How to Fade out Jeans
Put the jeans on., Take off the jeans., Get some fine sandpaper., Put the jeans on again., Learn how to ladder your jeans.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Put the jeans on.
Before trying to fade the jeans, you need to make sure that they fit comfortably and well.
Mark with chalk where you want to fade the jeans.
The jeans usually fade over time at the areas around the knee or thigh, but you can fade them wherever you would like.
Look in a mirror to check that you've marked the right spots. -
Step 2: Take off the jeans.
After you've checked if the jeans fit well and you've marked where you would like to distress them, take off the jeans.
Double check that you've marked the jeans at the right places.
You also take the jeans off for safety, sanding them down with them still on may hurt or at least be uncomfortable.
Lay the jeans flat on a table and put something like a small block of wood in the part of the leg that you marked with chalk. , Start lightly sanding over the block of wood.
Bits of fabric will bobble and fall off; that's what you're looking for.
The less colored fabric on the jeans, the more they will fade.
Be sure not to rub too hard, especially on the corners of the block, unless you're trying to rip the jeans.
If you're only trying to fade them, sand them lightly.
The sandpaper will lose roughness after a while.
Either use a different part of the sandpaper or get a new piece. , Look in a mirror and check that you like what you see.
If you don't, sand a bit more.
If you think you've sanded a bit much, don't worry.
You can fix this two ways.
The first way is to sand the rest of the jeans to make it blend in.
Go easy though, it's better to ruin a spot rather than the whole item of clothing.
The second way is to re-dye that area with some lightly colored dye.
For example, dye blue jeans with light blue dye.
Dye black jeans with a lighter black (but not grey) dye.
This will keep the area standing out too much. , -
Step 3: Get some fine sandpaper.
-
Step 4: Put the jeans on again.
-
Step 5: Learn how to ladder your jeans.
Detailed Guide
Before trying to fade the jeans, you need to make sure that they fit comfortably and well.
Mark with chalk where you want to fade the jeans.
The jeans usually fade over time at the areas around the knee or thigh, but you can fade them wherever you would like.
Look in a mirror to check that you've marked the right spots.
After you've checked if the jeans fit well and you've marked where you would like to distress them, take off the jeans.
Double check that you've marked the jeans at the right places.
You also take the jeans off for safety, sanding them down with them still on may hurt or at least be uncomfortable.
Lay the jeans flat on a table and put something like a small block of wood in the part of the leg that you marked with chalk. , Start lightly sanding over the block of wood.
Bits of fabric will bobble and fall off; that's what you're looking for.
The less colored fabric on the jeans, the more they will fade.
Be sure not to rub too hard, especially on the corners of the block, unless you're trying to rip the jeans.
If you're only trying to fade them, sand them lightly.
The sandpaper will lose roughness after a while.
Either use a different part of the sandpaper or get a new piece. , Look in a mirror and check that you like what you see.
If you don't, sand a bit more.
If you think you've sanded a bit much, don't worry.
You can fix this two ways.
The first way is to sand the rest of the jeans to make it blend in.
Go easy though, it's better to ruin a spot rather than the whole item of clothing.
The second way is to re-dye that area with some lightly colored dye.
For example, dye blue jeans with light blue dye.
Dye black jeans with a lighter black (but not grey) dye.
This will keep the area standing out too much. ,
About the Author
Stephanie Lee
Committed to making DIY projects accessible and understandable for everyone.
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