DIY Upcycled Crochet Jean Shorts

You won't believe how on-trend you can be in shorts you haven't worn in years when you learn how to upcycle old jeans in this gorgeous tutorial!

Do you want to look like a Bohemian babe without having to pay an arm and a leg at expensive clothing stores? We have the perfect solution for you that puts your crochet skills to fashionable work! Out of all the ways to recycle old jeans, this technique by Darn Good Yarn is by far the most haute couture. Don’t throw away shorts that don’t fit your style. This quirky, colorful, and chic project will show you what to do with old shorts that will make you the fashion icon of the summer. With rainbow tassels expertly woven into the hem of your shorts, these denim darlings will make it so that there’s no way you won’t turn heads.

Easy

Crochet HookB/1 or 2.25 mm hook

Materials List

Size B, 2.25mm crochet hook
1 skein of Darn Good Yarn Silk Blend Sport Weight 80-20 Rule
Pointed darning needle
Ruler
Permanent marker

Instructions - Special Stitches

Cross Stitch Double Crochet
Chain three. Skip the first stitch and DC in the next. Reach behind the stitch you just worked and DC in the skipped stitch. *DC in the next unworked stitch. Reach behind and DC in the previously worked stitch. You will not be skipping stitches as you normally would for this type of sequence. Repeat from * around.

Crochet Tassel Stitch
Insert hook into space between crosses and pull up a loop, slip stitch, and pull the loop up to the length of the tassel. Wrap the yarn once around the base of the loop. *Insert hook and pull up another loop, wrap yarn around the base. Repeat from * four more times. When you have six loops, wrap the yarn around the base of all loops five times. Remove hook from loops and insert hook into next space between two crosses and repeat from start. Continue around. Trim loops once you have completed the round and fastened the end.

Instructions

Notes: As you work you will need to pierce the denim with your needle before inserting your hook into the fabric. To keep them evenly spaced, measure and mark a centimeter and a half centimeter on the thumb of your non-dominant hand. Use these marks as a guide as you start your stitches with the needle. Make sure to pass the needle all the way through the fabric. Also, since sizing varies widely, I am not including stitch counts in this pattern.

Cut off any sort of hem on your shorts. Be careful to leave enough of the inseam for them to be wearable. Don’t worry too much about getting a perfectly straight cut. They are meant to look a little rough around the edges. Cut right above the hem using sharp fabric scissors.
Next, you will need to establish a base to crochet on. Make a hole about a centimeter from the inside edge of your shorts. Insert your crochet hook from the outside in and hook the yarn. Pull up a loop, yarn over, and pull through the loop.
Chain three, using the dots you marked on your finger as a guide, and pass the darning needle through the fabric about a
centimeter from your first stitch. Insert your hook and pull up a loop, yarn over, and pull through the loop. Repeat this process around the leg of the shorts until you reach the beginning.
When you only have about a centimeter left between your first and last stitches, slip stitch to the first and chain three.
We are going to be working a modified version of the crossed double crochet stitch. The only time you will skip a stitch is at the very beginning of the round. Otherwise, your second half of the cross will always be worked into the stitch you worked last. Thus, skip the first stitch, DC in second, reach behind the DC you just completed and DC in the skipped stitch. DC in next stitch, reach behind and DC in the previous stitch. Continue around. When you reach the end, slip stitch in the chain three space and chain one.
The tassel stitch is worked in the spaces between each individual “X” from the previous round. To give you an idea of how this will work, you will have X ^ X ^ X etc. where ^ represents a tassel stitch. To work the tassel, insert your hook into the first space, and pull through both loops on the hook. Pull the remaining loop up until it is about an inch long. Keeping that loop on your hook, pull up another loop in the same space. Wrap your working yarn around the base of both loops one time. Pull up another loop, wrap around the base, and repeat until you have six loops on your hook.
When you have six loops, wrap the working yarn around the base of all loops four or five more times. Remove your hook from the loops and insert it into the next space. Slip stitch and repeat the process, pulling the first loop up from your joining slip stitch. Continue all the way around. Slip stitch to first tassel space and fasten off the yarn. Clip all loops to create your tassels.
Weave in remaining ends and celebrate!