How To Cut Jeans Into Shorts

Denim cut offs are the perfect bottoms for Summer, they are really cheap (sometimes not costing you anything, just a little time) and are really on trend. Instead of creating my own YouTube video with a denim shorts DIY, I have selected a few from YouTube which are really helpful and can show you just what to do to get those perfect vintage looking cut off denim shorts.

If you love the idea of the classic Levi’s 501 denim shorts which everyone wears to festivals, you can pick up a pair of old Levi’s jeans at Good Will for around $5 and cut those up to get that look, otherwise you can use a pair of old jeans that you no longer wear and don’t mind giving a new lease of life. I’ve also outlined some tips and included ways to DIY them even more with distressing, studs or dye! Guys, don’t worry! I didn’t leave you out either, I have included a DIY denim cut offs video for men at the bottom of this post and they look great! Happy DIY for Summer!

As you can see from the two videos above, marking where you want to cut your shorts is very important. Always make them longer to begin with so you can either cuff them or cut them a bit more after, if they are too short from the off then you can’t fix it.

Make sure you put them on and mark your lines where you want to cut, but then when you fold them over to make the incisions, be sure the waistband is lined up on either side so the jeans are equal lengths and cut at a slight angle. You want the front of the jeans to be shorter than the back as if you cut straight across, the back will be higher than the front when worn because your butt takes up more material. These are really important factors and areas where it goes wrong most of the time!

Studding/Distressing the shorts

After your shorts are the perfect length for you and you are happy, it’s time to think about distressing and embellishment. You can easily put holes and distressed areas in your shorts by following this video above, just by making a few snips and then pulling out the blue denim threads so you are only left with the white threads showing. This really adds to that vintage feel!

Dying the shorts

I made this video a long while ago, showcasing how to dip dye or ombre your denim shorts. It’s really easy to do and if you prefer to have some colour to yours and don’t want them plain, this is a great option! Just remember to use a dye sealant after so it doesn’t run. That’s very important!

Men’s denim cut offs

And as I mentioned above, guys, I didn’t leave you out! This is a great video on how amazing cut off denim shorts can look on men, especially when distressed! Just follow the same tips above, however you don’t need to cut them so much on an angle since they are a lot longer! Good luck!