What can be made from old jeans in 2020/2021: life hacks with photos, ideas for creative crafts

The use of denim to create clothing, interior decoration, jewelry and much more is still popular. Jeans will never go out of style. Denim products are associated with comfort, versatility, and fashion. Items made from this fabric go well with different styles of clothing.

Absolutely everyone has at least 1 pair of old, worn-out jeans in their wardrobe. You can, of course, throw them away, or you can do something new and original. For example, make a functional craft. Some of the crafts are very simple to create, but sometimes you have to work hard.

There are a huge number of ideas that can be made from denim, but only a small part is discussed in the article.

How to use old jeans - new ideas for inspiration

There are simply a huge number of beautiful, useful and very useful ones that will be useful in every home.

Below are the most interesting ideas and life hacks made from old jeans, which can be implemented with a minimum of financial and time costs.

Finishing and decoration

Important! The denim jacket makes possible a large number of very different types of jewelry.

Here are some possible options for this:

You can use rhinestones. It is enough to arrange them on the jacket so that they look harmonious. Before gluing them, it is recommended to simply lay them out on the jacket in order to imagine how they will look. These decorations look good. If placed on the collar around the neck, shoulders, cuffs and pockets.

Decoration with rhinestones

Using lace fabric will add zest to a woman's look. When using an old jacket, you can cover worn areas in this way. Lace can be used not only in white, but also in other colors - for example, black, brown or gold. Lace details will look good on the front or on cuffs.

Using black lace

You can use baby beads for decoration. It looks good if parts of different sizes are used. Sometimes a pattern is used, but it must be marked on the fabric before sewing on the beads.

Use of beads

The use of beads to decorate jeans is more accessible to those who have experience and skills in this area. However, in this way you can make patterns that will make a fantastic impression. They can be placed on almost all large or small areas of the jacket: on the back, front or on the cuffs.

Using beads
There are also many other options for decorating denim jackets.

Clothes made from old jeans

You can find a lot of ideas for sewing clothes and crafts from jeans.
You can use denim, both thin and thicker. There are two ways to recycle outdated trousers - sewing things using the patchwork technique from scraps or cutting directly from the trouser legs. The last option is relevant for sewing vests, shorts, children's dresses and sundresses. You can find interesting new things with patterns online, so sewing them shouldn’t be a problem.

The advantage of denim when sewing is that the edges do not need to be processed. Products with a terry edge look more stylish and original. When the product is ready, it can be made even more unique and stylish - whitened with spots, stripes, or slots.

Sewing techniques

The most common technique for creating products from denim is patchwork.

Denim patchwork is sewing from scraps of denim. This technique has been known for more than a century. Previously, the popularity of products made from scraps was explained not so much by the need to recycle old things, but by the difficulty of acquiring fabrics, especially with a beautiful pattern.

With the growth of textile production, the need to preserve beautiful scraps has disappeared, due to the greater availability of fabrics for ordinary people. Because of this, sewing from scraps was forgotten for a long time. Today, in the handicraft society, patchwork has exclusively decorative meaning and has many types.

Sewing from scraps of denim is a fairly common activity.

To create products using the denim patchwork technique, both material from old denim items and purchased new pieces of fabric are suitable. To make the product even more enjoyable, you need to take into account the following nuances:

Purchased material must first be washed or steamed so that it shrinks.
It is recommended to starch a little and iron pieces of used items.
When making one item, it is better to use denim scraps of equal density.
It is recommended to reinforce parts that are subject to heavy loads during operation with durable material.
For thin and medium weight jeans, a 0.75 cm seam allowance is sufficient. On thick jeans, allowances are not needed at all, otherwise the seams will stand out and stick out. Such elements are connected by a joint on a substrate of another material using a zigzag seam.

Modeling from scraps of jeans is quite an interesting activity, so it is better to prepare everything you need in advance: crayons, pins, scissors, measuring tape, needles, threads, sewing machine, iron.

What else can you make from old jeans?

It may not be clothes, but jewelry. Nowadays chokers and necklaces are popular. They are worn by young girls and middle-aged women. Such jewelry is combined with clothes in a sporty, romantic, casual style.

What are jeans paintings for?

The purpose of denim creativity can be very diverse. This is not only a good way to spend time doing something creative, but also an opportunity to learn something new and develop your skills. Handicrafts have always been considered an excellent way to develop and spend time.

The resulting activity result can be:

Interior decoration;
The basis for bags, rugs, clothes and other useful things;
Work for exhibitions, competitions.

Creating something new and unusual is always interesting. What’s especially pleasing is the opportunity to get results without much investment.

For creativity you will need a minimum of supplies, which can always be found among scrap materials. Even if nothing works out, there will be no regrets about the money spent.

DIY jeans crafts - kitchen textiles

What exactly can be sewn from denim-based kitchen textiles:

Potholders, mittens for hot dishes;
Lunch mats for table setting;
Pockets for cutlery;
Tablecloth on the table.

Potholders can be made as simple as possible, or you can embroider or sew on appliqués, turning this element into a real masterpiece. For table setting, you can make pockets for forks and spoons.

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In this case, you won’t need to sew anything, because it’s enough to carefully cut out the pockets of 2-3 trousers. It turns out very fresh and unusual. Suitable for a picnic or youth party!

What to wear with a denim jacket

There are different types of such clothes. If you are using a regular size model, it is recommended to wear tight-fitting clothes underneath. In this situation, a turtleneck, shorts, skirts, and dresses are suitable. Shoes should be chosen depending on the woman’s height. If it is low, then a high heel is better. Low soles will make her look squat in a denim jacket. Skirts and dresses should not be longer than the jacket. In this case, the image turns out to be both gentle, feminine and bold, bright.

A denim jacket is practical and stylish and beautiful at the same time. Even novice craftsmen can sew it. There are many possibilities to decorate it and give it a unique and impressive style.

We sew a tablecloth from old jeans

To sew a tablecloth, not only trimmings of trouser legs are used; they are combined with linen, cotton, and viscose. Thin fabric is perfect for the base of a tablecloth, which exactly matches the dimensions of the tabletop.

And from scraps of jeans 35-40 cm high, sew a solid piece of dense length that is equal to the perimeter of the tabletop. Then connect the base of the tablecloth (circle or square) to the bottom.

This bottom will provide an excellent fit and prevent wrinkles in the base. Such a tablecloth will always be in its place, without moving from its place.

How to sew a fashionable bag

To avoid buying bags, sew a bag from jeans. Lots of pockets and compartments make it an indispensable item. Make a pattern. You can sew many different models using this pattern.

Sewing process:

Cut out 2 rectangles (80x60 cm) - the side parts and the bottom of the bag (80x20 cm).
Using the same dimensions, you need to cut out the lining.
Sew the side parts. Place a decorative stitch. Sew the bottom.
Turn the workpiece right side out.
Sew the lining in the same way, leaving a small part unsewn.
Connect the top of the bag to the lining, then sew.
Turn it through the hole to the right side and topstitch.
Sew up the hole left in the lining.
Make handles from braid, each 60 cm long, or sew them together. Then stitch along the sides of the product.

A capacious sack bag is sewn using the same principle.

Bags for every taste.

Functional and practical items made from jeans

What new things can you sew from old jeans that you need every day? Of course these are organizers. A great idea for those who love order. All the necessary things will always be at hand.

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Organizers can be placed in the bathroom, bedroom, or on the sofa. In the latter case, you will get a convenient organizer for remote controls, newspapers, magazines and other small items. Housewives can also use this idea for their dachas to store bags of seeds, gloves, and various small items in pockets.

For the base of the organizer, you can prepare a canvas made of strips of denim, glued with dublerin. You may need a hook loop at the very top. Pockets are cut out of jeans and sewn, glued to the base fabric.

The number of pockets depends on the needs of the owners, but buttons and beads are used as decoration. If the fabric is light, you can paint it with acrylic paints, it will turn out creatively and tastefully.

Ideas for inspiration

You can also make other crafts, for example, an organizer for the back of a sofa. Thanks to him, glasses, TV remotes, and magazines will always be at hand.

A chair cover is also a great idea.

A pincushion and a needlework basket will make your work more comfortable.

By making a cover for your diary, you will save yourself from searching for a pen or pencil.

You can already start preparing New Year's decorations.

These cute kittens will bring joy to your children.

Cover the toy box so the children can assemble their own things.

Unique items for the interior

This group of products includes:

Pillows and pillowcases;
Bedspreads and blankets;
Ottomans;
Toys;
Rugs.

What is the main decoration of sofas and armchairs? Of course, pillows! In this case, you can sew pillowcases or just a pillow, filling it with filler. For example, if the denim is thick, then pillowcases are not entirely practical to use; it is better to sew a ready-made pillow right away.

Well, the pillows are just asking for a suitable addition - a spectacular patchwork bedspread or blanket. If there is not enough denim for a bedspread, this is not a reason to abandon the idea.

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The fact is that it turns out to be an excellent combination with corduroy, fleece, and viscose. The end result will be an interesting plaid made from multi-colored scraps.

Denim toys can also be a way to transform the interior and decorate your favorite sofa. After all, soft toys are often placed next to pillows. The most popular toys are bears and cats.

You can find a variety of patterns, both from several separate parts that are sewn together, and a one-piece version. The last option is very easy to sew. For toys you need to stock up on synthetic fluff - the most popular filler.

The ottoman is another new life for old jeans. Synthetic padding polyester is used as filler, but it will have to be stuffed very tightly. For this reason, you need to buy a lot of padding polyester.

It is better to use denim scraps as a base. A large number of seams is a great way to ensure that the ottoman holds its shape. Using a similar principle, you can decorate an outdated ottoman, which has long been asking for a landfill.

Pleasant home little things

How many different useful little things can be made from unnecessary denim items! For example, oven mitts for the kitchen. Denim is a fairly dense material, so your hands will always be protected from burns. Novice dressmakers can cut out square potholders and decorate them to their liking.

If you keep the pocket, you can put various kitchen items in it.

Many housewives prefer mittens. Using the pattern, you can make a dozen potholders. Just trace your palm and there you have the pattern.

Make a more complex pattern.

Decorating these products is a pleasure.

Aprons with many pockets will come in handy for every housewife.

The apron comes with house slippers.

Master class on sewing a tablet case quickly and easily

First, cut off the trouser leg, lay it out on the table, put the tablet on it and draw its contours. This can be done with a chalk or a bar of soap.

Step back 1-2 cm from this outline and draw the same outline in a mirror image. The result will be a pattern that resembles an unfolded book. You need to prepare two such parts - the front side and the back side.

Fold these blanks with the wrong side out; if necessary, you can glue them with non-woven fabric before stitching. After this, sew along the entire perimeter of the rectangle, leaving a 9-10 cm hole. Turn the cover inside out and iron it thoroughly.

Sew pieces of elastic on two or three sides so that they hold the gadget inside. If you need the case to be as tight as possible and keep its shape.

Before sewing the parts together, you need to attach a piece of felt to one of them, equal in size to the prepared parts.

Cardboard won't really work as it will be difficult to turn inside out. But with felt there will be no such problems. Now the tablet case is ready.

Advice! Many people wonder how to use old jeans for needlework if there is no sewing machine at home? But there is an alternative to sewing - the parts can be glued together. This is especially suitable for baskets, clutches, and organizers. For gluing you need to use a good fabric glue or contact glue. It is desirable that the glue is waterproof and can withstand washing.

Women's jacket pattern

To design a women's denim jacket, it is convenient to use a standard pattern.

It should be taken into account that the jacket should fit loosely around the body. To do this you need to add 7-8 centimeters. Next, we will consider the pattern of a denim jacket in the most popular size.

Women's denim jacket

Back modeling

The distance from the neckline from the back to the bottom of the product will be 55 cm. Putting them down, draw a horizontal line. It should rise 0.5 cm towards the side seams. The same line will need to be considered as the bottom edge of the shelf.

The back shoulder will need to be lengthened by 3 cm. In this case, the shoulder line will need to be raised by half a centimeter. The armhole needs to be made deeper by 2 cm.

From the neck line you need to set 12-14 cm down. This will be the width of the yoke. It will need to be cut and cut specially. The remaining part of the back is divided into two parts: the middle part and the side.

Shelf modeling

The chest dart is closed in such a way as to bring it to the waistline. Now the side line will need to be straightened. The shoulder of the shelf needs to be lengthened by 3 cm. It is made higher by 0.5 cm.

How to make a yoke

The armhole is deepened by 2 cm. The neckline is increased by 1.5 cm. In this case, it is necessary to provide an increase for the fastener. To do this, you will need another 2 cm. You will need to put 10 cm down from the neck and draw a horizontal line. The yoke will need to be cut separately. On the shelf you need to mark the places where the buttons will be located.

Raised seams on the front

You need to set aside 2 cm from the edge of the closed chest dart to the side. From the bottom of the armhole along the yoke you need to measure 3.5 cm. This will be the location of the relief seam.

The denim pattern stipulates that there should be a pocket with a flap near the front edge of the armhole.

Pattern of a collar for a jacket

To create a collar, you need to measure the length of the neckline on the front and along the back. The collar width is 12 cm.

Original denim alterations – photo frame

For the base, take a wooden photo frame without decoration. The waistband of the jeans has belt loops. These are the ones that need to be cut and used to make a frame.

The first thing you need to decide is whether you want your belt loops to be attached straight or at an angle. At an angle you will get a more original effect.

Starting from the corner of the wooden frame, you need to glue the hinges at an angle. Fill all the gaps in the wooden frame with strips of fabric until all four sides are covered.

If you don't have enough belt loops, you just need to cut a few tight seams to the required length. Visually they look almost the same.

Building a Men's Slim Denim Jacket

In accordance with the standard pattern, you need to cut out the necessary parts from denim and lining fabric. It is necessary to add allowances of one and a half centimeters wide to all seams.

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For sewing you need the following:

Sew down the center back seam.
Connect the back yoke to its central part.
Create raised seams for the front and sides.
They make side pockets with a zipper and clasp.
You need to sew the seams on the shoulders.
The joints on the sleeves are processed. In this case, you need to make fasteners.
The outer part of the collar must be sewn into the neckline.
Sew the cuff of the bottom of the jacket.
The outer part of the belt should be sewn onto the waistband of the jacket.
You need to sew a zipper into the middle seam of the front.
The lining is sewn on with the front part facing the front side of the jacket. They are stitched to the neckline and waistband, then turned inside out through the sleeves and finally sewn.
The buttons are installed on the sleeve cuffs.

Sleeve construction for a men's skinny denim jacket

The denim sleeve is made of two parts. For the pattern, a classic single-seam sleeve is used, from which a narrow elbow part is separated. The cuffs to the sleeves should be 14 cm long. After sewing in, their length will be 7 cm.

Denim home decor

Vivid examples of denim alterations as home decor are a wreath on the front door, paintings and panels made of denim.

Nowadays, many people like to hang a wreath on their front door that says “welcome.” This wreath is very easy to make.

Take a round frame of wire and wrap the cut seams from the trousers around the wire wreath piece, securing it with a hot glue gun. Once the entire frame is covered with denim, you simply add the felt roses by wrapping them around the wire stems of the frame.

Crafting from old jeans provides another alternative way to make a wreath for the front door. A base resembling a lifebuoy is prepared. Cut a circle out of cardboard with a hole inside.

Glue foam rubber around the entire perimeter of the circle, wrap it with any fabric on top, you can also use knitting threads. Now you need to add volume to the product so that it looks like a wreath. To do this, use 2*5 cm denim scraps; you need to prepare a lot of them.

Next, these scraps are folded in the middle and glued along the entire perimeter with hot glue. It turns out a fluffy, cheerful wreath for the front door.

These are not all the ideas of what can be made from old jeans. You don’t have to follow ideas from the Internet; you can come up with your own and turn them into reality.

For ideas to start appearing, you can first make one thing. The main thing here is to start! Already in the process of creation, a clear understanding comes of what more can be done. The number of ideas can only be limited by your imagination.

How to convert a men's jacket into a women's one

Remaking a boy's or man's jacket into a women's jacket is another opportunity to update your wardrobe. This method will be especially convenient for beginning craftswomen. You can use a pattern taken from Burda. In this case, there will be no fear of doing anything wrong. After all, the base of the jacket has already been made and only a few relatively simple operations need to be done.

Men's jacket before alteration

Today, denim jackets for girls and women are back in fashion. Previously, their popularity peaked in the eighties and nineties. If a men's jacket has been preserved from that time, it is not difficult to update it by turning it into a fashionable women's item. This can be done in several ways. One of the most popular will be described below.

After the rework

You can do this as follows:

The jacket needs to be shortened. Due to the fact that breast darts were not provided, the situation can be corrected in the indicated way. It is enough to raise the edge no more than 5 centimeters.
You need to draw a new edge evenly along the entire jacket.

Bottom of an old jacket

Since the material will bulge on the back (especially if the jacket is oversized), you will need to sew the jacket at the bottom. It is convenient to do this on the sides. To measure, you need to pin the seam and draw with chalk the places where the fabric needs to be hemmed. Typically the width of the gap at the bottom of the seam is approximately 2 cm.
The side seams should be basted, but not sewn. At this stage they cannot be ground down. It makes sense to do this only after trying it on. The allowances must be carefully ironed so that they do not puff up.
After adjustments, the length of the belt should decrease by approximately 4 cm.
When the fittings are done, the excess fabric is trimmed and all the necessary seams are sewn.

Important! You can already wear this jacket. However, you need to understand that converting a men's jacket into a women's one does not come down to fit. An important part of it is the redesign of the style.

To do this, you can, for example, do the following:

Draw a butterfly-shaped pattern on the back. A sample for this can be downloaded from the World Wide Web.
To do this, you can use soap to apply the contours of the design onto the fabric.
The outer line can be obtained by tracing the workpiece, and the inner pattern can be copied.
Then along the top of the line one more time is made with a marker.
After this, the pattern is drawn using paint.

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Then you need to let the fabric dry. To secure the pattern, it is recommended to iron the pattern.

Butterfly pattern

Another option for this alteration is to additionally remove the sleeves. The denim jacket turns into a stylish sleeveless vest.

Updated jacket from the back

What can be done from old jeans - photo ideas for unusual alterations

Please repost

Features of choosing jeans for a picture

Different denim is suitable for making denim paintings. Most often, this is how they sell old clothes that they would hate to throw away. Any jeans will do. It all depends on the characteristics of the picture itself.

Often, pieces of fabric of different colors and textures are needed to create a product. The more diverse the supplies of materials, the more interesting compositions can be created from them.

Apron

You can turn old jeans into an apron in just 5 minutes:

Cut the top of the jeans just below the back pockets.
Now remove all the fabric from the front, leaving only the waistband.
A completely functional apron is ready! If desired, it can be modified by decorating it with frills.

Or you can sew pieces of denim into a good-quality apron. The choice is yours.

Basket for trinkets

For small items that are usually always found in any home, you can make a basket or several using old jeans.

To make a decorative basket from jeans, we will need:

jeans
scissors
colored and white fabric
tailor's pins
beautiful ribbon for decoration
sewing machine

Stages of work:

We lay out unnecessary jeans on the table.
We decide what size we will make the basket. Measure the required length and cut it.
Let's see what seam will be on the outside of the basket.
Cut both pant legs in half on the side you chose earlier.
We lay out the prepared parts on the table. Place a ruler on top at a right angle to the central seam.
Align the bottom edge by trimming the hem.
Cut out 2 pieces of colored and white material according to the template.
For the bottom of the basket, we cut out round-shaped elements from one piece of white and colored fabric.
We fasten the elements together with pins, then stitch them as shown in the photo.
We sew the decorated ribbon to the upper edge of the product, having previously attached it with pins.

The original denim basket is ready!

Fridge magnets

Fridge magnets made of denim can be made in the form of some voluminous object or flat, it all depends on personal preferences. Denim magnets in the form of an owl, a heart, a Christmas tree, a cat are quite interesting...

To create a heart-shaped magnet, you need to prepare: jeans, a button, cotton wool, thread with a needle, magnet, super glue, scissors, pencil.

Step-by-step plan for creating a magnet:

Draw a heart of the desired size on the fabric and cut it out.
Using the cut out heart, cut out another one.
Place the blanks with the front side inward and carefully sew along the edges, but leave a small hole.
Turn out the workpiece.
Fill the hole with cotton wool and sew up the heart.
Sew a button.
Glue a magnet to the other side of the heart.

Chair upholstery

Old jeans can be used to reupholster furniture. This upholstery looks original. For example, you can drag a chair, as in the photo:

Use smooth parts from jeans - without zippers, pockets or rivets. Decorative elements may leave snags on clothing. They are also uncomfortable to sit on.

Organizer

Organizers have firmly established themselves in the life of a modern person. They help organize things and make cleaning easier. Instead of buying various boxes, stands and racks, you can make your own organizer from jeans.

Suspension. Made by sewing cut out pockets onto fabric. Or you can do it simpler - cut a long and wide strip of denim, stitch it to the fabric from below and perpendicularly every 10-15 cm. You will get improvised pockets. This organizer is very convenient for storing tools.
Organizer for office. Instead of using boring cups, you can make organizers from plastic bottles and denim. Cut 0.5 L bottles in half. Wrap the part with the bottom in fabric and glue on decor - lace, pebbles, shells.