Wednesday, July 4, 2012

DIY: Mint Skinny Jeans from Thrifted White Pants

Mint is definitely in right now, and I couldn't be more pleased! I love pastel fashion and pastel colors in general, so being able to purchase them easily is awesome. I've seen mint and lavender skinny jeans around, but I absolutely HATE shopping for jeans. They never fit right and I hate trying on pair after pair only to come out of a store empty handed. I had given up hope on ever finding a pair that I liked and resigned myself to mint nail polish and accessories forever.


Mint

Mint by mia-moore featuring mid heels

While browsing Pinterest, I happened upon this tutorial for how to make your own mint jeans. At first, I wasn't that interested -- until I saw how you can tailor pants to fit like your favorite pair. What?! I decided to give it a shot and I am really pleased with the results.

before textafter text

DIY: Mint Skinny Jeans from Thrifted White Pants


step 1

Step One: Buy White Pants 

If you can find a thrifted pair that already fit you perfectly, great! Skip straight to step four. If not, just aim for a pair that fit your waist. Don't worry about the rest yet. 

I settled for these Nine West jeans pants from Goodwill, since they fit my waist and backside well.

step two
Step two b


Step Two: Pin and Sew to Skinny Your Jeans

Turn the white pants inside out. Using a pair of jeans that already fit you well, line up both pairs of pants on the outside of the pant leg. Pin the white pants on the inside. You can pin them together, like I did, or just pin the white pants. Whichever works for you! Sew a straight line by following the line you've made with the pins all the way down.

step 3


Step Three: Try on for Fit

This photo feels really Myspace, but we don't have a full-length mirror anywhere else in the apartment :)


Make sure your pants fit! I messed up a part of my pants so I had to seam rip and redo. Once they fit, cut off the excess fabric from the inside of the pants.


step 4

Step Four: Dye 

step 4 a


Follow the directions on your dye bottle. I used Tulip Green Vert, recommended by the tutorial linked to above. Some people were having a hard time finding the right color, so I took a picture of the bottle I used. I found it at Michael's, but it is probably available at any craft or hobby store.

As per the instructions, I added half the bottle to a washing machine full of hot water, then half a cup of salt and the pants, and stirred for 10 minutes. Check up on the color every now and then to make sure it's not too dark. Empty your washer, then run the pants on a cold cycle without soap. Hang dry or run them through the dryer.






That's it! Now you have cute, tailored mint skinny jeans!


Minty Fresh


That was way easier than I expected and I'm really excited to wear mine! I don't usually wear pants, but these are nice and comfortable and match so much of my closet.

If you give this a shot, please let me know and show me the end result in the comments! I'd love to see how yours turn out. 

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14 comments:

  1. BriannaDancerJuly 5, 2012 at 12:38 AM

    Mine turned out great! I saw the tutorial on pinterest and I saw you had commented. I came here to see how other people's jeans came out. Your tutorial is very in depth which I like. Thanks so much. Oh and I actually dyed my jeans pink which I was nervous about, but they turned out great.

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    Replies
    1. UnknownJuly 5, 2012 at 10:32 AM

      That's so wonderful! I was going to dye them lavender if I wasn't able to find the right dye. Do you have a picture of your pants? :)

      Mia

      Delete
  2. jorjiapeachJuly 5, 2012 at 11:32 AM

    awesomeeeee.

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  3. Highland FashionistaJuly 7, 2012 at 8:21 AM

    These turned out really great! I was just lusting after a pair of mint jeans but was unsure if I could pull it off. You have given me the confidence that I needed. Cheers!

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    Replies
    1. UnknownJuly 7, 2012 at 12:27 PM

      What a compliment, thank you so much! Let me know if you get some and link me to you wearing them! :)

      Delete
  4. UtterlyConfusedJuly 12, 2012 at 2:09 PM

    could you possibly do a video for the pinning and sewing part? Im still a bit confused unfortunately...):

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    Replies
    1. UnknownJuly 22, 2012 at 11:23 PM

      I'm not planning on making another pair of these, but if I ever do I will take video! Basically, all you do is take a pair of pants which fit and line the thrifted pants up with the other pair on the outside. Mark where the pants that fit are on the white pants, then sew there! Hope that made sense :)

      Delete
  5. elyciaJuly 27, 2012 at 7:08 AM

    This is really neat! I like the idea of tailoring jeans to fit like ones you love. What a great idea!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Shaina LongstreetJuly 30, 2012 at 10:33 PM

    Seriously such a great idea!! I saw that on Pinterest too, and would love to give it a try. That reminds me to keep my favorite pair of skinny jeans for fit even though they're worn through. Hopefully I'll find a great cheap pair of white ones to try this on soon. Thanks for the link in your comment on my blog! These turned out AWESOME!!

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  7. KaileyAugust 5, 2012 at 5:46 AM

    What a truly incredible post Mia! I absolutely love the end result, and this is just so useful! Thank you for sharing <3

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  8. AnonymousOctober 19, 2012 at 7:33 AM

    This is too cute. Seems like a really good way to personalize a thrifty find.

    ReplyDelete
  9. juniperbreaJuly 31, 2015 at 2:37 PM

    Totally adorabeezle! And "this photo feels really myspace" had me really LOL'g! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

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