Your shoes make a huge difference to your outfit – they change the undertone of your look completely!
But you don’t always need to spend money to spruce up your look. Making a pair of DIY jean boots is both easy to do and doesn’t take long – an hour tops!
The best part? Beginner DIYers will have no trouble making a hot pair of jean boots!
In this post, we’ll look at how fashion and lifestyle YouTuber Tanieya makes a pair of Kim K jean boots using just her old pair of jeans and peep-toe wedge boots. She breaks down how to make jean boots into four easy steps!
Other than an old pair of jeans and boots, you will need:
Supplies
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun
- Tweezers (optional)
You likely have these lying around and won’t need to visit the store. You can get started with the denim boots DIY right away!
Steps to Make Your Jean Boots a Reality
01 Cut Jeans for the Shaft
Lay your old pair of jeans down on the floor and roughly estimate how long you want your boots’ shaft to be – below your knees, a little above your knees, or covering your upper thighs. Then cut the jeans to size using your scissors.
It’s best to make a longer cut since you can always shorten it later, but you can never lengthen the jeans.
Skip forward to the 0:33 mark on Tanieya’s video to view this step
02 Glue Shaft
Before you glue the shaft to your shoes, try it on to see if it looks right. If it’s a little longer than you’d like, cut out the excess.
Leave the jeans on, and wear the shoe. Slip the jeans on top of the shoe, and measure where you want to glue the shaft.
Lift the ends of the jeans, and spread hot glue under it. Tap it down to make sure the glue holds the shaft in place.
Roll the shaft off your leg, and slip your leg out gently. Repeat for the other shoe.
Tanieya demonstrates how to glue the shaft correctly at time 1:11.
03 Cut Out Excess Denim from Jeans
Use your scissors and start cutting from the opening you made when you cut the jeans for the shaft earlier. Work your way around the zipper to reach the beltline. Snip under the belt loops to detach the beltline fully from the rest of the jeans.
Cut the belt loops that are stitched to the jeans, and you should now have a large piece of denim.
Tanieya is a master at cutting off the excess denim from her jeans,
Skip to 2:31 on her video below. for step 3
04 Stick Denim to Shoe
In the video, Tanieya first places the piece of denim over her shoes and mentally sizes it to the shoes. She then cuts out the pocket and begins to stick the fabric little by little to one shoe.
She explains that you don’t have to use the whole piece in one go – you can also cut it up and make a patchy design, or make a fresh design altogether.
But regardless of what design you choose to implement, make sure you follow her technique for a neat result: spread hot glue, stick denim, press and tap, repeat. Cover both shoes this way.
Tanieya also uses the pocket she cut out and glues it to the center of one shoe – the effect it creates is super flashy!
You can also use the tweezers to cut rips into the jeans – but Tanieya says this is optional, and you can skip it for a neater look.
And with that, your Kim K jean boots are ready!
Go to the 3:51 mark to learn this technique
Full Video
Watching Tanieya’s video will help you better understand how to make jean boots and how the different pieces come together to create the hot new pair of jean boots!
You can also use the timestamps above to skip to specific steps and complete the DIY quickly.
FAQs
I need these for the party tonight! How long does hot glue take to cure?
You can make these in an hour, and the glue sets in 20 minutes. Enjoy!
I don’t have a hot glue gun. Can I still make these boots?
Yes! You can use the E600 fabric adhesive instead of the hot glue to stick the jeans to the shoes. The E600 fabric offers a stronger hold, so your boots should last longer, too!
How long does the hold of the hot glue last?
Hot glue doesn’t handle movement as well as some other adhesives, and you can expect the denim to begin to come off after a few weeks. You can either use a stronger adhesive like E600 for added durability or just glue the denim back on.
Additional Tips
You can tone down the design by using less denim or make your shoes more attractive by sticking zippers or rivets to them by the heels.
Adding steel buttons sporadically is another excellent way to enhance the look of the boots.
There are no limits to what you could do with the denim – don’t be afraid to experiment!
Liked the tutorial? Tanieya’s YouTube channel is filled with awesome DIY tutorials, just like this one. Make sure you check it out here!
