Upcycle: Blinging up a denim vest

This project was a favour for a friend. She had a denim vest she likes to wear whilst motorcycling, but she found that the original buttons were too time-consuming for adding or subtracting quick layers for the weather. The goal was to replace the rivet buttons with a zipper and add some sparkle to replace the crystals in the centres of the old rivet buttons.

The first task was to remove the original buttons. This. was. not. fun. AT. ALL. And it left nasty holes in the denim that had to be stitched up. Like this.

The next step was stitching up the buttonholes. Easier than mending the rivet holes, but still not fun. And very unsightly.

To cover the darns, I fused herringbone twill tape to the front bands and stitched it down on both edges.

The next stage was to attach this decorative zipper with sparkly teeth.
Finally, I attached buttons to both bands in the place of the original buttons and button holes.

And here's the final result: