5-Minute Crafts
5-Minute Crafts

What to Do With Old Jeans

You shouldn’t throw away even the oldest and worn-out jeans that you don’t want to wear any more.

5-Minute Crafts put together 7 crafts that you can easily make from old jeans.

1. Storage sacks

  1. Cut off the bottom part of the jeans leg about 10 inches wide.

  2. Fold the bottom edge for 2-3 inches up and make it flat by turning the sides of the fold into triangles.

  3. Apply fabric glue to the upper halves of the base of the triangles.

  4. Fold the top edge of the cuff in half and glue it to the triangles.

  5. Apply glue to the seam of the top edge.

  6. Fold the bottom edge of the cuff in half and glue its seam to the seam on the top edge.

  7. Turn 4 inches of the top inside out using the cut piece of the leg.

  8. You can decorate the edges of the bag with lace if you’d like.

2. A belt bag

  1. Take your old jeans and lay them out on a table with their back pockets up. Put a leather belt through the 2 left loops.

  2. Cut out the left jean pocket, along with the part of the waistband and the 2 loops the belt was put through.

  3. Glue stickers or appliques to the pocket.

  4. Secure the finished bag to your waist with the help of the belt.

3. A phone pocket

  1. Take old jeans and cut out the back pocket along with the top strip (a 1-inch strip above the pocket, including the seam).

  2. Make a horizontal cut in the middle of the top strip making sure that its ends are about 1 inch from both sides.

  3. Make the cut slightly wider with your hands.

  4. Hang the finished pocket using the loop — hang it on the charger plugged into the outlet, and put the device inside.

4. A denim skirt

  1. Take your old jeans and cut off the legs about 2 inches lower the crotch.

  2. Cut out the fly area.

  3. Sew together the protruding piece of fabric at the inner seam, forming the even back seam of the future skirt.

  4. Cut off excess fabric at the base of the seam.

  5. Sew 7-8 medium-sized buttons on the left side of the skirt about 1 inch from each other.

  6. Make holes for the buttons on the right side of the skirt with a sharp blade.

5. A functional apron

  1. Take your old jeans and cut off the legs about 1 inch lower the crotch point.

  2. Cut out the fly area and front pockets, leaving only the waistband with the button.

  3. Create a frill and take a strip of brightly colored fabric about 21-23 inches long. Sew the frill to the bottom of the cropped part of the jeans, then put the strip through the belt loops and tie its ends into a bow.

  4. Remove a few belt loops from the front of the belt to the area, between the back pockets. The finished apron should be worn on the waist and fastened there with the help of the button.

6. A pincushion

  1. Cut a 6-inch piece of the waistband from the back of the jeans.

  2. Turn it with its front outward.

  3. Apply fabric glue along the right edge.

  4. Glue the edges of the cutout together.

5. Take a glass and put a piece of cotton wool on it.

6. Cut a 4 to 5-inch circle out of denim and put it on the top of the cotton wool.

7. Put the denim ring we made above around the glass.

8. Take off the ring and the circle together from the glass. Place a few more pieces of cotton wool inside.

9. Cover the bottom with a 2-inch circle made of cardboard.

7. A hand bag

  1. Cut off the bottom part of the leg of the jeans about 8 inches in diameter. Put a lot of fabric glue on the middle part.

  2. Place a CD on top of the glue and press it on.

  3. Cut out the glued CD along with the denim, leaving about half an inch of denim around the CD.

  4. Make vertical cuts on the fabric around the CD about 0.4 inches from each other. Apply glue around the circumference of the CD.

  5. Glue the edges of the fabric to the CD and apply another layer of glue on the top.

  6. Cut out a circle from any other fabric, the same size as the CD, and glue the circle and the CD together. Repeat steps 1 through 6 and make another fabric circle with a CD inside.

7. Cut another piece of the leg, 4-5 inches long. Turn it inside out. Make a vertical cut in the middle of one side.

8. Apply fabric glue in thin threads about 0.2 inches from the edges of the cut.

9. Turn the piece of fabric inside out and glue it to the edges of the cut. Apply glue in a thin thread to the glued edges.

10. Glue a zipper with its front inward to the glue threads.

11. Turn the leg section over and apply a lot of glue on the middle part.

12. Place a piece of cardboard about 4 inches wide on the glue and glue it to the leg.

13. Apply glue to the edges of the cardboard. Fold the edges of the pant leg over it.

14. Glue them tightly to the cardboard.

15. Turn the leg out.

16. Attach the circles with the CDs on both sides of the ring.

17. Sew loops to the sides. Put a decorative cord about 40 inches long through them and tie it with a tight knot.

18. Decorate the edges of the finished bag with the cord too.

Bonus: Upcycle your phone case

  • Start by placing your case on top of the old pair of jeans.
  • Measure the amount you’ll need, and cut the denim.
  • If you want, choose a part of the jeans that visually appeal to you; like the pocket for example.
  • Afterwards, glue your phone case to the denim.
  • Cut out the holes in the case (camera, speakers, and any other ones you might find).
  • Your new phone case is ready to be used.
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