# How do you distress clothes and boots?



## Mr_Awful (Aug 3, 2005)

I recently bought some boots to add to my costume, but I really want to make them look like they're very old and beat up. Does anybody have any advice on how to do that?

I also have some black work pants that I want to distress as well. My whole costume looks great, but it wouldn't make sense to have clean boots and pants.

Any advice is appreciated! Thanks folks!


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## crossblades400 (Aug 14, 2008)

maybe use some sand paper to rough em up? I know there was a tut to distress clothes, I remember you put them in your yard, burry them with dirt and some water, and then take it out after 3 months or so. Hope this helps!


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## Mr_Awful (Aug 3, 2005)

Thanks for the tips!


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## MHooch (Jun 15, 2007)

Sandpaper works great, esp on leather, but it also will work on fabric.


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## Mr_Awful (Aug 3, 2005)

That's cool. I might give that a try. I actually left the pants and boots outside on my deck last night and I JUST checked them, and it must have rained through out the night because the pants were soaking wet...the boots on the otherhand were only a little wet however, but it's alright. When it gets colder here in Austin, I'll use those to go on my evening walks and break em' in that way. Heck, I'd wear them now burt shorts and boots are kind of a strange combo.


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## TheReaper (Jul 25, 2008)

Skull and bone has a awesome tutorial but its more for props because you use pond water but the results are wonderful! Link Below!

-Skull And Bone-

Is your name Zeeboe after the clown story on Are You Afraid Of The Dark?


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

Tie those boots to a piece of rope and drag them behind your car down a gravel road. Be sure and stop and check the abuse after the first 1/4 mile and every half mile afterwards.
I lay clothing on the sidewalk and pound it with a hammer a few times to thin out the material, then there is always the exciting method, wear the boots and pants and jump out of the back of a moving pickup truck on a gravel road.
This would also save you money on make up and buying phoney bandages.

Or you could take the wimp's way out and simply distress the items by yelling at them and demeaning them. This does take alot longer though.


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## TheReaper (Jul 25, 2008)

Gym Whourlfeld said:


> Tie those boots to a piece of rope and drag them behind your car down a gravel road. Be sure and stop and check the abuse after the first 1/4 mile and every half mile afterwards.
> I lay clothing on the sidewalk and pound it with a hammer a few times to thin out the material, then there is always the exciting method, wear the boots and pants and jump out of the back of a moving pickup truck on a gravel road.
> This would also save you money on make up and buying phoney bandages.
> 
> Or you could take the wimp's way out and simply distress the items by yelling at them and demeaning them. This does take alot longer though.


Lol nice at the end


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## Spats (Sep 21, 2006)

Never underestimate the deep relief of swinging clothing against a rough brick or cinderblock wall, especially a corner.

There's also fuller's earth, bleach water and ink washes, and a few hours of quiet time with the clothing, the boots and a heavy iron file.


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## RedSonja (Sep 18, 2004)

I've actually made a trench coat look old and dusty just with brown paint. I splattered it a bit and then brushed & stamped it on with a sponge. It turned out pretty good. Whatever you do, think about how clothes would really distress, like at the seams, at pant leg bottoms, etc.


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## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

This is the backup link for hauntproject.com (the server crashed), but it's got some good tips for realistically distressing clothes.

HauntProject.com - Your visual source for Haunting How-To's

For clothes you actually want to wear, I'd go with the one from costume.org... the others sound like they'd be pretty filthy and I wouldn't want to wear something that was that disgusting. 

I would think a combination of sand paper and maybe even a mallet taken to the boots would go a long way towards aging them... along with being very theraputic.


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## Elza (Jun 21, 2004)

Whourlfeld....you always crack me up!


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## Jackielantern (Oct 31, 2005)

Give them to my husband....he can ruin a pair of shoes and jeans in one night! 

Good suggestions so far, guess I don't have much useful to add.


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## Mr_Awful (Aug 3, 2005)

These are some good ideas, I'll give a few of them a try. Thanks everybody!


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