how light you want them. Rinse, wash and dry.

4. Align the lace to the pockets of your shorts and pin in place. Cut the extra lace around the pocket. It doesn’t have to be perfect yet. If you don’t like the look of lace on the pockets, other ideas include adding a lace trim to the bottom of the shorts or cutting a small triangle along the outer seam of each leg and adding lace there.

5. Using either a needle and thread or a sewing machine, sew the lace onto the pockets at the outermost point of the pockets. Note: if you are using a sewing machine, remember to skip the top of the pocket so it will still be a functional pocket. You can hand stitch the top to ensure that you don’t sew the pocket shut. Trim excess lace.

And that’s it! Now you have an awesome new pair of shorts that you actually made yourself. Be proud and rock those former mom jeans!

What do you do to make your old jeans new again?