When you have a pair of favorite jeans that you want to make look distressed with a few rips here and there, to follow the fashion trends or sport your own sense of personal style, sandpaper can help you accomplish the task. The grade of sandpaper that you choose to use is vital for the process to have a good outcome. The rougher the grade of sandpaper, the more effective the wear on the denim will be.
Place the jeans on a flat work surface. Choose the areas of the jeans where you want to make rips.
Rub on the first area with a piece of 30 or 60-grit sandpaper. Have patience because you will have to wear down the denim fibers to create the rips.
Stop sanding once you make a rip in the jeans. Cut the rip with a pair of scissors to customize it, or leave it as is.
Repeat Steps 2 and 3 with other places on the jeans until you achieve the look you want.
Wash the jeans after this process is complete, before wearing them for a more naturally distressed look.
Tip
For extra originality, you can use finer grades of sandpaper to create some random slightly worn spots on the jeans.
Warning
Take it slow when distressing your jeans so you'll achieve a look you like. You can always go back and make more rips and worn places.
References
Writer Bio
Based in Texas, Cynthia Measom has been writing various parenting, business and finance and education articles since 2011. Her articles have appeared on websites such as The Bump and Motley Fool. Measom received a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Texas at Austin.