Paint Your Jeans

Before and After
Why not? It's easy! How many pairs of plain blue jeans do you have?
I bet you could stand to make one pair a bit more interesting.

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What you'll need:

  • Acrylic paint in multiple colors or primaries for mixing (red, yellow, blue, white, black)
  • Fabric Medium
  • Palette for mixing (I use old Cool Whip lids)
  • Jar of water
  • Paint brush
  • A pair of jeans--preferably skinny jeans

Mix a few drops of fabric medium and water into your paint as you blend colors on the palette. You want the paint to be thin but still opaque. Then just go at it! Get creative. I painted mine by making a color and drawing it in long strips randomly all over the jeans, and so on, and so on. I left some blank spaces and then later filled them in with glitter paint--hard to see in the photos. The whole process took about an hour and a half, I'd say, maybe two hours. I do recommend doing this outside as it can get messy! I splattered some different colors of paint across the jeans as well just to--well, I don't know why--just because I'm an artist. Ha! Here I am in my creation:

Me in my painted jeans.

I think of them as my "Crayon Box" jeans because they remind me of looking into a child's crayon box, the kind with the used crayons that have lost their labels all jumbled together. They're definitely more interesting than plain blue jeans, aren't they?

  • Seneca Rising cardigan from REVOLVEclothing
  • Silence & Noise tank top
  • DIY multicolor sequin bangle (see here)
  • DIY multicolor painted "Crayon Box" jeans!
  • Vintage booties

Let me know if you decide to try this project! I'd love to see the result. :)

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Other easy DIY posts you might like:

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Filed in: DIY by Annie Spandex.


46 Responses to “Paint Your Jeans”

  1. Love, on April 30th, 2010 at 12:03 am Said:

    So cool! I’m one of the few people that finds blue jeans in general to be boring. Because everyone wears them. But it’s good to see someone push to be more creative.

  2. vint junky, on April 30th, 2010 at 2:28 am Said:

    Brilliant DIY! I LOVE them

    xxx

  3. nookie, on April 30th, 2010 at 2:34 am Said:

    they look so good, great DIY!!

  4. EmilyKennedy, on April 30th, 2010 at 5:40 am Said:

    Oh wow! Those look rad!

  5. prettyneons, on April 30th, 2010 at 7:14 am Said:

    “crayon box” haha lurrrrrve it!
    I’m forever chucking fabric paint over my clothes,its such a blast,I always play some loud tunes before I get going too.
    have a great weekend yeah?

    peace
    prettyneons x

  6. M.Soleil, on April 30th, 2010 at 7:50 am Said:

    These look pretty awesome. I’ve been wanting to do something with metallic paint on jeans so thanks for the inspiration!

    - M.Soleil

  7. Danielle, on April 30th, 2010 at 8:14 am Said:

    I’ve always wanted to do this! I’ve done some interesting things with skirts but not jeans.

  8. Winnie, on April 30th, 2010 at 8:29 am Said:

    This is an awesome idea! They turned out so well!

  9. Sher, on April 30th, 2010 at 10:04 am Said:

    Wow, this is really really cool! I like it so much!!

    xx

  10. Style Eyes Fashion Blog, on April 30th, 2010 at 2:03 pm Said:

    I love your jeans. I really have to try this. I am slightly concerned that I wouldn’t get any where near as good result though!

  11. Ruta, on April 30th, 2010 at 7:03 pm Said:

    I love this DIY. You did an amazing job! So amazing.

  12. Stella, on April 30th, 2010 at 7:29 pm Said:

    Wow- yours turned out amazing! Good look! And I looooove Seneca Rising!

  13. All Women Stalker, on May 1st, 2010 at 12:39 am Said:

    You are one talented lady, Annie. :)

  14. jasna, on May 1st, 2010 at 6:54 am Said:

    Another fabulous DIY post!! xx

  15. kallie, on May 1st, 2010 at 7:11 am Said:

    Awesome project! They came out great! All the colors make them so wonderful. I actually can’t find jeans that fit (ever) so I only have 2. Once I get some more I’m gonna get crafty :)

  16. Clara, on May 1st, 2010 at 7:24 am Said:

    creative and amazing!
    love it
    xx

  17. chloe, on May 1st, 2010 at 8:15 am Said:

    oh annie, the bright colours suit you so much! this diy reminded me of a pair of jeans i saw once in a magazine with paint splattered on them, i wonder if i might attempt a diy?…
    although now that i think about it, i actually don’t have many pairs of blue jeans, how strange!…

  18. Victoria, on May 1st, 2010 at 11:27 am Said:

    that’s sooo coool !! :D

  19. erin, on May 1st, 2010 at 11:42 am Said:

    very cool. they look well done.

  20. April, on May 1st, 2010 at 12:25 pm Said:

    this is extremely awesome – i can’t wait to try it myself :D

  21. Jillian, on May 1st, 2010 at 4:02 pm Said:

    I can’t stand the idea of people buying paint splattered jeans in a store when it’s so easy to make something unique/awesome like your jeans!

  22. millan, on May 1st, 2010 at 6:52 pm Said:

    sooo cute!!!
    I want to sak you to paint again for me.
    How much do i have to pay for it?! lol

  23. designer jeans, on May 1st, 2010 at 8:39 pm Said:

    Ahhh I totally have a perfect pair of jeans to try this with. Thank you so much, I will be getting down to jeans painting business tomorrow!

  24. Gem Fatale, on May 2nd, 2010 at 12:10 pm Said:

    Holy shit, this is actually amazing!!
    I’m your new biggest fan xo

  25. Lydia, on May 2nd, 2010 at 2:07 pm Said:

    They’re so Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat! Cute though :)

  26. Cristina, on May 2nd, 2010 at 6:34 pm Said:

    Great diy! Perfect way to add some unexpected color.

    xx FujiFiles

  27. amber, on May 2nd, 2010 at 7:34 pm Said:

    these are so much fun! What a great idea!

    Amber
    ambersmouthwash

  28. Sydnie, on May 2nd, 2010 at 8:58 pm Said:

    These look AWESOME! I absolutely adore the pattern you painted, and I can’t wait to make my own jeans!

    Sydnie
    http://www.takemeouttotherunway.blogspot.com

  29. Annie Spandex, on May 3rd, 2010 at 1:47 am Said:

    EVERYONE – Thanks for all the encouragement and good feedback! It means a lot to me. xoxoxxoxxx

    Love – Excactly! They are boring! Thanks for the love. xx

    prettyneons – That’s awesome. I wanna see!

    M.Soleil – Please send me a photo or a link! I can imagine some really great things happening with gold or silver paint.

    Danielle – ooh, I bet! You are very creative. xx

    Style Eyes – You can totally pull these off! I was just drawing lines. You can do it :)

    Stella – I have so much love for you, babe! You are the awesomest. Seneca Rising needs to hire you! :)

    Chloe – That doesn’t surprise me. But I bet you have a lot of black ones! Hmm? hmm?

    April – Send pics!

    Jillian – Eh, some people don’t want to mess with it. But for those who do it can be very uplifting–I mean the act of creating something is very therapeutic.

    millan – Yes, babe! I’ll do it for $50. :D Email me if you’re serious.

    designer jeans – Spammy name but I believe you. Send pics!

    Gem Fatale – Your name is awesome and you have a new fan in me as well. xx

    Lydia – Lol, it’s true–they kinda are! I’ll take that as a compliment.

    Sydnie – Send pics!!

  30. miya, on May 3rd, 2010 at 2:15 am Said:

    i’m your fun.your tast is very cute and nice!
    it is such a nice jeans.
    it makes me remember the festival in japan.

    http://www.city.tatebayashi.gunma.jp/topics/koinobori/index.html

  31. Tamara, on May 3rd, 2010 at 1:40 pm Said:

    They look really cool actually! Gotta try it at home…

  32. Annie Spandex, on May 3rd, 2010 at 4:32 pm Said:

    miya – That’s awesome. I would love to go to Japan one day.

    Tamara – Do it and send pics!

    Thanks again, everyone.

  33. louis vuitton handbags, on May 5th, 2010 at 5:46 am Said:

    really like the idea to make the jeans so colorful,it makes you look great in those jeans,i have made something similar to my jeans i just cant anymore get into them… :) guess why???

  34. in, on May 5th, 2010 at 5:59 am Said:

    Gotta get some war paint..

  35. x Corrine/Frock & Roll x, on May 5th, 2010 at 8:42 am Said:

    This is AMAZING and in fact, I’ve just mentioned you HERE! :

    http://www.frockandrollonline.com/blog/outfit-voyeurism-what-makes-you-tune-in/

    xoxo

  36. Annie Spandex, on May 7th, 2010 at 8:59 pm Said:

    Louis – I dunno. Are you a spam robot?

    in – Do it!

    Corrine – That means so much to me. Thanks for the encouragement! xx

  37. WendyB, on May 7th, 2010 at 9:14 pm Said:

    Looks great!

  38. Susi, on May 9th, 2010 at 3:36 am Said:

    Wow this is fabulous!!! You did a great job!!! So unique – I really like that!!!

    <3
    Susi

  39. aarp medical insurance, on May 9th, 2010 at 9:01 am Said:

    Really awesome, I love diy ideas. I have learned a lot through doing my DIY projects in the past, as well as was able to save multitudes of cash too hahaha

  40. MAGDArling, on May 9th, 2010 at 10:48 am Said:

    gr8 idea and well done! u look fabulous;)

  41. dreamy, on May 12th, 2010 at 5:21 am Said:

    wow they look really cool!!

  42. Marilynka, on May 12th, 2010 at 9:41 am Said:

    wow those pants looks really nicely done

  43. sewa mobil, on June 30th, 2010 at 7:35 pm Said:

    i really like ur jeans so cool and also the shoes so funky

  44. Julie, on July 7th, 2010 at 4:27 pm Said:

    This is so cute! I’ll have to try it on my old skinnies.

    Mix things up a little!

  45. Hopiee, on August 16th, 2010 at 2:44 pm Said:

    Those are awesome! Thanks for telling how to do this! Ive been looking for something like thise for a while now! You rock!!

  46. Alfred J. Barrera, on September 4th, 2010 at 2:11 pm Said:

    love love love.

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