Repurpose those old jeans into functional crafts! Use the denim to sew up some projects -- aprons, totebags, book covers, or drawstring bags.
To Repurpose into Useful Objects
Once you get the repurposing bug, you'll be looking for interesting jeans at the thrift store. Denim jackets, dresses, and jumpers are great for recycling into crafts too. In fact, the larger pieces of cloth in dresses often make them ideal for sewing projects. So keep your eyes open for denim in all forms and with interesting embroidery or colors.
One of my favorite things about using old jeans is that the cloth is already washed, shrunk, and velvety soft to work with.
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From Repurposed Articles
At my favorite thrift store where the textiles and clothes are sold by the pound, I came upon a denim bustier with some lovely embroidery. Now, I am not a woman to wear a bustier of any kind, but the embroidery was so pretty that I held on to it. I hoped to repurpose the article into something useful. A tablecloth found elsewhere gave me my inspiration -- an apron!
It's one of my favorite aprons, and I get loads of compliments when I wear it.
This drawstring bag has a chicken leg applique! Yes, a chicken leg. This bag is my meat bag for the grocery store. I try to be "green" and take my own repurposed t-shirt bags to the grocery store. But whenever I buy meats or a chicken, the clerks always want to revert back to a plastic bag because of the mess. This durable, denim bag is especially designed for messy chicken.
I got the idea for this craft from these directions. I used a leg from a pair of very wide leg denim jeans. I left plenty of length to hold a whole chicken and to create a casing for the drawstring.
From another leg (actually from another pair of jeans in a slightly thicker denim), I made a bottom for the bag. This was a bit tricky to get the size right. I held the pant leg up above a tape measure to estimate the diameter of the opening. I then used a plate to trace a circle on my fabric. I cut it out and started pinning it along the wide bottom of the pant leg. When my circle didn't match perfectly, I trimmed it. That resulted in a somewhat oval bottom, but this drawstring bag is very forgiving. It doesn't have to be perfect. (The chicken won't mind.)
Then I added a chicken leg applique. You can customize the design with other appliques, patches, fabric paint, trims, etc.
I ironed down a generous casing, leaving my raw edges on the outside and showing the wrong side of the denim for a bit of visual contrast. You can make it in the typical way, folding the casing inside the bag. Make two button holes in the casing, one on either side. Then sew down the casing.
Insert two ties, each circling the top of the bag in a different direction so that when you pull on both sides together, the bag cinches neatly. I used some scrap upholstery fabric I found at a thrift store for my ties. That same fabric became the chicken leg applique.
The drawstring bag can be used for lots of things:
Small pant legs will make small drawstring bags. Wider legs will make bigger bags.
Made From Old Jeans
My husband's favorite Bible was getting pretty ratty, and he mentioned wanting a Bible cover. I thought that old blue jeans would make the prefect casual cover for his book. I used a waistband for the velcro closure. And I added a pocket to hold pens and highlighters.
For step by step directions visit my blog where I give a basic tutorial for making this Bible cover.
Visit Crafting a Green World blog to see my inspiration for this repurposed tote bag. Of course, I put my own touches on her directions. I loved the alternating denim tones, so I used a pair of dark jeans that my daughter outgrew plus a thrift store pair in a ligher shade of blue.
I used pink thread for a feminine contrast and added some daisy trim that I found at a yard sale. Although the directions suggest leaving the top ragged to get that natural raveled edge, I finished the top edge with a decorative ribbon. I also used two jeans waistbands for my straps.
After it was finished, I decided it needed just one more thing, so I added a pretty fabric flower.
Visit my blog for the tutorial for this tote bag.
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A Sewing Machine and Pinking Shears
My sewing machine is a New Home brand, similar to this one. It has no electronic display and very few fancy stitches. It's a simple machine. But it's metal (inside). Just pick it up and you can feel the weight of the metal parts inside. That means it's heavy duty.
My sewing machine has worked for about twenty years now without a single problem. I recommend going with a simple but quality machine. Don't be enamored by digital displays and fancy stitches that you will use less than 5% of your sewing time. Stick with a mostly metal machine that covers the basics.
Pinking shears are great for minimizing raveling on the clothes and linens that I cut up for my repurposed sewing projects.
I make sewing more affordable and green by stocking my sewing closet at the thrift store. Second hand clothes and linens can be repurposed to create original sewing projects.
Out of style Christmas dresses can be repurposed into cute, reusable gift bags for bulky gifts. Here is how to do it.
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