Ah, I know I rarely do DIY’s, and for good reason. Almost every time I attempt to shorten a hem or add holes to old jeans I only end up with tattered cloth and feelings of disappointment and heartbreak. This is why I now leave the rugged, studded or ripped clothes to the pros, until today. I was looking for the perfect denim shirt for summer, and actually stumbled across one from American Apparel. The other day I found an  (very) oversized denim shirt at a vintage shop and decided to give it a go and make my own. So here we go. All you need is a denim shirt, some scissors, thread & a needle, a nail file and your studs of choice.

Step One: Cut the sleeves off! Since we’re working on a shirt for these upcoming hotter months, there’s no need for them. When cutting, make sure to leave at least a half an inch of fabric after the hem. You can leave up to an inch after the hem- it all depends on how rugged you want the shirt to look. This is essentially how much fraying you will have on the sleeves. Don’t throw the sleeves away after you’re done, we will need them later!

Step Two: Cut the bottom of your shirt if it is very oversized. If your shirt fits fine, or if you’re going for more of a tunic, skip this step. Make sure to get an even cut at the front of the shirt. You can also make the shirt slightly longer at the back by making a sort of curve at the end.

Step Three: This is definitely the most time consuming part. Grab your nail file and start fraying the edges of the sleeves. You can also use your scissors for this part if you left more than half an inch of fabric for the sleeves. Once the fabric is frayed thoroughly you will also be able to pick at the thread, which will make an even fray on the sleeve. Repeat the same for the bottom hem if you chose to cut it. You can also fray small sections of the shirt (I chose to make small frayings on the collar, front pocket, and near the button closures), but leave your scissors out of these or you will just end up with a large hole!

Step Four: Gather your thread and studs. Make sure that the studs you close have holes near the bottom, where you will be able to sew them on (not flat pyramid studs!). Also, get some inspiration and be sure of where you want to put the studs. Look to brands like UNIF  and Lip Service for punky and creative ideas for stud placement. I chose to go right along the shoulder hem, for a perfectly straight line to follow. Some other good placements would be the back hem, collar or a design on the back of the shirt.

Step Five: Since I sewed the studs in the straight line, I didn’t have to keep switching out the thread. Two loops per stud should be enough to keep them on sturdily.

Step Six: Time to do any final touch-ups! This is the time to do any extra fraying, studding or cutting. Make sure that the bottom hem is completely even, and fray it some more if it is not. Add any extra studs or tears where needed.

 With the extra fabric from the sleeves and bottom hem, make some cute hair bows! Just add a hair clip or bobby pin to the back and viola! And now you have the perfect, breezy denim shirt for summer. Pair it with black skinnies or circle skirt- I’m going to be wearing it over my favourite velvet skirt. I’m sure you guys will be seeing this in an outfit post soon enough!