Distressed Denim & Crystal Bermuda Shorts

I recently came into a boatload of sew-on crystals, and now I want to embroider them onto *everything* in my life. I made a faborama fancy necklace for my Emmy Awards adventure and since then have been eyeballing everything, with a “are you bedazzalable?” glare. I pinned these sweet jeans from Anthropologie awhile back, and came across them again and it was like whabam! Obviously! I immediately pulled out an old pair of bermuda cut-offs. (If you don’t have any jeans to cut, may I suggest these, these, these, or these). Side note: I love buying trendy denim from Alloy, they offer extra long for these crazy long girl limbs of mine, and I don’t feel bad when I cut them off or DIY them since the average price is $39 a pair!

I’m excited to sport this DIY for summer with a v-neck tee (my favorite tees are from LA Made, they have some pretty incredible discounts on Amazon) and some cute but comfy strappy wedges. These bermuda cut-offs have been sitting in the back of my closet for awhile, but now…I will definitely be reaching for them. 🙂

WHAT YOU NEED

-denim (Preferably distressed! I love the juxtaposition of worn denim with luxurious crystals.)

–sew on crystals

–E6000 glue

–needle and thread (denim color thread preferably)

THE INSTRUCTIONS

1. Layout your sew-on crystals where you think you want them on your shorts. Try around the hips, at the bottom near the hem, the back pockets, one side, both sides, anywhere! Play around with different patterns and designs. I like how they look when you cluster different groups together to make different shapes and scatter them from more at the top (near the pocket) to less at the bottom (near the knee).
2. Once you are happy with the rough layout, start placing a dot of E6000 on the center back of each stone. Press firmly onto the denim. You’ll have a good minute or so to shift the position slightly. Side note: try not to get this stuff on your fingers! If you do wash your hands right away–it’s pretty strong stuff. I find using a toothpick to transfer small amounts onto the crystal backs helps keep it off my fingers.
3. Once you’ve glued the backs of all the stones, let them dry for a few hours.
4. Now the fun part: tacking each crystal down. I suggest turning on some Netflix for this part! It might get a little tedious, but if you are reading this blog I’m guessing you love handiwork and have freakish amounts of patience like me. You’ll want to tie a large knot in the thread and start from the inside of the jeans (to hide the knot). Sew around the crystal via the holes on the side of each setting. Go around a couple times to make sure it’s secure, and then tie another knot. Then move onto the adjacent crystal. Repeat until all crystals are tacked down.
5. You could skip the sewing part–but warning–E6000 is not a guarantee! It’s strong, but because denim is a smooth surface glued crystals can easily pop off with normal wear and tear. Then you’ll be left with a dark and shiny glue spot. If you want your embellishment to last for the long haul, I suggest taking the time to sew down the crystals!
6. Be sure to hand wash this garment from now on!

Please tag me in your creations! I love what you make.