Making a Bag out of Blue Jeans
Upcycle an old pair of blue jeans by making a bag out of them. Even if your jeans are ripped or worn at the knees, you can still salvage the upper thighs and waist portion of the pants. While this project does require some sewing and cutting, you don't have to be an expert. It's a great project to get started sewing, since you don't need a pattern and only have to sew in a straight line.
You'll need a sewing machine, a pair of jeans, thread, scissors, straight pins and a ruler to make the bag. To get started, lay the jeans on a flat surface. Cut the legs of the jeans off, just above the crotch. Turn them right side in and pin the bottom edge, where you cut the legs off, together.
Sew across the bottom, half an inch away from the edge. Turn the bag right side out. Make a handle or strap for the bag by cutting a two-inch wide strip of fabric from the jeans' legs. If you want some contrast, use a different type of fabric. Cut two 2-inch strips that are 20 inches long for a pair of handles or one 40-inch long strip for a cross-body strap.
Fold the strip in half lengthwise, wrong side facing out, and stitch along the long side of the strip. Turn it right out and pin to the top corners of the bag if you're making a long strap or pin the two straps centered on each side of the bag for handles. Sew the straps to the bag with your sewing machine or by hand, if you prefer. You can add a zipper on top of the waistband of the jeans to close the bag, but sewing a 3-inch long piece of Velcro to the inside of the top of the bag is a lot more simple.
