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Congrats to yesterday’s winner, Sally Decker, on winning Day 2’s daily giveaway! We will be in contact so that you can claim your prize.
It’s Day Three of National Sewing Month! Don’t forget to visit Seams and Scissors every day to find daily giveaway opportunities and sewing ideas! To enter today’s daily giveaway, find the contest rules and leave a comment below. Also look out below for details on how to enter our National Sewing Month grand prize that includes a BERNINA 215 Sewing Machine! Too see the daily blog posts, projects of the day, and more National Sewing Month details, click here.
Today’s National Sewing Month post is brought to you by Pam from Threading My Way!
- offset seams
- open seams to neaten the edges
- twist the direction of a seam
- zig zag or overlock (surge), instead of turning a hem twice
Use a jeans foot, if one is made for your machine. They are designed to help sew over thick layers.
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| Needle case tutorial ~ Passion et Couture |
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| Jeans pocket cushion tutorial ~ Threading My Way |
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| Pocketed drawstring backpack tutorial ~ Sewing for Utange |
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| Jeans textile cuff tutorial ~ Passion et Couture |
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| Jeans gift bag tutorial ~ Creating My Way to Success |
Fabric Yarn – Thin strips of denim, cut from the legs of jeans, can be used as yarn. Sew the strips together and roll into balls, ready to use in weaving and crochet projects. You could even use them instead of ribbon when wrapping gifts.
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| Woven jeans coasters tutorial ~ Green Issues by Agy |
Make a loom from cardboard and start weaving with jeans yarn and cotton thread to make coasters.
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| Woven denim basket tutorial ~ Ohoh Blog |
Or weave a larger project entirely using jeans yarn. Choose two different coloured pairs of jeans for a variegated effect.
Labels – even the brand label can be used to good effect. If you’re lucky enough, you may find jeans with a leather or faux leather label.
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| Jeans cell phone case tutorial ~ Passion et Couture |
In this case, the label has been utilised as a belt holder on a cell phone case. Being small, the cell phone case only needs small pieces of denim and fabric.
Small Denim Scraps – Even the smallest pieces of denim fabric can be put to good use.
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| Embroidered coasters tutorial ~ Joy’s Jots, Shots & Whatnots |
Add some embroidery to small pieces of denim fabric and you have a set of coasters. These coasters have been embroidered with a machine, but with a little imagination, you could also hand stitch designs or maybe decorate with fabric paint.
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| iPod keychain case tutorial ~ Creating My Way to Success |
Make a small zippered pouch for your iPod and attach it to your keychain. Little pouches such as these could be used for many different things.
Legs – The largest pieces of fabric can be harvested from the legs of jeans.
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| Draught excluder tutorial ~ Celtic Thistle Stitches |
A draught excluder can be sewn from just one leg. I suppose you could leave the denim as is, but why not add some appliqué to add character.
Refashioning – When refashioning, one garment is usually turned into another, in most cases keeping some of the original elements.
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| Overalls to dress refashion tutorial ~ Sews n Bows |
All parts of the overalls have been kept in this refashion, with the exception of the legs. Add a skirt to the overalls and in 20 minutes, your little one has a new outfit.
Embellishing Jeans – Contrasting colours work extremely well with denim, which makes them very easy to embellish, using stitching, fabric paint or even a sharpie pen.
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| Camera case tutorial ~ Gina’s Craft Corner |
Use a sharpie to create a design on left over scraps of jeans. Add some contrasting fabric, sew them together and you have a case to protect your camera.
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| Tattooed denim jacket ~ Second Chances by Susan |
Although technically not a sewing project, I had to include this tattooed denim jacket, to show you what can be done with creativity and imagination. A sharpie marker, glue and dye were used to turn a plain, white, denim jacket, into a work of art.
For more jeans repurposing ideas and inspiration, head on over to Pinterest.
- Jeans Upcycling
- Denim Recycled
- RRU Denim Jeans
- Denim Refashion Ideas
- Denim-Blue, Jeans Reuse, Refashion
- Upcycled & Refashioned Denim
- Jeans, denim, recycled, refashion
- Upcycled Denim Jeans
So, what are you waiting for? Grab a pair of pre-loved jeans and start repurposing.
Be sure to see all of Pam’s projects on Threading My Way!
Also remember to check out the Project of the Day right here!
To enter the daily giveaway to win a Simplicity Swag Box, leave a comment below telling us:
Do you have jeans that don’t fit anymore that you refuse to throw out?
Official Rules for Daily Contest
- There is a maximum of one entry per person. The entry will be based upon a comment left on this blog post. Duplicate comments will be deleted and are not tallied.
- Winner will be selected at random from the comments on this blog post below.
- You have until tonight, September 3rd, 2014 at 11:59p EST to leave your comment on this post. Comments posted after that will not be counted.
- Contest open to anyone 18+ in US and/or Canada.
Enter here for the National Sewing Month 2014 Grand Prize Giveaway.
AllFreeSewing
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- 20 T-Shirt Upcycle Ideas - August 22, 2018
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Not me; but my husband does.
No, I don’t wear jeans anymore, but my kids do.
Lots of them! Lost weight and refuse to get rid of them. Love to repurpose!
Yes, I have a small stash of old jeans that I hope to use in making a jean quilt or other jeans refashioning. I have made a small flower pot cover with a jeans leg.
Yes, a pair from my much slimmer youth!
Yes, I have a bunch. I have used them for projects in the past and your ideas just might prompt me to do that again soon!
Yes, I keep them in w itch my fabric stash. I have used some to make a purse, a baby bib, and doll clothes that were all used as presents.
I love repurposing old jeans. Thanks for all the great ideas and inspirational links.
Ang
I plan on getting back into my jeans at some point – that’s a plan I’ve been percolating for 25+ years, though, LOL!
Oh yes, with the hope that I will fit in them once more. Need to get those scissors out and make something useful. Great ideas to reuse old denim.
Yes I do. So do my Grandchildren & daughter. Will have to try to make a project out of them.
I keep a stack of old kids jeans handy so when the stack gets too big, It’s time to make a pillow or purse or something with the denim.
I have several pairs of jeans that I haven’t thrown out. Last year I turned a pair into a apron for my sister who is a painter, and I have a stash saved up for a quilt backing.
YES!!! I want to make a stair runner from them to protect the carpeting so I don’t have to clean it so often. We have a casual home, so denim would be a little bit country and fit the decor perfectly. I plan on using a flip and sew method, with heavy duck cloth as the backing.
Great post, Pam! I always admire your denim creations:)
I have a large tote filled to the brim with old jeans! My whole family has contributed to this box. Someday I will make an awesome quilt!
Yes, I do. I have been saving them to make a denim picnic quilt.
I have a small stash of jeans I can’t fit but my kids have loads of jeans and grow like weeds. So now that I have ideas I will have a constant supply of material.
I too have extra jeans kicking around, some too big and some too small. I love to use jeans for quilts and bags.
Love to use denim, as well as wear it. So, lots of jeans. Good ideas
My son wears 501 buttonfly jeans. They are not made in boot cut, so I use a piece to add wedges in the inside seam. Boot cut 501special order! Bags and quilts get most of my recyclables!
So many neat ideas for repurposing. I used a jean pant leg for a camping chair cover. The original cover had ripped out so I used the jean leg (straightening the crotch seam) and added a fabric band at the top for the drawstring. I love that it goes in the washer!
Yes, I old jeans that no longer fit. I keep them for the memories.
YES! Actually I just started making a corset out of denim for a denim meets romantic dress. Love these tips! will have to use some of these projects for my denim stash.
I collect jeans all the time, I never throw them out. We made locker hangers at school last year with students, and purses and mug rugs. We sent an email out and the kids told there parents we needed old jeans, we ended up with boxes and boxes of them. Enough to help the new classes make all that stuff. I make quilts with mine.
I am working on a jean quilt for my son at the present time. I love to sew old jeans into quilts. Recycling at its best.
No, I give mine to a lady who makes them into patchwork quilts and donates them to children.
Oh yes, my skinny jeans that I love.
I love using my old jeans for new projects. Most recently for turning the pockets into a cell phone holder that hangs from the charger to keep it safe & off the floor!
Great ideas for some old jeans. Thanks as i have a bag of them in the garage needing some TLC.
If the jeans are still in good shape I usually donate them but I have cut them up and made quilts in the past. I really like the woven basket. Very cute.
My husband’s, my son’s and my granddaughter’s jean shorts. I volunteer at an afterschool program and I helped the girls cut up and sew bags with long shoulder straps. The girls had a great time decorating their own bags.
I make rugs out of old jeans.
Cute!! what a fabulous bunch of projects. I want to try them all ;o)
Yes plenty of sizes from child to adult. Great inspiration for something to do with them.
Lovely, fresh ideas in your blog. I made a quilt with several pairs of old jeans. (It was one of my earliest blogs.) I’ve also made skirts and bags. Just sorted my sewing cupboard and found two old pairs of jeans inside. I love the draft excluder idea and will try that one soon.
Several pairs that I’ve patched but they no longer fit!
love my jeans – so much to do – not enough time to do it
had high blood pressure – but went back sewing now under control
this is great to do with my grandkids – we love all the design you share with us
THANK-YOU SO VERY MUCH
Thanks for the great ideas! Just in time to use on the denim skirt I got at the thrift store.
Recently raided my stash and made jeans purses for three granddaughters!!
They loved the idea and I was told the purses made a big hit in SCarolina since one was trimmed and lined with Clemson fabric!! The others were trimmed and lined with cheetah, and I found fabric similair to the prism of the entrance to the Louve since that child loves all things Paris!
Have dozens of jeans in sizes from my super thin to pleasing plump days. Cannot let them go as I do plan to repurpose, some day.
Just starting on my re-purposing adventure, done a skirt and trying a bag from jean shorts.
Some people collect stamps … I collect old jeans and use them to make items which I sell to raise money for a charity I support.
I have a rather large box of jeans I’ve been collecting for several years as the children and husband out grew or got too holey to wear. I will start denim quilts in the fall! Looking forward to making this box disappear!
You all had some really good idea’s. I am always in the mood to do something in & with blue jeans.
Thanks 🙂
Uh, yeah! They’ll fit again, someday…. 🙂
-“We are trying to obaitn a 00. 00 personal mortgage, we are newly-weds and Ie28099m hoping to go to Texas in January to be with him. Hee28099s from the Army, and Ie28099m currently unemployed so he is alone with an income at the moment.”
Love to make jean quilts as my husband out grew several pairs. But, I’m always looking for new ways to make more things out of them. Love the Denim basket starting one today.
I live next door to a ‘Jean factory’! Every garbage day I come home with bags of denim… I have officially gone to ‘heaven’ – and can’t wait to get started on some of these projects!!! 😉
Well-These are some new ideas! Cool. Since I lose and gain all the time I have lots of jeans. We always used them to make picnic blankets but how many of those can you use? Thanks for some new directions!
I save jeans and parts of jeans (such as legs when I cut them off to make shorts) for all kinds of projects. And now that I have granddaughters, I am experimenting with refashioning. (My first refashion was in 1972, when I turned my favorite pair of worn-out-in-the-knees jeans into a skirt and embroidered it along the new hem. Now I’m doing it for a new generation. What goes around comes around, I guess.
I have lots of denim! I want to make a ‘memorial’ quilt of my family and friends who have passed on before me.
I have a good size box of old jeans I’m saving to make a quilt for my youngest son. If there is enough left I’ll make one for his son.
I definitely do have jeans I/we can’t wear anymore! There is always hope that I/we will lose that extra weight and fit back into them. I’m sure a few of those wouldn’t mind being recycled into something crafty! You’ve given me many great ideas! Thanks!
I make denim quilts and coasters. I have also made smaller jeans for my grandkids!
Yes, already made a denim quilt. Have a picnic quilt idea next.