Ideas and Inspiration to Upgrade and Remodel Your Jeans – Inside Out

Jill Chivers 16 Style Types He recently shared with me some of his denim upcycling projects and I asked him to share some of his processes with me as it is a great way to create your own custom products as well as reduce the amount of waste from clothes you no longer wear.

Sustainability is important to Jill, and all her clothes are made from items she already owns or are thrifty (or a combination of both).

We decided to get together and in this video Jill talks to you about what she uses, how she does her projects, and some of the traps and techniques she uses to make her creations.

Watch Video on How to Upgrade and Refashion Your Jeans

Simple Skirt – 2 Pairs of Jeans

Here’s Jill’s first project, 2 jeans in a boot cut, one with straight legs and the other transformed into a gorgeous maxi skirt.

Leopard Straight Skirt – 1 Pair of Jeans

This was a pair of jeans that Jill transformed into a knee-length straight skirt.

Dark Denim Skirt – 2 Pairs of Denim + Denim Skirt

Start with a denim skirt, then add using 2 pairs of jeans to create a longer ribbed shape.

Taking pockets and details from jeans to embellish and create interest.

Denim Bolero Jacket – made of denim jacket and denim pocket

6 Denim Skirt

In this upcycling project, 6 pairs of jeans in different colors and washes were used.

Turquoise Dyed Jean Jacket

This jacket was pre-dyed (but you can easily make it yourself) before Jill cut it into a 3/4 sleeve bolero.

Embroidered Jeans

Jill bought these short jeans from the thrift store, then used other items to embellish them, such as swatches, appliqué leopards, and buttons.

Leopards and leopard print fabrics, along with a few floral elements and buttons, were used to turn these jeans into a one-of-a-kind garment.

Except for the buttons (on the front), the only piece that was not machine-sewn was the leopard on the right leg, which you can see below.

Lessons / Inspiration for Denim Upcycling

1. Give it a try… keep a light, playful demeanor… it’s supposed to be fun! It can even be therapeutic… treat it as an experiment…
2. Start with ‘low end’ parts… you don’t want to be afraid of ruining something expensive or valuable. Start with what the ops store finds, something to leave (give) from your wardrobe…
3. Know your limits (i.e. no precision sewing that requires real skill for me!) – focus on projects that use your skills and don’t bother you and put too much pressure on you… however, be prepared to try something out of your comfort zone…
4. Use online research for my two selves – Inspiration (use images as a starting point for your own creations) and Instruction (look for tutorials that will show you various ways to do just about anything)…
5. Let the clothes tell you what needs to be done… Be aware of prejudices… yes have a vision but don’t try to force it… work with what you have and let it develop and emerge…

Before cutting, make sure you get your measurements right!