DIY American Flag Cut-Offs

Anything in USA's flag is really popular right now. Not that the American flag would be a fad or was ever not popular but you will be seeing it a lot this summer!

  These are so easy to make and for a lot less than the prices you find. Even for the non "do it yourself" peeps.

They are all adorable, but just these range from $78 to $179! 

I will tell you how I did mine. I made 4 so far and have made them all unique so bear with me on the tutorial as well as the awful iphone photos. Also, pictures will show another pair of jeans I did that I already sold but used for this tutorial.
Here is what I used:

old out of style jeans

scotch tape

red and white fabric paint

stencil paint brush

scissors

star stencil

*a pair of cut-offs or shorts to determine your length

 First, if you want cut-offs, jeans should not be too tight. If you do the longer roll ups, they can stand to be tighter.
These Hudson's are a bit tight on my rear so I will be going with the "roll up" style.

Place shorts beside and mark jeans, just how short you want them.

 Fold jeans in half and start from inseam (crotch) and cut lower than mark and angle up higher towards outer leg (just turns out better than way)

Now your ready to tape. Take two small pieces of scotch tape to make your "pattern/spacer". Tape the edges together length wise and it is now the width of your stripes

note:works with or without lint stuck all over... gah

Decide if you want horizontal or vertical stripes. I did horizontal and obviously used left leg for the stripes. 

Using the "spacer" start making rows with long pieces of tape the same width as your spacer.

Then put your spacer in between each row so that all rows will be even.

(the spacer will be moved when you paint in between each row. It's just to show where to start the next row of tape) Finish taping rest of leg and you can paint!

After leg is taped off, dab your stencil brush in red paint and paint only up and down(not side to side) It prevents paint going under tape as well as making them look more "vintage".

I chose to paint around all jean seams.

You can wait for it to dry or if you are impatient like me pull it off as soon as your done.

 

Now you have to tape again for the white stripes but you don't have to be as precise and picky. As long as you place the tape right along the edge of the red so the "negative" is painted white. (its okay not to be perfect. The stencil brush up and down makes it "vintagy" and old looking)

Now that the red is taped off, paint your white the same way! (I didn't even wait for red to dry before taping it and it turned out awesome)

Peel that tape off and your done with your stripes!

For the right leg's stars I used cardstock in a cricut and cut a star. After taking the cut star out you have a stencil. If you don't have a cricut, just draw a star and cut it out; doesn't have to be perfect!

(ignore the fact that these are a totally different pair...)

Paint the stars the same way as the stripes, dabbing up and down.

Almost done! If you are doing the fold up kind you can actually roll them  up and they will stay if they're tight enough. If you want cut-offs you will have to do some damage. Any kind of crazy kitchen tool, brick wall, sand paper etc. will fray and damage plus lots of washing and drying.

You can be done now or you can bedazzle some more!

I made a peace sign on one pair's rear pocket easily with some gun-metal brads

Just hand draw a peace sign with blue ink pen.

Can't really see in photo but as long as you can when you make them ; )

Start pushing the brads in at each point and start filling in. The brads went in really easy.

(not sure how they wash but shouldn't do much damage if its in between pocket and jeans)

Here it is done. Waaaay to easy.

There are so many ways you can do these. You can add more brads, sequins, rhinestones, etc.

You can stencil your initial (wish I did USA instead)

I've sewn actual fabric on and though time consuming, quite easy as well

I have also dipped the bottom of the cut-offs in bleach where they are half bleach half dark and they turned out really cute but don't have that pic!

Anyhow, here they are!

I am doing my last pair (the Hudson's shown in the beginning) size 28 if anyone is interested. I sold previous 3 for $40 so I will ask $40 for these!

I'll have pics of them finished if you inquire!

 

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