5 Great Things You Can Make With Old Jeans
1. Construct A Denim Carry All Bag
Denim never goes out of style! Whether you wear it on your behind or as a bag, you’ll always look chic with this rugged material!
To make a denim carry all bag, just cut off the legs of a pair of jeans. Cut them as close to the crotch as possible. Then, use a seam ripper to open up the crotch. Sew a seam across the legs and crotch so the bottom of the bag will be completely closed.
Then, cut two long strips of denim out of the spare leg material. Cut the pieces as long and as wide as you want the strap to your carry all bag to be. Lay the strips one on top of the other, then sew them together. Position the ends of the strap onto the sides of the bag and sew them on. securely. Finally, sew the zipper shut, and your new carry all is ready to use!
You’ll probably have two back pockets and two front pockets to store your smaller personal items in. (Depending on how the jeans were made.) Plus, you’ll have a large bag that is sure to accomodate the rest of the items you need!
2. Put Together A Denim Quilt or Throw
Since denim is a heavy, dense material, it does an effective job at holding in body heat. Therefore, a quilt or a throw cover made from jeans is sure to be warm and cozy!
For this project, you’ll need several pairs of old jeans. Use a seam ripper to open up the legs all the way up to, and including, the crotch. Then, carefully remove the back pockets. Remove the lining from the front pockets and discard; sew the pockets shut on the outside.
The next step is to use sharp scissors to cut each pair of old jeans into squares. You’ll need to go around holes or tears in the material. You can cut the squares large, like four or five inches in diameter. Or, you can cut them small, like two or three inches in diameter, for example. Any smaller or larger sized squares will make the materials hard to work with.
An average-size throw is fifty inches long and sixty inches wide. So, if you’re using five inch squares, for example, you’ll need ten squares for the length and twelve squares for the width. Or, a total of about one hundred and twenty squares. Keep in mind that you’ll lose material everytime you sew two squares of the denim together to make a seam. To remedy this, you can add a square or two on each side.
To assemble your Denim Quilt or Throw, sew all of the squares together, then add a piece of material to the back. Before you sew the back and the fornt together, you can add a thin layer of batting to the inside, if you choose.
Finally, tie the middle of each square together with short pieces of yarn.
3. A Denim Throw Pillow is 1-2-3 Easy
An added decorative item for your Denim Quilt or Throw would be a pillow that’s made out of old jeans too. You can start out by using the same procedure you used for making the quilt or throw. Except, you’ll need two panels of squares that measure the same length and width. Lay the panels one on top of the other, wrong side out. Sew three of the sides together. Then, turn the material right side out and fill the pocket with batting, plastic beans, (like what you put in a beag bag), old panty hose, plastic bags cut into strips, et cetera.
The last step in this project is to sew the fourth side shut. Fluff your new pillow, and it’s ready to use!
4. Fabricate a Jean-Bean Bag Chair
Speaking of bean bags, you can even use some old jeans to make yourself a bean bag chair! Not only will the chair be comfortable to sit in, but it will also be rugged to withstand even the toughest use!
To start this project, you’ll need four or five pairs of old jeans, depending on the size you want the chair to be. Cut off the legs of the jeans; cut them as close to the crotch as possible. Use a seam ripper to open up each leg. Then, sew each leg together to make one round piece of denim material. However, leave the first and last several inches of the legs free to make flaps.
Now, fold the flaps on one end of the round piece over and sew them together securely. This end will be the bottom of the Jean-Bean Bag Chair. Fill the inside with plastic or foam “beans”. These can be purchased at your local craft store, or on the Internet.
Finally, fold the flaps over on the other end and sew them together securely too.
5. Sew Up a Fashionable Denim Skirt
And last, but certainly not least, you can easily make yourself a skirt out of an old pair of jeans! (Just make sure the jeans still fit you around the waist and hips!)
Take a pair of jeans and open up the seams inside the legs all the way to the crotch. Then, decide how long you want your skirt to be. It can be a mini skirt, midi, or even a knee length fashion. Measure from the waist band down, and mark a straight line across the width of the jeans. Use a sharp pair of scissors to cut the legs off across the line.
You’ll need to open up the seams on a second pair of jeans too. This extra denim fabric will create fill in “V” pieces for the front and back of your skirt. Just measure, cut, and sew the pieces inside the legs.
Finally, sew up the bottom hem, and your new skirt is ready to wear!
