How to Make a DIY Jean or Leather Punk Rock Jacket Under $100
Above is a photo of the latest jean vest I’m making. All it needs are the studs/spikes and I’m done…I think. See more photos of the side and back below as we go.
Any punk rocker knows that DIY “brand name” for clothing and that a jean or leather jacket is a major staple in our wardrobe! Most of us started out in the scene at the ripe old age of 12 and some of us carried this lifestyle through into their 50’s and will die with only one request: “Bury me in my jacket!” So this article is for you youngsters who want to make your first and very own Punk Rock Jacket. This isn’t going happen in one day, unless you’re super lucky, already have all your supplies, and work on it all day and night so be patient because this is truly going to be an important moment in your Punk Rock story.
Important Tip: Never copy someone else’s jacket, or any DIY clothing for that matter! Most of us true punks use our clothing as our way of making a “our statement”. This jacket is your statement, and should be made from your own imagination with the things you like, and with your own blood, sweat, and tears. I actually have a little of my own blood on my latest jean vest from sticking my finger with the needle, because I don’t know how to work a sewing machine and I have stitch everything by hand!
Styles and fads have been re-vamped over the ages and it’s almost impossible to do something someone else hasn’t already done, but as long as you use your own creative ideas and materials, and don’t intentionally copy someone else’s style stitch by stitch, patch by patch, and stud by stud, you should be fine. Also, many of us like the same bands and use the same band logos and patches. Remember, this is your jacket, and you’re an individual, so why would you want to copy someone else anyway? You might as well just buy someone else’s jacket as there are many on sale on Etsy and Ebay.
Things you will need for a Jean Vest (Supplies for a Leather Jacket are below): Tools/Supplies (read the entire article before purchasing these tools as you may not need them all, or may decide on another method):
Pad of Large Plain Paper – sketching original design
Colored Pencils – sketching original design
Jean Jacket
Spikes and/or Studs (prong or screw on) - decoration
Cool Material – decoration, hand-made patches
Patches – bands or symbols, decoration
Material Paint and Paint Brushes – to paint larger sections, decoration (I prefer sharpies pens in jean
Sharpies Permanent Marker Pens (a pack of all colors, some wide point, some fine point, but no extra fine point) – to draw or write, decoration
Dart Awl or Sharp Ice Pick - to make holes and apply studs
Flat Head Screwdriver – to clamp down stud prongs to material
Scissors – cutting off sleeves or material, shredding hems
Safety Pins - attaching patches, decoration
E-6000 Glue (in craft section at Wal-Mart) – a great material glue
Jean Sewing Needle – stitching on patches and material
Heavy Duty Thread – (I use dental floss mostly, but you’ll want red and black too) – stitching
Thimble – to push the needle through seams on jean
Imagination – most important tool
Things you will need for a Leather Jacket: Tools/Supplies (read the entire article before purchasing these tools as you may not need them all, or may decide on another method):
Pad of Large Plain Paper – sketching original design
Colored Pencils – sketching original design
Leather Jacket
Spikes and/or Studs (prong or screw on) - decoration
Cool Material - decoration
Patches – bands or symbols, decoration
Acrylic Paint and Paint Brushes – to paint larger sections, decoration
Paint Pens – to draw or write, decoration
Dart Awl or Sharp Ice Pick - to make holes and apply studs
Flat Head Screwdriver – to clamp down stud prongs to material
Scissors – cutting material or patches
Safety Pins - attaching patches, decoration
E-6000 Glue (in craft section at Wal-Mart) – a great material glue
Leather Sewing Needle – stitching on leather
Heavy Duty Thread – (I use dental floss mostly, but you’ll want red and black too) – stitching
Thimble – to push the needle through thick material
Goo Gone – painting mistakes
Imagination – most important tool
Finding the perfect jacket
Depending upon where you live, for some, this part will be easier than for others, and whether you have a computer and credit card or Paypal account for ordering online. Decide whether you want a leather jacket, or a jean jacket, which can be made into a jean vest? Do you want your jacket to be vintage, new, long, or short? Whatever the case, you should be able to find it for between $5 and $50 if you buy at a yard sale or online. There are numerous places to find a quality, yet inexpensive jacket for much less than $150.
Online Web Sites: This is, by far, the easiest and second cheapest place to find the jacket of your dreams. I recommend this route first, because there are limitless opportunities to find the perfect jacket without even leaving your house. There are several online thrift stores and second hand shops, auction style web sites, and stores having clearance sales. You can always check out my online second-hand store: www.RetroKittenApparel.com, a Retro, Rockabilly, Vintage, Pin-up and Punk Second Hand Clothing Store as we have leather and jean jackets in our Coats and Jackets section frequently and we are usually having a sale so check the home page first for sales coupon codes. With online shopping, of course, you will have to pay for shipping for the jacket, but think of all the options you’ll have online, and the time, and gas, you’ll save! Usually, if you call an independent store you can talk to someone in management and ask if they can bump your shipping up to the next day or two, but the larger corporations usually won’t even consider going outside of the “rules”, if you even get to talk to a person.
Tip: Use keywords such as “Used Leather or Jean Jacket Size Large”, “cheap jackets”, “used clothes”, “online thrift shop”, cheap punk clothes”, etc. Remember, the more specific the search terms the more likely you’ll get to what you want faster. Then let the search engines do the foot work.
Warning: Be careful for viruses. There are verified sites with various logos or green check marks, and even warnings telling you whether the site is safe, and be sure to have your anti-virus software up to date.
Thrift Shops, Yard Sales, and Swap Meets: These are some of the cheapest places to find your “new” jacket, which, of course, will probably be used. However, this can become costly with the high price of gas, especially for non-freeway miles, and you might end up driving all over the city and never finding the right jacket.
Tips: Check the newspaper, Craigslist, or ZZ Star for yard sales, Flea Marts, Swap Meets, Church Sales, Estate Sales, etc.
Contact the people who list phone numbers or email addresses and ask if they have any leather or jean jackets even if they’ve listed the items that will be for sell, or inquire when you arrive at a sale even if you don’t see one, because maybe they forgot to list everything, or put it out, or maybe they forgot they even had one. Maybe someone else will overhear you and speak up as well. This will save you time and money.
Army Surplus Store: This is the last place I would recommend, but you can find leather, army, and flight jackets here for sure, and maybe even jean jackets. Just be prepared to pay a hefty price for it. I got my first leather jacket at an Army Surplus store for around $50, which wasn’t too bad, but that was back in 1986. So now you have the leather or jean jacket you’ve always wanted, and, hopefully, you didn’t pay more than $50 for it! Now, make it into something you will be proud to wear!
Sketch Ideas and Design Your JacketThis step isn’t always necessary, but I’m going to add it because it might be for you, especially for your first time.
Grab your pad of large plain white paper, your colored pencils, and your regular pencils, and draw your jacket in detail including every pocket, seam, button, strap, etc. Be sure to cover most of the paper, but leave room for an "Ideas/Notes" grid (see the tip below for using a grid). Then do the same for the back of the jacket on the other side of the paper (we want to be eco friendly don’t we? And we’re using pencils so the color won’t soak through). Here’s where your imagination comes in. Ask yourself what you want your jacket to look like? How will your jacket represent you? Should it be a tribute to your favorite bands? A removable upper body tattoo? Or, just a really cool jacket made with all kinds of cool stuff? Well that’s up to you, and this the most exciting part of making your very own Punk Rock jacket.
Begin designing your jacket with your pencils, coloring in painted areas, writing words, drawing symbols, drawing a square for your patches and writing the name of the patch inside the square, writing in what material will go in which areas, drawing studs, spikes, safety pins, etc. (*the grid is good for this part – see below). If you don’t like the outcome, erase and re-do, or start over fresh until you have your own perfect personal creation!
Grid: You can use the grid to make notes such as if you want leopard material to go in a certain area of your jacket you can write #1 and then #1 on your grid will say add leopard print material here, or you can simply write leopard material on the sketch itself if you have room. Also, you can write #2 where you are going to put pyramid shaped silver studs ¼”, and #2 on your grid can say pyramid shaped silver studs ¼”, etc. Or you can use a color system with stud sizes and shapes by writing Studs on the grid as a headline and put a red dot and write “pyramid stud - ½”, etc. then draw the stud on your sketch in red, etc. For safety Pins write #3 on sketch, and #3 on grid will say safety pins, etc. For patches, you can just write the name of the band or draw the symbol directly on the sketch, etc.
Cool Ideas: Here are some ideas to help get you started, because some of us try as they might, just aren't artistic, or go blank when it comes time to get to work. No problem! I'm going to give you a kick start to get your creative juices flowing.
Turn your leather or jean jacket into a vest. Cut off the sleeves just before the seam, because you can use the seam to add studs and keep the arm holes from fraying. You can cut after the seam for a more non-professional look, or if the jacket is too big and you need to totally re-vamp the jacket.
Above is a picture of the side of my vest, which shows just about everything I used to make this jacket (expect the studs which will be added next). I used sharpies to draw or write on jean, except I used a wide white paint pen to write Charged G.B.H., which took awhile and I went over it at least 5 times to show up that good (that’s why I prefer sharpies on jean). I used the leopard collar from a dorky sweater, which fit perfectly, and stitched it with matching thread. I cut up an old skirt and stitched it around my waistband with red thread, which was a little tricky, because I left the straps and buttons out. I stitched on some patches with dental floss or thread.
Tip: Keep the sleeves, and any left-over material you use to make patches or for material on another project. You should find a medium sized lock or clamp shut box with a handle and use it for your sewing box to keep all the materials and tools you acquire in. If you find you’re addicted to the DIY style of clothes you’ll want to keep all the left over zippers, buttons, pieces of material (bigger than shreds), thread, needles, you gather for other DIY projects. This is a must have for any punk rocker. If you live in a non-temporary house you can create your own personal work station and just carry a small kit in your purse for the times you need to fix on the go. If you squat, you’ll need the box I mentioned above.
If you’re making a leather jacket, paint an entire sleeve, or a side section, blue, use your paint pens and draw a spiderweb on a sleeve, maybe on the elbow.
Stud the entire jacket (what a job that would be), just the collar, or down some seams. Add some spikes along a seam, or intersperse them in your studs (be careful, because you don't want your jacket to hurt you while you're wearing it).
Add some band patches, or write band names the way they do.
Tip: You can look up band logos on your computer to see how they are written.
Draw some skulls or symbols, or, if you aren’t a great artist, have someone else do it. It’s still your idea, and now you can help promote your artist friend.
Add leopard printed material to the belt.
Make a safety pin design, or use safety pins to hold down a patch.
Use different colored thread to stitch down patches, or make your own patches with non-stretch material, and add them to your jacket.
Lace up the side of your jacket with hand-made eyelets and leather string, add zippers, D-rings, etc.
Buy Your SuppliesIf you aren’t a beginner in the DIY world, you probably have a lot of supplies on hand. If not, here are some ideas.
Make a list of the tools, materials, and supplies you'll need now that you have your design. Also, find a hard flat work station such as your kitchen table to put your jacket together. Tip: If you’re going to paint or use permanent markers, you will want to put something hard and flat between your jacket and the work surface so the paint/pen doesn’t bleed through onto your mom’s kitchen table. Here are some tips to help you gather your supplies and some helpful links too:
Work Station: Mom’s kitchen table, your bed, the floor, the squat.
Hard Flat Board: Use a piece of cardboard, wood, cookie pan, school folder, etc.
Acrylic paint and paint pens: Try Office Depot, Wal-Mart, or a Hardware Store. Ask for their Oops Paint, which is just paint mixed into a wrong particular color, because you can get that paint super cheap. Just make sure it will adhere to leather such as acrylic paint.
Patches, Pins, Badges, Spikes and Studs: Grab a patch, or a pin, from a punk show. Cut up a band tee and make a patch from the band logo, and save the rest of the t-shirt to use for other projects. Check out www.crustpunks.com for cheap patches, spikes, studs, badges.
Material: Get cool material from your old clothes, curtains, etc., thrift shops, or scrap bins at craft stores or Wal-Mart.
Chain: “Borrow” your dog’s collar.
Thread: You can use dental floss, or fishing line, which both make sturdy thread for stitching. Your mom should have some sturdy thread, but, if not, buy some.
Needle: Again, your mom should have some sturdy needles, if not, try any local craft store. Remember: You need a sturdy leather or jean penetrating needle.
Dart Awl: You can use a really sharp ice pick for making holes for studs instead of a Dart Awl, or use a nail and hammer. You can get a Dart Awl at www.studsandspikes.com for pretty cheap though. You can also buy studs, spikes, and patches there too and then the shipping will be combined.
Scissors: Everyone has scissors, but they need to be sharp.
Next, get all your supplies set up in an orderly fashion so your work station is comfortable and your supplies are handy. Then, post up your sketch where you can easily reference it, and get started.
Begin the transformation! Now comes the blood, sweat, and tears part of making your own Punk Rock Jacket (I actually have a little of my own blood smeared on the Left Over Crack/Citizen Fish patch over my heart from poking myself with the needle for the 3rd time)! You have your design, all your supplies, a nice hard surface, and your work station so now all you have to do make your Punk Rock Jacket. My job is done, but I will leave you with some helpful tips/information.
There is an order in which your jacket should be put together to make it easiest on you as follows:
1. Start with paint or markers and color in any areas that need it
2. Draw/write any words, names, drawings
3. Add your patches, and last, but not least, start studding.
TIPS:
Spiking/Studding: Spiking - From the top side of the jacket, use an ice pick or Dart Awl and make the hole in the jacket, and poke the spike through. Then flip the jacket over and or screw on the backing of the spike. Studding - get a flat-head screwdriver, a hammer, a nail, and a pair of needle nose pliers. First, press the stud down on the leather to leave an indent where you’ll want to make the holes. If your working with jean this might not work so well so make a tiny pen mark. Make two holes with the hammer and nail by hitting the end of the nail into the material with the hammer, and put the stud in (there are usually two prongs so you’ll want the two holes). Then flip the jacket over and clamp the prongs down onto the material with needle nose pliers, or use your flat head screw driver to press down the prongs. The best way to clamp the prongs down is with a special tool that looks like needle nose pliers, but the tips are rounded not as pointy, but needle nose pliers work pretty good, and you grab the prong and bend it over so the sharp end of the prong bends around and back into the material. This way it won’t get caught on your shirt. This is one of the most time consuming parts of creating your jacket!
Stitching: I recommend using a thimble to push your heavy duty needle through the tough material, and stitch anyway you want! This is also very time consuming if you don’t have a sewing machine like me and hand stitch everything. I also find that dental floss is what I mainly use, and black and red sturdy thread 2nd and 3rd.
Patches: Add material glue to the back of the patch before placing it onto your jacket then stitch it down, or safety pin it on. That will help keep the patch in place, and it looks more professional, if you want it to look professional. I don’t like to use iron on patches, because they always come off, and you have to stitch them down anyway in the end.
Paint Mistakes on Leather: Never use polish remover! If you make a mistake with paint, on your leather jacket only, not jean, try Goo Gone from Dollar Tree, or a similar type of remover. Sometimes, simply using a wet wash cloth, or baby oil/olive oil will work. I've also heard isopropyl alcohol too and then a leather conditioner so it doesn't dry out. I have never personally used any of these options so do a spot test first in an inconspicuous area, or look up another tutorial for removing paint.
The picture above is the back of my vest. I used safety pins on the Broken Bones Patch, because I'm still unsure which patch I want, plus I want to stud the patch on and I don't want to double my work. I will stud it, then stitch areas that need it, which may end up being all around, but only if it's necessary, and I will definitely use dental floss. Also, I decided to leave the straps and one pair of buttons out so I had to use four panels of material, and I slit tiny holes in the material for the buttons to come through. Then I reinforced the hole by stitching under the button and wrapping the thread around the material that came up the side of the button stem then locked it down with a small stitch under the button again.
FYI: I decided not to post any pictures of my jackets, because there are enough of those online to look at, and like I said, use your own imagination!
Later on that month: OK, OK, I will post one punk rock jacket I’ve made. It’s the latest one and I’m still working on it. It still needs the studs, but otherwise it’s done (I think).
Thanks for reading my article!
Written by Lindsay Dominguez-owner of www.RetroKittenApparel.com, a Retro, Rockabilly, Vintage, Pin-up and Punk Second Hand Clothing Store.
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