DIY Life

There are few items of clothing that are as comfortable or as cool as an old pair of faded jeans. If they happen to have a few holes or worn rips, all the better. The problem is that it either takes many times of wearing and washing to get them that way.

Or if you haven't the patience, you can shell out some serious money for a pair of jeans that will likely fall apart from lack of structure. Fortunately there are ways to remedy this situation. If you haven't the patience or money to get your jeans to the best possible comfort or cool zone, try distressing them yourself.


You will need a pair of great jeans that you don't mind roughing up a bit, some tools and a some creativity. Some great jean distressing tools are:

• A cheese grater
• A nail file
• Scissors
• A pumice stone
• A bleach pen.
• Patches with adhesive

Take a good look at your jeans. You don't want too many holes or you will end up looking like a worn out 80's rock star. A good estimation for holes is about 3-7 total. Choose places for the holes where they might not get too big with wear. If you decide to go for long tears, reinforce them at the ends to prevent the entire pair of pants from ripping. Then get creative. A cheese grater gives great, ragged edges. a nail file or pumice stone adds texture. Be sure to toss your jeans in the dryer rather than line dry them, this ensures a more ragged, individual look.