Ahhh summer. ‘Tis the season for cutoffs, especially of the DIY variety. I honestly make 90% of my jean shorts because 1: it puts an old unloved pair of jeans to good use, 2: you can have some fun customizing them, 3: I saves you some money, and 4: they tend to fit better.
So here is a pair of shorts that combine a few of my favorite things: tie dye, ombre, and neon.
Here we go…
Tools. A pair of old jean shorts (or a pair of old jeans you just cut into shorts). A bandana, fabric dye, neon fabric paint, a needle and thread, and a glass bowl full of water.
1: Tie dye a bandana. I did the traditional accordion fold technique: So with the Bandana lying flat, fold it in 1 inch folds (think of how you used to make paper fans in grade school).
2: Tie the ends tightly with a rubber band, then fold in half, and secure with a few more rubber bands. Place it in a medium size glass bowl full of fabric dye. If you have a squirt bottle you can also squirt the dye on. Let sit for a while ( 20 minutes or so).
3: Rinse out the bandana in a sink or outside with a hose until the water runs clear. Wring it out, then lay it flat and cut in half.
4: Back to the shorts. Cut out a triangle on the side seam of the shorts. To make them even, use the scrap piece from one leg as a stencil for the other leg. FYI, the more fabric you cut out, the more bandana will show. Show as little or as much as you want.
5: Turn the shorts inside out, then cut a piece of the bandana that will be about 1-2" larger than the area you cut out of your shorts (use the scrap piece of shorts you cut out as your guide if you need one)
6: Using a needle and thread ( or a sewing machine if you have one), do a simple stitch and sew on the bandana with a stitch that’s about a half an in h in from the edge of the denim. Repeat on the other side.
7: Turn shorts inside out. Pretty cool.
8: Using your neon fabric paint, paint on some neon accents, I went with some chevrons along the side seams and belt loops, then smeared a little around the pockets. Let dry for a little bit.
9: Now let’s make this all come together with some ombre. Using your bowl of dye you used to tie dye the bandana, dunk your shorts a little under half way in, then let the very bottom part of the shorts sit in the dye for a while (I did about 2 hours)
10: Once the neon paint is dry, rinse shorts thoroughly with water until the water runs clear. Throw them in the dryer.
Voila! Some sweet & new, totally made by you, shorts to rock all summer
….That cost under $6 to make.
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Holla!
