craftgrrl | Setting snaps in demin

Okay, I have this skirt that my boyfriend just loves.... it's a very simple skirt - think a rectangle with darts at the hips to make it fit smoothly, and snaps down the side. That's how the skirt fastens. I think there's like 5 snaps along the edge. The problem is... I hate the color of the skirt. It's such a BRIGHT demin, and doesn't really go with my clothes.

I know I could make an identical skirt... but I'm wondering which would be easier - trying to dye/fade the denim, or making a new skirt with snaps? Because the snaps are how the skirt fastens, they would have to be fairly sturdy and large, and I don't know if I'm going to need an expensive tool to set the snaps since I doubt they can just be hammered in. So if getting snaps to make a new skirt would be too expensive/difficult, has anyone successfully dyed or faded denim to make it look worn/broken in?

I really don't want to ruin the skirt, so I'm a little squeamish about trying to dye it.