DIY Embellished Jeans

Each season I clear out my closet and part with things that I no longer wear or that no longer fit. These jeans were originally in the toss pile. Although they still fit, I didn’t reach for them in months. They were on the top of a little pile I made, and I walked by them for a few days. Then, I thought about using them to experiment with a trend I’ve been DYING to try—Embellished everything! Sweaters, jeans, shoes, jackets. You name it. You can find them embroidered, or bedazzled. As a trend, it’s a fun one, but would I wear embroidered anything next year? Probably not. So, while I didn’t want to spend the money, I still kind of wanted to get with this trend. It’s also a great way to update a piece in your wardrobe that you might not feel is trendy anymore. A jean jacket can get a new look with a few embroidered roses on it, so could a sweater. For me, it was these jeans and a little bejeweling. Like all of my DIYs, this one is a breeze, with only a few supplies and not too much time. Read on for how to DIY embellished jeans.

Before I added anything to these jeans, I cut the hem. I think the short, above ankle raw hem  made these old jeans a little more modern. I also exaggerated the existing hole. I thought the distressed look with the jewels would make them a bit more casual, because I planned on wearing them casually.  If you’re not sure how to create a raw hem, check out this post for a quick tutorial.

Supplies

a bag of jewels or pearls—Whatever you want to use to embellish the jeans. I purchased a 7oz box of jewels from Michael’s for $7 and I hardly put a dent into it, which means you’re going to see a lot more bedazzling around here. Sorry. Not sorry. 

a hot glue gun

glue sticks

a pair of tweezers—Full disclosure; my mom was visiting during this time so I asked for her help. I swear she likes these type of projects, and she ened up doing most of this. She found tweezers were easier to use rather than trying to pin the jewel where you want with your fingers

Directions

Before we started gluing, we played with the jewels to set out a design. I knew I wanted them to be on the bottom and a little bit on the top of the jean. I also thought about putting some jewels on the front high thighs, but I also remembered that I have a toddler. So I figured I needed to keep my lap area clear.

Knowing what kind of design you want is really half the battle. Then my mom glued each little jewel to its place. We wanted a symmetrical look, but it didn’t have to be perfect. The glue gun was a good choice, since none of the jewels fell off and I wore these jeans out and about twice.