After you buy a new pair of shoes or jeans, usually your first instinct is to break them in. Once you’ve done that, they’ll be easier to put on and wear comfortably. Getting them to the point of “just right” could take a while.

It doesn’t have to! With the right tricks, you can take a few shortcuts in tailoring your wardrobe for your needs. Learning style hacks from pros who do this for a living can reveal some pretty interesting clothing secrets. Sometimes, you end up never looking at common household objects the same again.

Today we’re sharing a video from stylist Gemma Shanley who will have you raiding your kitchen on behalf of your wardrobe. She shows us how to alter our shoe and jean reality by using a cheese grater. Mm hmm. A cheese grater. Gemma gives three different ways to use the kitchen tool; here we’ll share two. Check out the tips below.

Shoes

How many times have you bought a new pair of shoes, worn them on the first day (or night), only to be slipping and sliding all over the floor? It’s embarrassing. It’s dangerous. It’s not cute. You can’t stunt on ‘em when your feet decide they want to levitate.

Instead of reaching for the sandpaper, grab a cheese grater and take it to soles of your shoes. It will give your shoes some traction, enabling you to walk and dance with some grace.
 

Ripped Denim

 
Ripped jeans can cost a pretty penny in the many styles they come in, such as skinny, boyfriend, or high waist. By harnessing the mighty power of the cheese grater, you can destroy them on your own.
 
Choose which part of the denim you want the rip to go. Some people like to mark it with a line of chalk. If your jeans are lying on a flat surface, you may also want to slip a small piece of cardboard under the section you want to rip. This will protect it.
 
Run the cheese grater over the denim until it’s frayed. You can use tweezers to pluck away at vertical pieces of fabric to reveal more string. Roll a lint roller across the denim to get rid of any messy bits left behind.
 
Press play on the video below to see what else you can do to your jeans with a cheese grater. Unlike with store bought styles, you can have control over where you place the rips and holes. You can use this method on shorts or any other denim style, including jackets. You can even save those old pairs of jeans you planned on getting on rid because of the rips in them. Repurpose and revive!
 
Feel free to get any size grater you wish and dedicate it to wardrobe styling. Who knew a cheese grater was such a handy wardrobe tool?

 

What do you think about Gemma’s tips for using a cheese grater? How many old (or new) pairs of jeans do you want to distress now? Will you also make your shoes fit for walking? Tell us in the comments!