Painting denim is such a fun activity to do that can really bring new life to old worn out denim, or brand new denim you want to spice up! I actually had the idea to make and sell some painted denim to fund raise for a service trip I wanted to go on, and it was hardly work because I enjoy painting! I would take people’s order of what design they wanted and give them a custom painted denim jacket or painted denim jeans! It doesn’t require many materials and you’ll be creating your own custom pieces in no time!
This post is a step by step guide on how to paint denim and get an amazing result! So follow these steps and you’ll have your own custom painted denim pieces in no time!
This post is all about painted denim!
What You Will Need:
-Tape (painters)
-Acrylic paint
I wouldn’t worry too much about the brand, but higher end pure acrylic is best. I used the more middle grade brand FolkArt and it worked great. This link will take you to Folkart acrylic paint at Michael’s, and they almost always have a coupon on their website to use!
-Textile medium
You can find this at most craft stores, I used this exact one from Michael’s
-Paint brushes
I used these from Michael’s
-A design idea!
-Iron
-Your choice of denim jacket, denim jeans, denim skirt, denim hat, etc!
I also painted a few designs on cotton shirts and this method worked great for that as well, just note the paint will seep through the cotton a bit more than the denim.
Step One:
Find a design you want to recreate or come up with an original one! It will help to have a picture of what you want to paint in front of you so have it up on a screen, or sketch it out!
Tip – print and cut out templates to help with difficult designs if you don’t feel comfortable free handing it! Cut out a template and hold or tape it onto the denim where you are painting, make sure the edges are laid flat and tight against the denim so little or no paint seeps under the edge.
This image on the left is what I drew up on a free computer drawing application and the right image was how I ended up creating it on the jacket!
Step Two:
Tape off where you do not want paint on the jacket. I usually tape off the perimeter seam and paint within that space, but it depends on your design, you can paint the sleeves, pockets, cuffs, anything you want! Wrap the tape around the edges of the seam so no paint gets through.
Step Three:
Mix your paint and textile medium! This step is crucial, the textile medium makes the paint washable and flexible when it dries so it will not crack or fade when the painted denim is washed. It is recommended to mix one part paint with two parts textile medium, I kind of eyeballed it. The textile medium will thin the paint so you will probably want to apply multiple coats as the paint will soak into the denim on the first coat or two.
Tip – If you want or are okay with the paints mixing into each other, keep painting them on while the paint is still wet. If you want very defined lines, it is better to wait until the paint mixture has dried before painting a different color next to or over top of it.
Step Four:
Start painting your design! Let the first coat or two sink into the fabric before applying more layers. This will help those top layers to be on the surface of the denim and show the true color of the paint.
Tip- If you make a mistake, quickly try to rub that paint off with a wet rag, but if it dries, you can try to scratch it off, or paint over it the best you can.
Step Five:
Let the paint dry completely! After you’ve waited about 24 hours for it to dry, it is time to heat set the paint. This ensures that the paint will not wash off, it becomes almost plastic like but still completely flexible, it seals it onto the denim. Run the iron on medium heat over the areas painted for approximately 4-7 minutes. You don’t want to keep the iron in one place too long, make sure you are continuously moving it across the material. Make sure that you turn the denim inside out before you iron over the painted areas, or have an ironing cloth over the denim, do not place the iron directly onto the paint!
You’re Done!
You should now have some awesome DIY painted denim to rock! A cool idea is to paint a school logo or name on a jacket and wear it to game days and tailgates!
Happy Painting!
best,
