Upcycling Old Jackets Into Awesome Free People Dupes

Tools and materials:

• Leather jacket
• Faux leather fabric
• Scissors
• Glue 
• Sewing machine
• Leather paint (in black and red)
• Painters tape
• Paintbrush
• White denim jacket
• Buttons
• Fusible web
• Iron
• Pencil
• Floral fabric

Here are the two Free People jackets that were my inspiration and that I’ll be basing my jackets on.

Starry leather jacket

1. Cut out the stars

Sketch star shapes onto faux leather and proceed to cut them out.

I started with white stars but found that they were too harsh against the black so instead went for faux leather in gray.

2. Glue the stars on

Fabric glue the stars on so that they are all in place, flat, exactly where you want them.

I recommend lying all the stars down to create your pattern. Then, just lift up one star at a time so you know exactly where to put it down.

3. Sew the stars on

For a more professional finish that will make the jacket look like it’s store-bought, we’re going to sew the stars on with a zigzag stitch.

Ensure that you have the right thread and are using the right setting to sew onto the leather.

4. Touch up the stitches

This stage is optional, if you are happy with your zigzag stitch, you can skip it.

For an even cleaner finish, I recommend grabbing some leather paint and applying it to anywhere that you can see the felt backing of the faux leather stars.

Also, paint the edges of the leather sides black so you don't see the light gray color. I also dabbed on top of the zigzag stitch to make it look like a tighter zigzag. 

5. Add red paint

Lastly, add a pop of red. Use some painter's tape and a couple of thin lightweight coats of leather paint. Then, paint the parts of your jacket that you want red.

Here is the finished jacket and oh boy does it look professionally made. To say it’s seamless would be an understatement. 

Flower jacket

1. Crop the jacket

I started off by cropping my jean jacket. You can also cut yours or leave it as it is. I’m also adding in a couple of slashes and cuts to get a little distressing from fraying.

2. Iron fusible web to the fabric

Fusible web basically turns anything into an iron-on patch.

Iron the rough side of the web to the wrong side of your fabric to fuse them together. Leave the paper on for now.

3. Cut out flowers

Draw some flowers onto the fabric and cut them out. I went for some flowers that have an empty space in the center.

When done, peel off the paper backing and on the back side of the flower is a super lightweight adhesive that is activated by heat.

4. Iron flowers on

Iron the flowers on. I placed a couple right around the buttons and also added some to the buttonholes, that way if I actually button up the jacket you will still see the flower.

I also put some on the sleeves. You can either sew the flowers all the way on or barely iron them on, just enough that you can hold them in place while you try the jacket on.

Then, if everything looks good, you can go back in and iron them on properly.

5. Add buttons

Sew on little buttons right in the center of each of the flowers for a bit of embellishment. I went for shiny ones that add a pretty little sparkle.

Here is the finished jacket and I am totally in love with it. I adore the little flowers around the buttons that contrast with the fig flowers symmetrically placed on the shoulders and the sleeves.

Upcycling jackets for fall

For anyone into DIY fashion, these two jackets are an absolute must. In the video, I also create a third jacket using a cutting machine. To see how I create this jacket, watch from 2.45 - 6:30.

These Free People jacket dupes are perfect for fall and truly gorgeous pieces to have in your closet. If you have extra flowers or stars from either of the projects, save them for a future project that you can make at a later date.

If you enjoyed this tutorial, check out my post on How to Create a Crystal Embellished Denim Jacket.