How to Make a Pearl Denim Jacket

See how I made a DIY pearl denim jacket from an outdated Goodwill find. I love pearls and denim jackets are a must for fall, so I decided to combine the two. By making this yourself, you can get the look for less than $20! The pearl jean jacket is a twist on a classic fall staple. In this post, you’ll see how you can create this jacket for yourself.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you were to purchase any of the items linked at no additional cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love just about everything with pearls. Which is why I decided I needed pearl denim jacket. Basically, I bedazzled it but with pearls.

Similar Dress | Necklace

This project started with an outdated denim jacket from Goodwill. The first step to create this jacket was to lighten it with bleach. See how I bleached this jacket in this blog post.

Below is what the jacket looked like when I bought it. Once I had it lightened I could begin sewing on the pearls.

How to Make a Pearl Denim Jacket

Here are all the steps you’ll need to take to make your own pearl denim jacket, which of course will be a lot less expensive than buying one. It will also be completely one of a kind! No one else will have the same jacket as you, and I kind of love that.

Supplies

Here is what you will need to get started:

• Denim Jacket
• Pearl Beads
• White thread
• Sewing Needle
• Scissors

The first item you need is a denim jacket. I found mine at Goodwill but you could also use one you already own. If you don’t have one, you could also buy a new one. Below are some inexpensive options, my recommendation would be to use the Levi’s jacket.

Next you will need to select your pearls. I opted to go with glass pearl beads rather than plastic. Glass should be more durable and less prone to chipping.

The rest of the supplies (thread, a sewing needle and scissors) are pretty straight forward. I highly recommend that everyone have a sewing kit in case they need to fix something in a pinch.

Figure Out The Placement of the Pearls

Once you have all the supplies, you can pretty much begin sewing. However, I recommend laying out the jacket and placing down the pearls to see what you like.

I decided to sew the pearls on in a more random and scattered way, but you don’t have to do that. Although, this is the easiest way to go about this project. Here are some ideas I thought about which you could try!

• Sew the pearls only on the very top the of the jacket
• Align the pearls with the stitching, such as along the back and the straight line at the front
• Only sew pearls on the sleeves
• Mix up the size of the beads, use large and small ones
• Sew pearls on as shapes, such as stars or hearts
• Sew them in the shape of letters, maybe put your initials on the back

The opportunities are endless, but sewing them on in a random fashion will be easiest.

Once you have a plan, you can pull out your needle and thread.

Begin Sewing on the Pearl Beads

To sew on your pearls, you will need to knot your thread and then slip it through the back of the jacket, so the knot is on the inside. Then bead it through the pearl and back to the inside of the jacket.

I sewed through the bead three times before tying the knot on the inside. Once your knot is made and secure you can trim the thread.

Here is a tutorial on how to sew a bead onto fabric, this technique is more detailed and probably better than how I did it! But I’m not concerned about the beads on my jacket falling off.

Repeat!

Once you’ve sewed on one bead, keep repeating until your pearl denim jacket is complete!

It took me a few hours to sew these beads on but, as always, I was watching TV as I did it. Sometimes it feels so good to do something productive, like a simple sewing project, while I do something as unproductive as watch reality TV.

DIY Pearl Denim Jacket Results

Once you’re done, try it on! This jacket will be great for spring and fall!

It has such a classic look and I love it. The only thing I would change is maybe adding more pearls, which I can always do later. However, I do like that I didn’t go overkill with the pearls, this jacket is simple and subtle.

I also love how inexpensive it was for me to create this. I already had the beads and the jacket was from Goodwill (which my mom gave me) so there was really no cost but my time on my end. Even if you don’t have all the materials, by using a Goodwill jacket you can easily recreate this look for under $20.

If you loved this DIY project, be sure to check out my other pearl projects!

• DIY Pearl Hoop Earrings
• DIY Pearl Hair Tie

Where to Buy a Similar Jacket

Of course, if you don’t want to make this yourself I wanted to share where you can find a similar look.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. If you’re loving this content subscribe to my weekly newsletter and be the first to know when a new blog post is live!