If a leather jacket has lost its appearance, is frayed, or is simply out of fashion, do not throw it away. It's better to first learn how to remake a leather jacket into a modern and stylish one.
The problem of changing the appearance of clothing is very relevant. Firstly, because of fashion trends. It often happens that a new and fashionable thing looks hopelessly outdated already in the next season, so redoing it is a matter of not only saving money, but also meeting the latest trends. Secondly, fashion changes cyclically, and sometimes it’s enough just to update clothes a little to make it modern.
As for leather jackets, this is a kind of classic: it is relevant in almost any season. Over time, the shape of the cut changes mainly. Therefore, sometimes it is enough just to learn how to transform a leather jacket into a fashionable one so that it corresponds to the latest trends. The result will be not only stylish, but also original. And, what’s especially nice, the probability of meeting another person wearing the same jacket tends to zero.
Bags made from an old leather jacket
To make a shaped bag from colored or monochrome leather, you can use any template. If you choose an elongated barrel style, it will fit perfectly into a sporty style and will serve the owner for a long time. A material such as leather is strong and durable; the main thing is to decide how long the handles should be.
Original and large bags are made from pieces of leather. The finishing touch will be a zipper of 2-3 pieces. pockets on the inside for small items.
Stylish denim shorts
You've probably heard many times that you can repurpose old jeans into shorts. This is true and everyone can do them on their own. It is important to take into account some nuances and use current decor. This is the only way the shorts will be truly fashionable.
Ripped shorts
This style is perfect for walking with friends, as well as for relaxing on the seaside.
To make your own shorts you will need:
- jeans;
- nail scissors;
- stationery knife;
- chalk or pencil.
We try on jeans and mark the appropriate length with chalk or a pencil.
The most important thing is to cut the jeans beautifully. That's why we suggest doing more tears with your hands to make the shorts look a little sloppy.
We make a small cut from the outer edge of the shorts, then move them a little a few centimeters and tear them further.
We take out the white longitudinal threads with a stationery knife.
On the finished shorts, we make abrasions using cuts in the designated places and process the edges.
For an even more casual look, we recommend washing your shorts in the washing machine.
Shorts with lace insert
Plain jeans don't look as impressive as shorts with lace inserts.
For sewing you will need:
- jeans;
- lace ribbon;
- pins;
- threads;
- centimeter;
- scissors.
Select the appropriate length and cut the jeans.
We make cutouts in the front to make the lace inserts stand out more.
We take out the threads to achieve the effect of negligence.
We attach the lace to the jeans with pins, and then sew it on.
Shorts with lace patches
Elegant summer shorts are a great choice for true fashionistas.
To create, we will prepare the following items:
- old jeans;
- beautiful lace;
- threads;
- pins;
- scissors;
- needles.
Fold the shorts in half and measure the required length. Then cut off the excess fabric.
We cut out beautiful patterns in the form of flowers from lace. We distribute them evenly and secure them with pins.
We sew the parts with thread so that the seams are not noticeable.
Lovely, fashionable shorts are ready!
Cases for smartphones, laptops, tablets
Most often, jacket sleeves are used to make a phone case. It is necessary to turn them inside out and cut a piece of material into the required shape.
Important!
The product must be sewn along the edges, taking into account the indentation.
To sew a tablet case, two front parts of the product are used. You need to cut two equal pieces and sew them together. You can use a zipper as a fastener or choose a simpler and more interesting option in the form of a lace.
Pieces of fabric can be used to make decorative elements for the front side of the cover.
For a laptop, you can make a case in the shape of a book cover. Having prepared a piece of fabric of the required size and cut it to shape, sew it with a hand stitch through a loop.
Denim skirts
Denim skirts are a real hit for 2022. Moreover, it is not at all necessary to buy a new one, because you can transform the skirt of your mother’s youth.
You will need:
- denim skirt with buttons;
- pencil;
- scissors;
- cardboard blank;
- sewing machine;
- needles and threads.
Starting from the middle of the skirt, we trace the cardboard template prepared in advance.
We cut off the excess fabric along the marked line. We do not process the edges, as slight negligence will be in fashion.
The second option for remaking a denim skirt also does not require much effort.
We determine the optimal length of the skirt and cut off the excess fabric.
We apply the fabric to ourselves and mark the darts on the upper part of the skirt.
Fold over the raw edge and sew it on.
This beautiful skirt is ideal for creating summer 2017 looks.
Blazer
A long leather jacket can be converted into a blazer by cutting off the unnecessary bottom portion. You need to leave a few centimeters of fabric to tuck when sewing.
Then you need to make a seam using a machine. If you use jackets of different colors, you will get a very interesting and original jacket that will make the owner stand out from the crowd. As a fastener, you can use a zipper or a more unusual option - loops and buttons.
Interesting!
A fake pocket that can be made on the left side wouldn't hurt.
A jacket is the most common wardrobe item that can easily be made from an unwanted leather jacket.
We alter it
Genuine leather is a fairly durable material, and the only thing it is not immune to, even with constant care, is abrasions. Therefore, if the jacket is just right for you and you want to continue using it, the item can be altered. You can change the size to make the jacket larger or smaller, or change the style to create a vest, jacket or even a onesie. You just need time, desire and a pattern of the desired model. And you need to start with preparation.
Fighting odors
Leather is a very noble and pleasant material, but it also has problems. Due to its porous structure, it absorbs dirt and odors well. If your jacket develops an unpleasant odor over time:
- First, clean it of dirt, dry it, and then put the product in a bag with fresh citrus peels.
- The product must be left in this form for 12 hours.
- Afterwards, the smell will go away, leaving only a small citrus trace.
Preparing the tools
To make the remodeling work easy and quick, prepare in advance:
- well sharpened scissors;
- rubber glue;
- set of needles;
- triangular needle for leather;
- a special foot for a sewing machine;
- pattern material: paper, cardboard or tracing paper;
- iron;
- wooden hammer - mallet;
- fabric for lining;
- scalpel;
- sewing machine;
- chalk or soap for patterns;
- meter.
In the process of work, you may need other materials and tools, and most importantly, the object of alteration itself. Next, you can get down to the details of how to remake a leather jacket.
Rework
Redesigning your clothes is the best way to make them stylish and fashionable. Especially when the product is of fairly good quality, but its appearance is already outdated.
For the process to be successful, prepare a pattern, and if it is not required, begin to carefully unravel the seams of the jacket, cutting the threads with a scalpel. A certain procedure follows.
Steps:
- The pattern pieces are outlined in such a way that there is about one and a half centimeters left for the seam.
- They also make a pattern for the lining.
- The pattern pieces are cut out using sharp scissors.
- The cut out parts are carefully fastened together with pins or paper clips.
- Afterwards, prepare the sewing machine for work. Install a special foot for leather and a durable triangular needle to it. Without a foot, the work will be much more difficult.
- The machine stitch is set to three millimeters.
- To make the seams look beautiful, after stitching they are tapped with a wooden hammer - this way they become smoother and thinner.
- Next, you can move on to working on the reverse side.
- After all the work is done, you need to iron the seams with an iron, but proceed carefully: use gauze and minimal heat, otherwise the high temperature may cause the leather to lose its shape.
- The stitched edges can be treated with rubber glue to make the product more durable.
- The last step is to sew in the sleeves, zipper and buttons.
Important! To ensure that the needle moves easily in the sewing machine and does not break, lubricate the leather at the stitching site with vegetable oil. This increases slip and makes the stitching perfect.
There is no need to pour oil over the entire surface of the product; apply a thin layer of it to the seam using a cotton swab or disk.
These steps will allow you to customize your leather jacket to the size or model you need.
Important! If the jacket is no longer new, but you can’t throw it away, you can turn it into a fashionable vest or parka jacket.
Interior elements
There is no need to rush and throw away worn leather pieces; they can be painted and made into interesting objects for decorating a room, such as photo frames or vases.
Leather flowers look original and can be made as follows:
- cut out the petals of the required shape;
- For volume, it is recommended to fry in a frying pan;
- connect to each other using glue.
Leather flowers look great collected in a bouquet or on a brooch that any girl would be happy to wear.
For reference!
You can decorate jackets, bags, gloves and other wardrobe items with flowers.
Brooch
An old jacket can be used to make another piece of jewelry for women, like a brooch. You need to prepare pieces of leather of different colors, glue and a frying pan.
Cut out several circles of different sizes and place them one by one in a hot frying pan. Once they begin to curl on the sides, you need to pull them out. Then wait until it cools down and start gluing. You need to combine the pieces one by one, finishing with a pin, which should be attached at the bottom.
Decorative pillows and pillowcases
To make a pillow, you need to cut two squares from a large piece of leather and sew them on the sides, add the inside and sew them up. You can use cotton wool, foam rubber and much more as padding.
To make a pillowcase, it is recommended to use soft leather. This decorative element will decorate any interior.
Flower pots
It is necessary to prepare a piece of leather and cut it into thin strips, and then weave it. The weaving option can be any; specialized magazines present a huge selection of techniques.
You can use the following method:
- braid six braids;
- secure the upper part with a margin of 4 cm for the screed;
- fix;
- connect the lower part in the same way, leaving the ends longer;
- insert the flower pot and secure.
Thus, we got an original flowerpot that will diversify any interior.
How to refresh the appearance of your skin
After finishing working with leather, the appearance of the product can be refreshed. You can remove marking lines with soap and water and ammonia, then wipe with a cloth moistened with petroleum jelly or glycerin. Heavily contaminated areas on the skin can be washed with warm, unboiled milk, rubbed with whipped egg white or half an onion. White skin is cleaned with a mixture of milk and beaten egg white. Patent leather should be wiped with a cloth soaked in glycerin or cleaned with a swab dipped in milk. Suede can be cleaned with sawdust soaked in gasoline (the remaining sawdust is cleaned off with a brush), or an ink eraser, as well as fine-grained abrasive paper. Stains from household grease are removed with gasoline or talc and a solution of oxalic acid.
But be careful, you can remove the paint along with the stain.
Leather paint in aerosol packaging is very easy to use: it is sprayed by holding the can at a distance of about 20 cm from the skin and quickly moving it along the surface to be painted. After a ten-minute break, the next layer of paint is applied. This operation continues until the surface of the skin acquires an even and durable color.
Apron
You can also make an apron out of a jacket; it is not necessary to use a complex cut. It could be a simple product. It is necessary to make an apron pattern from leather and sew a large pocket on the front side.
Strips are attached to the side, connecting the back or front. This apron will last as long as possible, it is resistant to moisture and can be easily wiped with a cloth. Suitable for work in production.
Our guarantees
We guarantee high quality clothing repair and our other services. Quality guarantees at Mobile Tailor are:
- more than 10 years of experience
- modern sewing equipment made in Germany, Switzerland and Japan
- highly qualified craftsmen who already have a regular clientele
- our clients, including well-known brands , for example, the Denim Symphony chain of stores, Lee-Wrangler, Modis, Familia
- our responsibility to landlords.
You can find guarantees for the safety of products and guarantees for work performed in this section.
Fashionable vest
Another stylish wardrobe element is a vest, which can be made from a jacket by first cutting off the sleeves. If there is a zipper, you need to sew buttons instead.
Depending on your preferred length, you can shorten the product. You can add dark buttons as decoration.
Slippers
Leather house shoes are very easy to make; all you need to do is prepare a ready-made template. It is important to measure your foot size correctly and use thick cardboard for the sole. From one jacket you can get 2-3 pairs of slippers, if not more.
When clothes lose their original appearance, do not despair and remake them. Perhaps it can still be fixed. Many things can be fixed with paint, which restores its former shine in many cases. To do this, you need to buy a special product for natural leather. You can purchase paint at a shoe or outerwear store.
Then wipe the material with a degreasing liquid and leave to dry for at least 3 hours. Using a brush, paint the product, wait until it dries completely, and then apply another coat. After the jacket is completely dry, coat it with a special fixative. If nothing can fix the item, you can give it a new life in the form of another wardrobe item.
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Rework process
- The jacket is ripped out at those seams that cannot be used in the new model. Pockets, the middle back seam, and the front seam of a two-seam sleeve can often be left unchanged.
Attention! The leather is ironed at low temperature without steam; you can use an ironing iron (a piece of cotton fabric).
- The pattern pieces are applied on the front side, so no defects will be missed. Textured irregularities can be placed in places where they will not be very noticeable. The pattern is outlined with a special rod, and special marks are applied in the right places, replacing notches on the fabric.
Attention ! The pattern needs to be tested; it will be almost impossible to make further changes during sewing. Traces of old stitching can ruin the best work.
- We glue the prepared parts with non-woven material along the edge of the side, armhole, neck and bottom of the sleeves and bodice. The jacket stretches a lot when worn, duplicating will help avoid stretched hem and armholes.
The procedure for sewing a leather item is not much different from any other item:
- We process the back and shelves separately and assemble them into a bodice.
- At the same time, we assemble the sleeves.
- We assemble the finished bodice and sleeves and cover them with lining.
When sewing seams on leather, there is no way to iron them out like on fabric, so we use prepared glue to secure the seam allowance. The allowance itself and the part along the seam are processed with glue, the allowances are laid out and pressed.
Important! After hardening, the glue should retain the plastic properties of the skin and not turn into a hard crust.
Before stitching, we tap complex knots where there are several seams with a regular hammer, or with a mallet if the leather is delicate and easily damaged.
