10 Ways to Decorate Your Jean Jacket

A jean jacket in every girl's wardrobe. Not only is it a great transitional item from season to season, it never goes out of style. There might be elements of the jean jacket like color and fit that follow trend cycles, but the jacket itself will always be relevant. At BISBY, we want to provide every girl with wardrobe staples that make her feel confident. Additionally, we design our pieces to reflect the creativity and playfulness of the girls that wear them. The BISBY girl loves to use her imagination and we have just the art project for her!

 

To make The BISBY Jean Jacket her very own we’ve provided 9 ways to decorate and personalize our year-round staple. For each craft you will need parental supervision and help, but when it comes to creativity and planning, the sky’s the limit!

 

1. Splatter Paint

Using the splatter paint technique to decorate your jacket is pretty easy and straight forward. As for choosing your color combinations, you can go in a few different directions. If you want to stay true to a Spring palette you can use pastel pinks, greens, blues, and yellows. If you’re reading this in the Summer and you may want to use a Fall palette with deep reds, oranges, and yellows. Or you can just simply use your favorite colors!

 

What You’ll Need

Paint Brush

Screen Printing Ink

Paint Brush

Water

Newspaper or drop cloth

 

Directions

1. Cover the area where you will be working with newspaper or a drop cloth. Splatter paint is messy!
2. Add a little bit of water to your paint to make it easier to splatter. The ratio should be about 3:1 paint to water
3. Lay the jacket flat and use a flicking motion with the paintbrush to create the splatter effect
4. Let your jacket dry for at least an hour before flipping it to splatter the other side

 

2. Patches Galore

By decorating the jean jacket with patches, you can keep adding and collecting patches as time goes on. It’s an on-going art project and novelty. Patches can be souvenirs from vacations, symbols of new hobbies, and other interests! To start your collection, we love the patches Etsy has to offer. From sparkly smiley faces to detailed butterflies, Etsy has endless options.

 

What You’ll Need

Iron on Patches

Iron

Ironing Board

Cotton Pillowcase or handkerchief

 

Directions

1. Before you turn on the heat, place each patch on the denim jacket to design your patchwork creation
2. Turn the iron on to its highest setting
3. To protect the jacket and the patches place a cotton pillowcase or handkerchief between the iron and the patch. Press the iron downward and hold for 30-45 seconds
4. Once the patch is affixed, turn the jacket inside out and lay it flat on your ironing board. Position the cotton pillowcase or handkerchief over the reverse side of the patch and repeat step 3

 

3. Sew on Buttons

The wonderful thing about embellishing your denim jacket with buttons, is the eco-conscious aspect of it. Almost every household has a plethora of mix matched buttons in a sewing box. By creating designs with these same buttons, you are giving them a new life.

 

What You’ll Need

50-100 Buttons

Thread

Needle

Scissors

Fabric Pencil

Piece of Paper

Pencil

 

Directions

1. Sketch a design on a piece of paper that you would like to replicate on the jacket and map out which colors should go where
2. Using the fabric pencil, replicate the design onto the jean jacket
3. Thread the needle and begin sewing the buttons according to the design

 

 

 

4. Hand Embroidery

For this next embellishment style, we recommend putting aside an hour or two to teach yourself the various different stitches used in hand embroidering. This skill will be something you can use for more than just this project. Whether it be making embroidered pillows as gifts or personalizing more pieces in your wardrobe, embroidery is always a good skill to have handy. Here is a guide to different beginner stitches. You don’t have to learn all of them, instead you can pick out two or three you’d like to replicate onto your jacket.

 

What You’ll Need

Embroidery Thread

Scissors

Needle

Fabric Pencil

Embroidery Hoop

Piece of Paper

Pencil

 

Directions:

1. Sketch a design on a piece of paper that you would like to replicate on the jacket and map out which colors should go where
2. Using a fabric pencil, replicate the design onto the jean jacket
3. Fasten the embroidery hoop onto the area you want to embroider
4. Thread your needle with embroidery thread and embroider the jacket according to the design
5. Before switching to another color or another type or stitch, knot the thread on the inside of the jacket

 

 

5. Pearl and Rhinestone Embellishment

Have a girl that’s obsessed with glitter, shimmer, and all things shiny? Then this decor style is perfect for her! You can either go the more classic route by using all pearls or you can be trendy but implementing the rhinestones. If you really feel like being creative, use both! You can find flatback pearls and rhinestones at your local craft store.

 

What You’ll Need:

Fabric pencil

Fabric Glue

Flatback Rhinestones

Flatback Pearls

Piece of Paper

Pencil

 

 

Directions:

1. Sketch a design on a piece of paper that you would like to replicate on the jacket and map out which gemstones should go where
2. Using a fabric pencil, replicate the design onto the jean jacket
3. Squeeze a small amount of fabric glue onto the flat side of the rhinestone or pearl and press the rhinestone or pearl on the jacket and hold for 10 seconds
4. Repeat until desired design is created

 

 

 

6. Paint on Designs

For this technique, the sky truly is the limit. Using fabric paint, you can paint just about anything on your jean jacket. From painting your favorite animal, to flowers, butterflies, the possibilities are endless. So run to the craft store, pick out some paints in your favorite colors, and get started! Fabric paint and paint brushes can be found at your local craft store.

 

What You’ll Need:

Fabric Paint

Different Sized Paint Brushes

Piece of Paper

Pencil

Fabric Pencil

 

 

Directions:

1. Sketch a design on a piece of paper that you would like to replicate on the jacket and map out which colors should go where
2. Using a fabric pencil, replicate the design onto the jean jacket
3. Use the fabric paint to paint on your traced design
4. Allow the jacket to dry overnight before wearing 

7. Pom Pom Flare

Using pom poms to decorate your jean jacket is a fun and stylish way to add some personal flare to your clothing. We love the idea of using a rainbow of colors to create a bright and free-spirited look. The pom poms add a playful aspect to a traditional denim jacket. We love these faux fur pom poms from amazon that come in an variety of color ways.

 

What You’ll Need:

Pom poms

Hot glue gun

Glue sticks

Directions:

1. Plug the hot glue gun in and allow the hot glue gun to heat up for 10 minutes
2. Put a small amount of hot glue (about the size of a pea) on the pom pom and glue the pom pom onto the jacket
3. Hold the pom pom in place for 10 seconds
4. Repeat steps 2-3 until desired pattern is created on jacket

 

 

 

8. Bleach Tie Dye

Maybe drawing and painting aren’t your strong suit? Well, this next technique is a great way to avoid having to use those skills while still be able to be creative and individualize your jean jacket. Bleach tie die is an easy and straight forward way to add personal flare to clothing. If you’re wanting more control over the outcome of your design you can always put the bleach mixture in a condiment bottle and squeeze the bleach into a desired pattern/design.

 

What You’ll Need:

Plastic Bucket

Bleach

Rubber Bands

Condiment Bottle (if desired)

Rubber Gloves

 

Directions:

1. Put on your rubber gloves and fill up a bucket halfway with bleach and put to the side
2. Wrap the rubber bands around your jacket into the one of the following patterns here
3. Moisten the jacket by putting it under a running faucet
4. Dunk the jacket in the bleach bucket and let it sit for at least an hour
5. Take the jacket out of the bleach bucket and immediately rinse it under running water
6. Put the jacket through the wash but make sure it’s the only item in the load. The bleach could possibly die other clothes

 

 

 

9. Iron on Letter Patches

This technique is a simple one that can be easily combined with any of the other ways to decorate your jean jacket. Using iron on letters, you can easily personalize any jacket to make it stand out as your own. We love using embroidered letters for initials, names, or even adding fun words such as “lucky” “love” or “peace”. For an array of colors we suggest Etsy’s Chenille Iron on Patches. The patches even have a gold glitter outline for a touch of shimmer.

 

What You’ll Need:

Iron On Letter Patches

Iron

Ironing Board

 

Directions:

1. Before you turn on the heat, place each patch on the denim jacket to design your patchwork creation
2. Turn the iron on to its highest setting
3. To protect the jacket and the patches place a cotton pillowcase or handkerchief between the iron and the patch. Press the iron downward and hold for 30-45 seconds
4. Once the patch is affixed, turn the jacket inside out and lay it flat on your ironing board. Position the cotton pillowcase or handkerchief over the reverse side of the patch and repeat step 3

 

10. Ric Rac Trim

To add a little extra flare and color to a jean jacket use ric rac ribbon or trim. This technique takes minimal planning for the girls who like to practice creativity on a whim. It’s also a great way to add some individuality to a jacket without having to be skilled at drawing or painting. All you need is some ribbon and a hot glue gun!

 

What You’ll Need

Hot Glue Gun

Ric Rac Trim

Scissors

Glue Sticks

Ruler

 

Directions:

1. Using the ruler measure the area of the jacket you want to trim with ric rac ribbon
2. Use this measurement to cut the ric rac ribbon
3. Apply hot glue to the back of the ribbon and adhere to the jacket. Apply a small amount of pressure to the trim for 5 seconds while the glue dries
4. Repeat step 3 until your desired design is created

  

We love seeing the BISBY girl get creative with her designs! Send in any and all decorated jean jackets to hello@bisbykids.com for a change to be feature on our Instagram. Happy designing!