If you have a stash of jeans with holes we have a list of amazing things to make with old jeans besides making cutoffs. However, if you want to make shorts of your holey jeans, I have included directions for 3 different ways to hem cutoffs.
DIY Denim Projects Using Old Jeans
Here are some ideas for making something new out of old jeans. Save the denim fabric and your old jean pockets and use them to make some of these patterns and tutorials.
Make a denim bag using Purl Soho’s free pattern for Easy, Easier, and Easiest Totes. I can vouch for them being easy!
For a smaller version of a denim bag, check out this cute DIY upcycled Denim Zipper Pouch by Curly Made.
And there’s this DIY Denim Crossbody Bag made by Patti at Hearth and Vine. Isn’t it amazing?
Make a Denim Book or Bible Cover. You can use your old jeans to make this Repurposed Denim Bible Cover. The pocket becomes a place to put your pens and highlighter and the button placket become the closure!
These Recycled Denim Planters reuse two things: cans and the seams from old blue jeans.
I love the look of this Denim Rag Quilt from Frugal Family Times. Because of its large size, she uses it outdoors – either as a picnic blanket or on the porch swing for chilly days.
4. Hallmark has an easy tutorial showing you how to make a denim pencil case. And here are directions for an even cuter denim pencil case, but these are in German. (It’s simple enough to follow along using Google Translate. She also has a lined version!)
5. Add the extra fabric to your fabric stash and use it to make denim patches when you get a hole in your jeans.
Braid long strips of denim to make a Braided Denim Dog Pull Toy like this one at Sew Historically.
Here are some upcycled Denim Fabric Baskets and a free tutorial from Threading My Way so you can make them too.
And here is another take on Denim Storage Baskets with Flower Embellishments Purple Hues and Me. Both the baskets and the flowers are made from upcycled denim. The baskets are made from blue jeans pants legs!
If you’re really ambitious, you can make a braided rug from blue jeans like Frugal Veggie Mama started to. It looks so good, but she later confessed to never finishing it. And she’s not alone! Almost every other denim rug tutorial I’ve seen took months to make and broke a lot of needles.
This denim drink cozy from Exquisitely Unremarkable looks a lot easier!
My Recycled Bags put together a very simple tutorial on how to make an denim oven mitt.
Use your old blue jean pockets and strips of denim to make a DIY Denim Wall Organizer like the one made by The Nerd’s Wife.
The Sisters of the Wild West had a different take with their burlap and Denim Pocket Wall Organizer.
This Denim Feather Wall Decor by Pillar Box Blue is so artistic and beautiful. It’s a great way to reuse very small scraps of denim.
Pillar Box Blue also has a step-by-step tutorial for making this upcycled Denim Hanging Mason Jar Vase. She even made the paper daisies.
My kids are pretty rough on jeans. Oh, who am I kidding? My husband and I are pretty hard on jeans too. In the winter, when we blow out the knees on our jeans we put on long johns under our jeans to keep warm. In the summer, we expand our summer wardrobe, by creating cutoffs.
How to Make Cutoffs:
I pull out my quilting supplies when I make cutoffs. I want to get as even as an edge as possible when I cut the excess fabric off, because if you don’t get an even cut you end up “evening them out” a little at a time until you are left with Daisy Dukes. And that is just wrong!
I use the ruler to measure from the hem to above the hole get an even cut:
I mark my cutting line with a washable marker or chalk:
Then I use the ruler as a guide and a rotor cutter to cut the excess denim off:
This creates a nice even edge at the bottom of cut-offs. If you want, you can ‘t declare yourself done, embrace a bohemian look and let them fray.
3 Ways to Hem Cutoffs:
If you don’t want your cutoffs to fray, you can use a couple different methods to prevent it.
1. Use thread and a sewing machine to hem your cut-offs. Be careful to match the thread color and the style of over-stitching. Jeans usually have two rows of over-stitching, use a ruler to measure the distance between the rows, so you can duplicate it.
2. Cheat and use bonding tape. The works best for lightweight denim and khakis. Turn up the hem, place the bonding tape under the turned up fabric and iron.
3. Use fray check. Instead of hemming your cutoff jeans. You can run a thin line of fray check near the bottom of your cutoffs. This will help prevent your shorts from becoming too frayed.
How do you use your old jeans?
More Frugal Ideas:
Awesome Ways to Refashion T-Shirts
Upcycled Baby Clothes Tutorials
Ways to Make Your Clothes Last Longer
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Barbara says
i UPCYCLE OLD BLUE JEANS BY MAKING DENIM FLOWERS AND WREATHS FROM THEM. i’VE MADE WREATHS USING JUST THE SEAMS, RAG WREATHS WHERE YOU CUT THE DENIM INTO 6 OR 7 IN. STRIPS AND TIE TO A WIRE FRAME, AND i’VE MADE FLOWERS – RUFFLY ONES, FLAT ONES WITH PETALS, ROLLED FLOWERS, ETC. Use the pockets for place settings and stick your silverware into a pocket and add a bandana napkin for each guest, make napking rings from the waste bands or belt loops, etc.
Don’t waste those old denim jeans!
Alea Milham says
I love your creative uses for old jeans!