Blame it on the national obsession with the Great British Sewing Bee. Blame it on the street stylers, championing the looks we want before we even know we want them. Blame it on Fendi or Roksanda Ilincic, who sent multi-coloured fragments of fabric down the catwalk last month. Whatever the cause, we know this to be true: patchwork is huge for 2014.

The beauty of the trend is that, with a little cunning and a quick trip to your local haberdashery department (always a pleasure in itself), you can knock up your perfect pair of patchwork jeans at home. Lara Watson, editor of lifestyle and craft magazine Mollie Makes, has provided us with a step-by-step guide to take you through it.

1. Start with a pair of jeans as your base, and a pile of denim from unwanted shirts (often thinner than jeans material, so easier to work with), jackets, skirts and jeans. 

Raid your local charity shop for bits and pieces you can cut up – and look for interesting design features, like bleach splatters or scuffs, to add texture.

2. Choose contrasting washes for your patches to get a bolder effect. 

Acid wash or stonewashed patches look striking against dark indigo, for example. Alternatively, be more subtle by going for similar tones together, which combined can give unexpected texture. Try cutting out pockets to use as patches.

3. Assemble the shapes of patches you want – whether it's rectangles, squares, or an all-out 60s style with hearts, for example. Then decide whether you want to get out a needle and thread, or just fabric glue the patches onto your jeans.

If you want to reduce fraying, try adding iron-on interfacing first, available in haberdashery shops – or if your patch denim is thin enough, hem first. Either place the patches on top of your base jeans, or inside them behind scuffed and ripped sections. Pin each patch in place and attach to the jeans by stitching around the edges in a matching thread.

4. If you're new to DIY or don't have a sewing kit to hand, fabric glue or Wonderweb are quick and strong, and will hold with regular washing. 

Be sparing with glue so it doesn't soak through, and remember to protect the inside back of your jeans so they don't get stuck together.

5. Add other effects like ripping or scuffing by being brave and taking to your patches or jeans with scissors, a cheese grater, a fabric dye like Dylon or bleach.

Mess them up and wear them your way!