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Yes! I am so happy with how this re-fashion turned out. I have been longing for mint jeans (along with the rest of the English speaking-world) all spring. So I decided to do something about it. And that something was not spending $60 on up for the available options. See my tutorial below!
First I bought a pair of white jeans for $6 at Savers. They weren’t skinny jeans, just plain old straight leg.
So I quickly fixed that problem with seriously basic sewing. Which I’ll explain:
I bought them because they fit in the waist and that’s about all I cared about. To be clear: I did not alter the waist at all. Just the legs from mid-thigh down to the bottom.
All I did was turn the white pants inside-out, lay a pair of skinny jeans I had that fit well on top of them. I pinned the white ones right on the line of the inside where I wanted to sew them up. I sewed the straight line along where I had pinned. Then cut the excess fabric off, and they were skinny.
After that was done I used Tulip brand dye in the shade ‘Green Vert’ to turn them mint green.
The dye was $2 after coupon at Hobby Lobby. Just follow the directions on the package… Instead of putting in a sink or bucket like the package told me, I soaked them in my washing machine. No mess! I opted for a lighter mint so I only kept mine in for about 15 mins, but you can go pretty dark if you want to, just by leaving it in longer. And, no, nothing else turned green after that – the washing machine rinsed out on it’s own.
Cue angels singing.
Here I am, uneasily taking pictures of myself with self-timer so that I can show this to you all. I am truly happy to do it. I just don’t know what faces to make? Where should I put my arms? Etc.
If you loved this post, you will also love DIY Tie & Suspenders Wedding Onesie and Thrifted Sweatshirt Refashion
Update: This doesn’t seem to work exactly the same for everyone. Some people report having their jeans turn lime green, and some of them have countered that by re-dying with a small amount of teal blue dye. I have not tried this personally but hopefully that helps if yours do not turn out as minty! :) Also, I am happy to answer questions, but if the answer is written in the post above I will not answer it in the comments. Please read the entire post before asking questions.
wow lovely photos and styling I like It. Thanks for sharing.
You are so welcome!
Me encanto la reduccion de las piernas. Quiero aprender
Graciad
How do I tighten those baggy dress pants.
You could always test the color first with the scraps after “skinny-ING” your jeans.
Genius! Great idea.
I wouldn’t take the time to do this (probably) because I’d be scared of screwing them up but you are BRILLIANT! Altering the jeans is a great idea!
I’d suggest putting the jeans on inside-out, having a friend pin them and try sitting and walking around with them before committing to sewing. Sure, you can always rip out a seam, but who wants to have to do that?
Put one arm on the hip and let the other hang down. Then on the side that the hand is hanging down bend that knee and relax. For example if your left arm is on your hip then your right arm is hanging down. So your right leg is bent. And your left leg is straight.
omg i love this idea! im definitely going to try this with some of my jeans!
Some fabrics won’t take color as well or in the same way as others. Generally speaking, natural fibers (pure cotton denim) will turn out as expected, while fabrics that have other fibers (like a stretch of some sort) might turn out a bit different from what you might expect. Check the label first.
Great advice! Thanks Margie!
Is it better to use the powder or liquid dye? I’m so scared to try this. I don’t want them to turn lime green! I’d appreciate any extra tips! Thanks!
hello ! first you are so pretty , second did you cut your pants on both sides or only on the inter side? thnx
Quick question: Hopefully you see this one Sarah :)… Has the dye lasted a while even after washing or do you try not to wash them as much?
In general with colored jeans I try not to wash them very much, because I don’t want the color to fade. This color in particular is difficult to do that with because they are so light that they show dirt very easily so I just wear them less so I can wash them less… haha. I hope that helps!
These are so cute! I want to try it because no where seems to have exactly what I’m looking for, and I like crafts :)
My only worry is that the dye will wash out in the machine/get on other clothes, did you have that problem? Thanks for the tutorial! :)
I did not have any problems with the dye washing out or onto other clothes. The dye set in pretty well with my pair!
Have you ever tried Color Catcher sheets? I use them with all my colored clothes. Just throw one in the washer. If any colors would bleed, these sheets will prevent prevent it. Buy at grocery store.
That is so genius! Thanks for sharing Sue!
aargh! I just got them for $50 after thinking about them the whole summer! Wish had seen this earlier..will try some other colors :) thanks for the tutorial!
If you are altering your jeans you could always use the cut pieces to ‘test’ the dye color before you throw your actual jeans in the dye. Then you’re guaranteed to know what color you are going to get :)
so I am wondering did she wash them while attached to her skinny jeans and that is how they shrunk? I feel like I am missing something or there is a step missing
No I did not shrink them I sewed them into skinny jeans and then dyed them.
Great tutorial, alot of ppl ask questions that you have already answered, some multiple times, ppl should read all the info already given before asking questions, it would save alot of time
Hi there! I found you on Pinterest and featured you on my blog http://www.LadyofWhimsy.blogspot.com! Also, I hope you don’t mind but I used your pic. If you want me to not use it, just let me know and I will remove it no questions asked. Great post thanks for sharing and keep up the good work girls!
Great idea! There is little chance that I will find cheap jeans that fit my waist (unless they’re in the children’s department), but if I could, I love the idea!
OK so, I read everyone’s comments and was very nervous but I just did this and they turned out exactly like your picture!!! I used the green vert tulip dye that mixes into a liquid. I used one half of the liquid with a 1/4 cup of salt and ran it through the low cycle in the wash with hot water. The cycle took 14 minutes and when the green water drained I ran it through the spin cycle to get the water out and put them in the dryer to set the color. Then I ran them through a cold water wash cycle to make sure they didn’t run. The color is perfect. THANKS!!
I definitely want to try this, they look great! What type of dye did you use? Is there’s certain type meant for clothing?
It’s tulip dye and it is specifically meant for clothing! It can be found at the craft store.
Such a great way to get colorful jeans for cheap! love how they turned out!
Brilliant and so so cute!
megthecoolgirl.blogspot.com
I used Green Vert from Hobby Lobby and mine turned out a bright lime green after only leaving them in the dye for not even 10 minutes. What dye color should I try to balance them out with?
– Jen
This tutorial made me so happy when I found it, but the way mine turned out made me a tad less excited. Unfortunately, I just don’t feel like I can rock neon lime green jeans. I put it in the dye for 7-8 minutes in a bucket.
I think that it would have worked better if I only used half the packet of dye, and perhaps some more water, to water it down. I’m going to try using the RIT Dye remover talked about in the comments, and possibly try re-dying with a bit of turquoise, and see if that turns them more minty. Well, back to the dye bucket.
You could also try leaving them in longer, or using the opposite of what type of dye you have. (Like powder for liquid or liquid for powder.)
That is so cool!!! I am VERY impressed with this idea. I just need to get myself a sewing machine and get to work!
So.. random question!! Did the pants fit your butt and waist when you bought them?? Or did you have to alter them in size too??
I want to make these…does the dye come off onto your legs or things you sit on?
I dont understand how you “pinned and sewed” a straight line?? Could you do a video please?
*Utterly Confused*
❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
LOVE THESE!!! HAVE TO TRY!!!!:) but just 2 questions. 1. Can you use different colors instead of mint? 2. Can you use denim skinny jeans and bleach them then dye them? THANKS :)
Thank you for an awesome tutorial! I followed it and my jeans turned out perfectly. Here’s a link to the ones that I did: http://miaa-moore.blogspot.com/2012/07/diy-mint-skinny-jeans-from-thrifted.html
I linked to your tutorial as well. Yay! Thanks again :)
– Mia
http://miaa-moore.blogspot.com
Can you explain how to make them skinnies more clearly? It was a little confusing. Could you make a video?
Can you make a video on how to make them into skinny jeans? I have no idea how to do that part :)
I did this yesterday, and my pants turned out perfect! I filled my sink with enough hot water to submerge the pants, and squirted in about half a bottle of the Tulip Green Vert (which I found at my local Michael’s store in the tie dye section) and let my pants soak for 15 minutes, checking them continuously. The color is amazing! Such a great idea!
Washing machine safe? Did you wash them yet? And if so, did the colors fade?
For everyone out there that can’t find the packets….( I was one of you!)
I found the Green Vert in a small pouch not in the tie dye section. A.C. Moore has them close to the T-Shirts and not by the RIT dye.
After you sewed it, did you cut off the excess? Also, did you sew up both seams, or just the in-seam?
In a response to a previous post, she answered that yes, she did cut off the excess and only sewed up the in-seam
What if u have white skinny jeans then what?? Can u skip one step??!
you are a life saver. I’m basically broke but reallllllyyyyy want to make some cute jeans/shorts for the summer! this is amazing. Thanks so much! I really love the resizing tip. it helps so much when buying cheap jeans that don’t fit well.
Very awesome!! You are very pretty as well. :)
You are so awesome & crafty!!!
I have an extra pair of white skinnies already,
I can’t find a mint pair that I love even though it seems like everyone is wearing them! I’m so doing my own this weekend.
Thank you :):)
Thank you so much for the idea!! Where I live there is no savers so, do you know anywhere else you can get white jeans for less?? Also, where did you get the dye???
Thanks
Liz
AMAZING!!! THANKYOU-THANKYOU-THANKYOU!!!
Cool! I did the exact same thing with some jeans I turned yellow, here: http://www.adventuresindressmaking.com/2012/04/weekend-success-dyed-jeans.html
And I recently did some mint dying too, with Dylon blue and green! Posting on it soon…
Sorry I know you’ve had a lot of questions about these, but I’m just wondering how did you clean up the mess in your washer when you were finished? where did all the water go? Also is the dye permanent or do you have to be careful washing them? Thanks! :)
So my mint jean experiment was a huge fail.
I searched high and low for the exact dye, tulip green vert. I followed the directions exactly, steaming water, 1/4 cup salt, stir constantly for 15 minutes. They turned lime green…yikes, not mint.at.all.
I then read this comment section for tips. I ran out to get 2 packs of rit color remover. Did the process detailed on package directions….same exact lime green color.
In a last ditch effort I attempted to bleach them and after 2 cycles with a ton of bleach….they are yellow-gold.
Luckily I just saw mint skinny jeans at Target for $25…money well spent.
@angelinamarie – thank you! Mine turned out lime green not mint. I am getting the color remover now and hopefully I can fix mine!
Ok seriously!!??? This is so freaking adorable and makes me want to run to the nearest goodwill and find some white pants!! I have always wanted to use fabric dye for clothes but never have! This makes me more confident to try it htough! And to try altering jeans so easily! So smart!
I love this and would love for you to link this up to our naturally-Nifty party this week going on right now!
http://natural-nester.blogspot.com/2012/05/naturally-nifty-linky-party-14.html
I’ve been looking for mint jeans for ages and they are always sold out. I can’t believe that I didn’t think of dying my own. I can’t wait to try this.
Daydreams & Destinies
after you said this:
And then there is me, uneasily taking pictures of myself with self-timer so that I can show this to you all. I am truly happy to do it. I just don’t know what faces to make? Where should I put my arms? Etc.
…i had no choice but to follow your blog. hilarious and a little awkward, yet completely lovely. this is a great idea. :)
Those are SO PERFECT!!! I am going to the thrift store to find some white jeans.
Wow, such an awesome DIY, it’s especially perfect for the pastel trend this season.
Mine turned out great!! I did teal dye and the pants turned out a light aqua blue. Just like I wanted! Have you tried washing yours after you have worn them? I am worried that they will fade and will bleed dye onto my other clothes. Let me know! Thanks!
Yep mine turned out lime green as well! So sad!
did this and it failed… I was so disappointed. :( they turned out lime green… not mint green. And I kept them in for only 13 minutes!
Bummer! I wonder why…? on the bright side there is always the option of re-dying?! Maybe a darker color? Cobalt blue is the color I have been hoping to do next!
Can you tell me what material your jeans are made of? I left my jeans (98% cotton/2% spandex) in the green vert for about 10 mins and it turned an ugly green! Help!! Only the inside pockets were mint color!
Mine are the same, 98%/2%- Bummer that happened. I bet they can be fixed somehow!
I re dyed it with teal and it came out a sea green which is still better than before. How hot was your water? I’m thinking my water was too hot so it turned out super green?
I did my jeans with almost boiling water and left them in for 15 minutes and they turned out lime green too…so I did some research and found that Rit Dye makes a Color Remover (bought it at Walmart) and used it to lighten my jeans. I had to do the process twice, but I got them to a very light minty green color! Definitely worth trying on your pair
Oh forgot to add…I found the Rit Color Remover on the laundry aisle next to the bleach.
Mine turned out Lime green, I used the tulip green vert and left them in for 15 mins…
Aeropostale is currently selling white skinny capris for $9.99, so if you’re not good at sewing or think its too much work and are willing to pay a little more I would try Aeropostale.
Awesome tip Mickaela! I have been wondering if I can find some cheap ones that are already skinny so I can skip the sewing step. Thanks!
To all of you who have questions, I am going to do a more in-depth tutorial as soon as I get the time. I have not had a chance yet due to a lot of things going on in my personal life. I’m sorry if I was not specific enough in the first one! I am new at this tutorial thing so I hope you can bear with me as I learn :)
Ok, so when you were making the jeans skinny where exactly did you stop with the sewing and the cutting because when I tried to make a pair I had to sew to the original “crotch hem” and then when I cut the hemming was not sturdy enough and a huge hole ripped right through the crotch…not cute. Please help.
I wish I knew how to help, unfortunately I am not a very good seamstress. This was one of my first sewing projects. I stopped up at the top of the thigh where the pants fit me right so I did not have to do anything with the crotch area.
So let me clarify, haha! So when you were dying the jeans, you decided to use the washing machine instead of filling a bucket or sink? And you didn’t even turn on the washer? You just acted as though it was a huge bucket? Because I thought you dyed it through machine washing it so I was just looking up “How To’s” on that for the past half hour, and let me tell you, it does not look easy! haha! There is a whole technique to it and I was just about to give up until I read some of your replies!
Also, would it be a good idea to just take a pair of old jeans and bleach them white? And then dye them mint green after?
Yes to all of those questions! I have seen a tutorial on bleaching and then dying before. Here is the link:http://cottonandcurls.blogspot.com/2012/03/dying-jeans-or-pantspurple-this-time.html
I just tried it ans my first attempt didn’t work because i had the wrong green. My second try turned out awesome! I bought a cheap pair of white jeans,and washed them and left them wet. I filled the washing machine for a small load on hot water, added the Tulip brand green vert dye to the water along with 1/4 c salt. I put the wet jeans in, put lid down and let it aggitate for the cycle time. mine was about 12 min or so. Let it rise and spin and when they were done they looked great. Good luck with yours!!!!
This is brilliant, so obvious, yet so brilliant.
Question though, did you sew up the inside seam or the outside seam?
Inside!
Thanks for this tutorial it is absolutely genius! The only problem I am having is finding that dye color. I went to the Orem hobby lobby and had no luck! Do you think green and maybe the teal or turquoise together would make a mint color? I also want to know where you at the jazz game last Monday night? I swear I saw a girl in this exact outfit!
Atryell that is so funny, yes I was at that Jazz game! Debuting my new outfit :) I think you could probably have luck doing that with the two colors but I have never tried it so who knows? If you have a white tee you don’t care about anymore maybe you could do a test run and see how it looks?
Do you just use like tye dyeing dye? or is it a specific type of dye?
No if you search for tulip brand dye online of in your local craft store you will find tye dying dye as well as regular permanent dye, the latter is the kind you will want to use if you want an even color all over.
Oh my word! Making theses! So great! (Can you tell by my exclamation points I’m excited, haha)
Why is this the perfect mint?? I fell in love with the aqua mint pants from American Apparel, but was not willing to spend $75 for them. I found them on Overstock for $38 and ordered them last week. The sizing on them are iffy, so I was going to return them if they didn’t fit. Now I’m kind of hoping they don’t fit so I can return them and try this!
LOVELY refashion! You make it sound so easy. Loving all things mint this season as well… just painted my shoes a chalky mint green =)
xo caroline @ c.w.frosting
That is amazing. I am seriously shocked about how easy that seemed & how great they turned out. Can’t wait to read more of your nifty posts.
I don’t have a Hobby Lobby near me and I was checking out Fabric Dyes online. I found the Tulip brand, but I can’t seem to find the “green vert” color. I did find a turquoise and some shades of green, but I want mine just like yours! Can you find a link for the color you used? Thanks so much!!
This is the turquoise I found and it’s pretty–> http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&q=Tulip+Fabric+Dye&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=9397751230233488658&sa=X&ei=wnaTT_CrBarv6AH0s8S2BA&ved=0CHEQwBUwAA
Ok I found one at Hobby Lobby online but it is out of stock. I can’t seem to find it anywhere else! Maybe you can call the Orem, UT Hobby Lobby and have them ship it to you?! I know they have it, or at least they did last week :)
they have some at walmart
Thanks to your post, I did the exact same thing today with the same dye and color and they turned lime green!! I did it in a bucket and boiled my water first, but only left it in the water for literally like 4 minutes because I realized the color was pretty dark! I want to just go back to the thrift store and try this thing again, but I want to do it right this time! What are some good tips to get it that perfect light mint color?!
Hey, I’m not sure, I honestly just did what the package said and they did what they did! But, if they are too green maybe you could try doing a really light blue to make it a cooler color? That’s what I would try doing. I am not positive how it would turn out though, that’s just an idea! The beauty of this project is that you can re-dye until you get the color you want!
mine did the same thing as carrie mentioned above. they are like paste neon green.. maybe i will try a small touch of a teal color and that will hopefully help!
Mine turned super lime green as well. Going back to Hobby Lobby to get the teal and see if it will fix it.
To those having “color variations” it may be the fabric content. For instance, 100% cotton will take dye MUCH more readily than blends will (so many jeans these days have varying amounts of spandex!!). I remember as a kid trying to tie dye my dad’s old t-shirts (50/50 blend) and the colors barely took. It was a muddy looking mess. As an adult, I wanted to die a bra deep purple and barely got it to the lavender level!
heyy! love this i bought all the stuff but I was just wondering, how did you do it in the wash? just throw them in and turn it on regular? or…? thanks for the help and the great idea!!! :)
No, I did not turn it on a cycle. I just followed the directions on the package but I filled the washer up with water and poured the dye and salt into that instead of using a pot or the sink! Have fun :)
Love this! I have been wanting a pair of colored jeans but they are too pricey! I need to find a pair of white cheapies. Maybe a trip to the thrift store is in order! Your blog is really cute too. I’m your newest follower :)
Christine @ Projectsaroundthehouse.blogspot.com
I just won a pair on Ebay for .01! I didn’t want to splurge in case I don’t get the right shade : )
oh, I should have thought of the thrift store! Thanks!!!
LOVE! Coming over from Pinterest. ;) Off to look around your site for a bit!
I’m not quite sure how to go about this! The green bottle at hobby lobby looks too dark….sour apple looks more minty…and how did you do it in the washer machine? All the bottles say to put it on the fabric….help!!
Whitney- The name of the dye i used is “green vert” and it looked a darker than my jeans on the package but it will only get to that dark color if you leave it in for the full amount of time! Since I did only 15 minutes it turned out light like I wanted them to. The dye package I used was a powder and directed me to pour it into hot water with a 1/4 cup salt. I decided that instead of using a pot or a sink just to use the washing machine! Good luck finding the right kind and let me know if I can answer any more questions. Feel free to e-mail me at sarah.prettyprovidence@gmail.com :)
this works so well!! i did mine last night. they turned a scary lime green shade while in the dye bath, but once they were washed and dried, they look exactly like yours!! thanks, i’m very happy with the results!
Thank you very much I will try that!
Glad you put this! I’m doing mine as we speak and they’re quite lime, just put th in the wash. Thanks for the great idea Sarah!
Did you air dry them? Or put them in the dryer?
This is awesome!! I can’t wait to give it a try!! Thank you so much for the tutorial!!
xo Morgan
morgancharleighsmith.blogspot.com
wow turned out amazing who would have thunk!! Great job they look adorable on you
well done, my dear! :)
Gina- no its a lighter green/minty looking even on the package. I found it at my local hobby lobby!
I searched for Tulip Dye in Green Vert, but it’s not listed on their website. Is it just the regular Green color (vert means green in French).
you are awesome!!! these turned out great. I’m so impressed!!!
This is such a great idea! I found your blog via Pinterest!:)
Oh my goodness I just found your blog via pinterest and then came across this post while exploring it. I’m so glad I found this!! It’s freaking genius! So doing it. Thank you!!
p.s. I’m now following you :)
-Jessi
http://www.haircutandgeneralattitude.blogspot.com
What a great idea! I love SAVERS!
these jeans look fabulous! Whenever I dye, everything comes out looking tie-dyish. yours look fantastic! Great color
I would LOVE for you to link up your DIY mint jeans to MMM!! I’d also LOVE for you to make me a pair :) :) http://www.creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com/2012/04/making-monday-marvelous-102.html
Can you explain more about how you made those skinny jeans? You are a genius!
Those are incredible! I model, so if you want some tips on how to look super fashionista in your photos, hit me up!
Morgan
toughlaces.blogspot.com
These are fabulous! Great job!
THIS IS AMAZING!!!!!!! I am totally doing this!!!
Mallory
Ok you’re so adorable. Those pants turned out great!
This is such a great idea!! Thanks for sharing!
Suzy- I left it in for about fifteen minutes, stirring continuously.
how much water did you add?
AMAZING!
Girl I will be featuring you on Monday during Sticker time! Make sure to stop by!
Um hello, Amazing! I love this. Headed to look for white jeans (never in a million years thought I’d hear myself say that!)
question: how long did you leave them in the dye to achieve the color you did? because i like the color of your:)
She mentioned in the article she left them for 15 min.
i was wondering if this was possible…because i can’t find mint jeans anywhere!! they are all sold out! THANKS SO MUCH for this tutorial! LOVE it ladies! Well done!
Thank you all- I am loving all the comments! Ginnie- no I should probably elaborate huh?! Sorry! So I put the skinnies on top to know where I was going to sew up the white ones. I made sure to line up the outside lines of each pant. Then i put pins all down the inside part of the white ones to mark the line I wanted to sew! Then I sewed and once I checked that they fit like I wanted I cut out the extra fabric. If you follow us, I will do a more in-depth photo tutorial soon!
Hi Sarah! This is incredible!! You are a genius! I came across your blog on Pinterest. I was wondering how exactly you sewed the pants– you pinned your skinnies onto the white pants and then sewed along the edge? Did you do anything to the white pants after? If you just left it, was it uncomfortable to wear the white pants with all the extra fabric on the inside? I’m not a very great sewer so some help would be great!! Thank you!
So So So So cute!! I’d love if you’d link up at my Tutorial Tuesday at OUr Thrifty Ideas. I pinned this too! Love it
http://www.ourthriftyideas.com/2012/04/tutorial-tuesday-2-diy-ruffle-skirt.html
Those are so awesome! I can’t believe that you just sewed those jeans to make them skinny. I have to do that sometime!
New follower:)
I can’t believe how perfect these turned out! I have been searching for mint jeans for ages, but they are always super expensive. You are a miracle worker.
THIS IS AWESOME!
That is so cool!!! I am VERY impressed with this idea. I just need to get myself a sewing machine and get to work!
Yes! I’m more in awe of how you cut and sewed them to fit perfectly! What the?!
I know right? I think I will do a few more colors. Cobalt blue seems fun. Yay! Glad you like.
You looked great in your photots! Diggin the hand placement. lol. Love these and may attempt!
Sarah!!!!!!!!!!! These turned out A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I can’t wait to make some! I think I am going to do some coral ones too! Thanks for sharing with us, you did such a good job!
LOve this idea. What do you with pants that have a french seam as most jeans do? Do you just take in the inner seam?