First there were the bootcut jeans, then the skinny jeans, then the ripped jeans ... and now the cropped jeans.
It seems like trends in denim come through faster than you can shake a well-dressed leg at, and while I truly believe trends only have as much power as you give them, the mullet hem jeans is a look I'm happy to give my attention (and DIY-ing proclivities) to.
Besides being a great way to upcycle an old pair of jeans, this DIY is also the patron saint of ankle-strapped shoes, giving that oft-covered up detail the perfect platform for display. Idk, maybe some DIY Pom-Pom Sandals would be perfect?!
Prep It:
Jeans Fabric scissors Seam ripper Pins Pen
Do It!:
- Laying the jeans flat, use the pen to mark where you think you want your new hem to be. Since these jeans will have a mullet hem, meaning the front is shorter than the back, you will want to have about 1 to 1 1/2 inches between the front hem and the back hem. Pin across these lines.
- Once your jeans are pinned, try them on carefully to make sure you like where the new hems will lie on your legs. If you think it's too short, re-pin a little lower. The pen will wash off, so nothing is permanent until you start cutting! Keep in mind that you will be fraying the hem, so afford a little extra length for this effect.
- When the jeans are pinned to the perfect length, lay them flat and cut up the inseam with the fabric scissors and hem the jeans, first on the front side, then on the back.
- To get that oh-so-chic fringed effect on your hem, use the seam ripper to start pulling threads loose from the fresh cut at the bottom of the jeans. This process might go slow at first, but once you get a few major threads loose, it will start going a lot faster!
- Part of the appeal of fringed jeans is that the fringe will continue to wear and distress naturally as you wear them, but if you want to keep the fringe exactly how you have it, lightly line the top of the fraying with a clear nail polish top coat and let dry!
