DIY Cropped and Distressed Denim

Cropped denim with a bit of flare are showing up everywhere this season! It’s a trend I’ve been wanting to try, but didn’t want to go buy more jeans since I have quite a collection! So I decided to try my hand at a little DIY, no-sew, cropped jean with a frayed edge and I love the way they turned out.

I absolutely love the fit of these bootcut jeans, but they were just a touch too short so I wasn’t wearing them as much as I do my other styles.

So I used a pair of ankle length skinny jeans that I love as my guide, cut about an inch below that so I’d have some room for adjustment if needed.

Remember you always cut more, but you can put it back! I then used the excess I cut off the first leg as my guide for the second cut.

From here you can pull out some of the threads with your fingers, a tweezer, or use sand paper or a sanding block to rough up the edges.

I just threw them in the wash on cold, dried them, and it is the perfect amount of fraying with little effort.

This took less than 5 minutes and I know I’ll wear them so much more now!!

Grab a pair of jeans or a denim jacket you have sitting around and try the crop or add some “lived in character” by distressing the edges or creating holes yourself.

A cheese grater or sanding block from the hardware store is also a great way to add some subtle rough edges.

If you try this out be sure to tag me, I can’t wait to see what you create!