DIY Colored Skinny Jeans...Oh MY!!!

So, I posted a picture last week on facebook of a pair of skinny jeans I made.  I had numerous people ask me for the instructions on how I accomplished this feat, so I decided to do another pair and blog the instructions instead. :)

The "mint" jeans are the first pair I did.  The "tangerine" jeans are the ones I blogged.

I had seen many blogs on Pinterest on how to make your own skinny jeans.  The one I followed most was the Pretty Providence Blog.  However, I did do a few things differently than she did.

First off, I want to explain that these were both pairs of blue jeans I never wear anymore.  They were both a dark blue when I started this process.  I used one whole bottle of bleach on each pair to get them fully white.  You have to have patience when it comes to bleaching the jeans.  It took me a full day to get them completely white (there may be a little blue left in some places, but I was impatient and didn't want to bleach them one more time... I couldn't see the blue after dying them though.).  The mint pair were actually already skinny jeans, but the tangerine pair were not.  So below are the instructions on how to create a skinny jean out of a pair of boot cut jeans.

I started with this pair of boot cut jeans I never wear anymore.  There's a few paint splatters you can see from when I painted our guest bathroom. :)

Turn the pants inside out and pin down the leg to where it fits snuggly on your leg. 

Closer up of the pins down the leg.

Sew down the pin line.  Try the pants on (inside out) before you cut the excess off to make sure they'll fit.

Cut the excess off, flip them right-side out and try them on one more time.  Yay!  They fit and one side is done. 

Repeat those steps for the other side and voila, new skinny jeans out of boot cut jeans.

To achieve the tangerine color, I used Tulip Permanent Fabric dye in Bright Red and Rit Liquid Dye in Sunshine Orange.  I mixed half of the bottle of Rit and the entire packet of Tulip with hot water and 1/2 cup salt.  I stirred it constantly for about 20 minutes.  I felt the color was where I wanted it to be, so I rinsed them until the water ran clear, then washed the jeans by themselves.  I think they turned out pretty fun!  Here are the pictures to do with these instructions.

Putting the jeans in the bleach bath.

NOTE: I've had a few friends try this, and they've had a problem.  Make sure you always dilute your bleach.  Bleach will eat straight through most fabrics if not diluted.  You may have to do the bleach process two or three times, but it will save your clothes! :)

The jeans after going through three rounds of hot water and bleach.

Yay!  After the dye bath and one more wash.

To achieve the mint color, I used Tulip Permanent Fabric dye in Green.  The instructions say to mix the packet with hot water and 1/2 cup salt.  It also says to stir constantly for 15 minutes then occasionally for 45 minutes.  I didn't want the full green, I wanted the mint color, so I only left it in for the 15 minutes.  I then rinsed until the water ran clear, then washed the jeans by themselves.  They turned out perfectly!!

Funny enough, I wore the mint jeans out this weekend with Nick, and I found this pair of jeans at Target. :)

Mine cost a lot less!

I'll leave you with two self-portraits of the skinny jeans!

NOTE: I've had a few friends try this, and they've had a problem.  Make sure you always dilute your bleach.  Bleach will eat straight through most fabrics, so diluting it will save your jeans.  You may have to do the bleach process two or three times, but it will save your clothes! :)