DIY Upcycle knockoff $250 jeans for 99 cents or free.  Check the trends at your favorite designer online and the new boyfriend skinny with darker denim inlays under tatters are soooo in!  I am not paying their prices for something that takes a few minutes to make.  I skinnified them too-to a boyfriend, but you can make them supper skinny if you want.  These are made to be worn-or were shown online-with booties or fabulous shoes, heels and sandals.

1. If jeans are not already tattered, do so with sandpaper, rocks, box cutter, etc. You will need to wash them a few times to get frayed look-I pull threads after making cuts and then wash and trim some excess.  I was lucky enough to get these for 99 cents at thrift store (found two and will post other one after finished). I took darker denim scraps and pinned from outside around the holes after laying out the jeans.  Doesn't matter if you keep the inserts really flat because when I looked at the expensive ones they were not.

Here are the jeans before-hatted to cut off bottom but were going designer.

2.  Cut pieces of darker denim in rough shapes larger than the holes.  Place inside the holes and position so you can pin the fabric from the outside.  Rub the frays towards inside holes as you pin and clear way to sew.  You will have to keep doing this as you sew.  After pinning-may need to reach inside leg to do this-get sewing!  I took of the attached bobbin case so I could get in to sew better.  I had to bunch it to sew and went as close to where the tatters were located but if I was off a bit it did not matter when finished.  I used a similar color thread for top thread but bobbin thread doesn't matter.  Go slow and make sure needle is down as you rotate the jeans to sew.  Remove pins as you sew.  I also found it easier to sew from the top of the jean rather than inside the leg. After I got done I realized it would have been easier to split the pants up from the bottom to take in as skinny-see pics later.

Cut contrasting denim in large shapes to tuck and pin inside holes.  Do not worry you want it bigger because we are going to cut excess away later

I made another pair and wanted to put this alternative in here now.  You can slice up the leg prior to sewing (easier).  If you want to keep the inside seam you cut up center to knee if boyfriend skinny and then pin later.  I just found that the seam hangs funny if you don't keep it.  You also can remove the bottom seam because we are making them shorter and rolled.

Where to slice!

Pinned and ready to sew!

3.  After pinning from the right side sew close to the fray and hold fray while sewing from right side.

Sewing close to fry holding the fray as you sew.  Leave needle down as you turn the jeans to sew around fray.  Don't worry if material shifts and bunches a bit as you sew. 

This is what it looks like after sewn.  Fluff the fray a bit with fingers to hide the seams.

This is what it looked like as I sewed the seams-please don't be too anal here it turns out great.

4. Turn inside out to trim excess material.

Trim as close as you can without cutting through a stitch.  Mine was probably about 1/4 inch.

5. Turn right side out and should look like this.

6.  You cut along inseam leaving about 1/4 " material where you are going to sew-you will break needles sewing through seams and as you wash the slight fray looks cool or you can trim to seam if you don't want this. Pin the inseam to super skinny or boyfriend skinny.  Mine are boyfriend skinny with a roll hem-so in!  You are going to sew on the right side and this requires a bit of bunching and slow and stead as she goes sewing.

7. Decide length to roll to.  You want it above your ankle so your booties or shoes can show.  My inseam is 32-33 so I took it to about 27-27 1/2" after rolled.  You may need to trim excess material if you have to make it shorter.  You want a roll hem but don't want it too thick-we will roll twice and then sew on inside and outside hem so it stays when washing. You can still roll higher later after sewn depending on fashion statement.

8. Make sure both of your legs-especially at the bottom-match before sewing.  You can adjust pins accordingly-measure twice sew once is my rule!  I chose to have mine about 6 1/2 " I would not go beyond 7 1/2" unless you have wider ankle, which is not a crime my build is like my Great Grandma Hogan so I have tiny ankles-one of my positive characteristics-hehe although I was called chicken legs as a child-not so funny.

9. Now try on to make sure it is where you want it after you sew it.  This roll hem is not sewn, I was just seeing if it was where I wanted it-it was so more sewing and then I will be done!

Checked back too-perfect!

10. Now roll your cuff-I put this pair to 27 1/2".

Make sure both bottoms match by pulling crotch up and adjusting, roll once more and sew.

11. Sew on both sides of the seam line just inside so you don't break your needle (I broke two for you so don't do it!).  This means four seams for each leg.  Do not go to ends of cuff-looks stupid, about 1/4-1/2" inside the cuffs for seams and you won't notice them at all and won't come undone when washing.

TA DA, you are finished and now you look like the top end designer jeans for less than a dollar and a little sewing.  PLEASE leave message/comment and let me know how it went.  Do not be afraid-this is easy!!!