About the Project:
Denim jackets and vests are always going in and out of style and with summer approaching, denim vests are hot, hot, hot (no pun intended)! If you have a denim jacket that you don’t wear anymore or can’t fit into, don’t donate it just yet! You can still salvage it by quickly turning it into a vest, like my old A&F one from high school.
Materials Needed:
-Denim jacket (any wash)
-Needle
-Sharp sewing scissors
-Thread (optional)
Step-By-Step:
1) Lay your jacket out flat and look closely at the seams on the sleeves. You will have to be careful which seams you unravel or else it might ruin the rest of the jacket. Most jackets have double seams on the sleeves—you will be taking both of them out.
2) Choose a sleeve to work on first. Take your needle and poke it under a seam to get started; you can start at the top or middle of the sleeve. Take your scissors and snip the thread. Keep doing this to the rest of the threads on the outside and the inside of the jacket. If you have a seam ripper, it would be faster to use it, but I prefer this method because there is more control.
3) When you reach the bottom of the sleeve (armpit area), you will have to cut this part off from the jacket. The seams start overlapping with the side seam of the jacket, so cutting will prevent too much unraveling. After you detach one sleeve, do the same steps to the other sleeve.
4) Optional: After you have removed both sleeves, you can choose to re-sew the arm circles. This is purely for aesthetics if you don’t want your vest to look like you actually cut off the seam.
5) There you go! This process is extremely easy but can get a little tedious. However, you now have yourself a cute denim vest! Pair this with patterns, floral prints, or even more denim. I love to wear my vest with a cute dress underneath. If you want to go the extra mile, add studs to give it an edgier feel.