How to Fade Jeans
While many people like the bright blue color of their jeans, there are some who prefer their denims to have a more faded, but fashionable look. Finding the right shade of faded jeans can be hard, though, so if this is your problem, you should just fade your jeans yourself. Here are three methods how.
The Sandpaper Method
What You’ll Need:
Sandpaper
Pencil
Procedure:
faded jeans
Get a piece of sandpaper, the most coarse and roughest type you can find. You can buy this from any hardware store.
Change into your jeans. Afterwards, get a pencil, and mark where you want the center of the fade to be positioned. Faded jeans usually have one pattern, the strongest found at the knees. It then fades into the ankles, towards the waist, and disappears halfway.
After you finished marking, take off your jeans. Get the sandpaper, then start rubbing at the point where the center of the fade is. Keep rubbing the area, until you get the fade you want, whether it’s heavy or light.
Find the points above and below the knee where you want the fade to end. Use the sandpaper again and rub these sections.
Finish the fade by rubbing the jeans between the knees and the ends above and below it. Fade lighter toward the light ends, and heavier near the knees.
Wash the jeans and let dry. If you think the fade is not enough, repeat the procedure.
Using Lemon
What You’ll Need:
Lemon juice (quart-concentrated)
Bucket
Water hose
Procedure:
You need to do this project outdoors, beside the clothesline, preferably on a sunny day. Gather all the materials you need.
Use the water hose and soak your jeans. Wring them well, to remove excess water.
Put the jeans in a bucket, then cover them with the concentrated lemon juice.
Let the jeans soak for a few hours, checking on them every now and then to see the fade.
When you’re satisfied with the fade, remove the jeans from the bucket. Hang on the clothesline.
Using the water hose again, rinse the jeans thoroughly.
Let the jeans dry in the sun to enhance the fade.
The Bleach Technique
What You’ll Need:
Bathtub
Bleach
Rubber gloves
Procedure:
Fill your bathtub with 8 to 10 inches of water, then mix in the bleach. If you don’t know how much to add or you just want to fade the jeans a bit, put in a small amount of bleach at first. You can always add more later.
Wear the rubber gloves as you mix in the bleach in the water. Bleach can irritate the skin, so gloves will protect you.
Lay the jeans in the water, as flat as possible. Remove wrinkles, so the fading will be even.
Allow the jeans to soak, checking every 20 minutes or so, until they are one to two times darker than how you want them to be. When they dry, they will lighten. Flip the jean every time you check, to make sure the fading is even.
After the jeans have faded appropriately, rinse them with cold water. Hang to dry outside.
Once dry, wash with fabric softener and detergent, to remove the bleach smell.
These three methods can effectively give your jeans the faded look you like. Try any of them, and you’ll soon flaunt a pair of beautiful faded jeans.