Tutorial!!! How to Make a Purse from Old Blue Jeans

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21.4.10

Tutorial!!! How to Make a Purse from Old Blue Jeans

Denim Pants Purse
I've always wanted to make a purse from a pair of old blue jeans, but hadn't had the time to try it out until last night. This is so easy!  The only thing that isn't finished yet is the twisty handles, but I had to share it with you while I had the time to post. First you draw a line about and inch and a half down from the inseam across both legs.
Cut legs off with pinking shears
Then cut the legs off with pinking shears to keep the raw edges from unraveling too much.

Turn pants wrong side out and then pin along a 5/8" seam line. Stitch TWICE for extra strength.
Pin leg holes together and stitch
Sew two inches across corners


Flatten out the bottom of the 'purse' by pulling the fabric from either side of the seam line out. You will end up with points on the side seams and the inseams. Sew horizontal seam on inseam and outer leg seam


Pin these flat and stitch 1 1/2 to 2 inches across. Stitch again. This gives you a 'base' for your purse. Trim the points off or fold to the centers of each leg hole to make a stronger base for the purse and tack in place.
Sewing horizontally on side and inseams
You need to do this for both leg holes. When you open out the seams and pull the corners flat, the seam line used to close the leg holes should be at the same level as the crotch. They should match.


Finished jean purse without embellishments
Now turn the purse right side out. Great job!!  Now the hard part is done!  On to the fun stuff!
Pin lace to bottom of purse
My next step was to pin some really nice leftover cotton lace to the bottom to make it look more like a skirt than shorts. I stitched it on by hand. But if you thought about it in time, I guess you could do that with the machine before sewing the leg holes closed. But I didn't think about the trim until afterwards..Ha!

 Thread ribbon or rope in waist band and make bow
I had some ribbon on hand which I laced through the belt holes, but you could even use a small real belt or cotton rope. Whatever you think would make it cute, would be great!  Also, I sewed some really nice buttons on the front. I was going to put button holes in, but I was afraid it would be too much trouble to use when opening and closing the purse, so I used velcro circles inside the jeans instead. The buttons are just for looks. 

Make handles
The last thing would be the handles. I had not finished those when I took the pix, but I just cut three long strips from the leftover pants legs, folded them in half lengthwise like bias tape and stitched them closed for straps.

I braided the three strips to make one pretty handle, but I haven't posted a picture of that yet. You could also purchase purse straps to finish this, but that would defeat the purpose of 're-fashioning' just a little.
Enjoy!
Donna @ Comin' Home

7 comments

Lorraine said...

thanks for this tutorial..its given me lots of ideas for recycling my jeans..into totes perhaps!!

Trudy said...

Cute purse, Donna.

antmee said...

Thanks! I have a lot of old jeans to recycle and was thinking bags.

Caroline said...

This is fun! You'll notice I don't ever post a bag in my photos (hardly ever) - I always carry the same Duluth Trading Company bag which is fabulous and practical, but not at all an "Accessory" type bag, lol.

Room for More said...

I just linked you in my new post : ) Have a fun weekend!

GlorV1 said...

Hi Donna. Sorry I haven't been here, but you know where I've been lately. Headed there again this weekend. Wow!! What a great idea and I have lots of jeans, including black ones that are just stashed in the drawer. Very good. I love it. Thanks ever so much for the tutorial. I know I will come back to it when I have some time to do some sewing. Have a great weekend. Take care.

Unknown said...

Thank you for a terrific idea for my church craft fair! I'm doing a table of different purses and totes made from designer jeans that failed to sell at the rummage sale! :-) So cute and fun! Takes less time than I thought. I added a cloth lining, with a brass zip, and interior pockets on some of them. These are great! You inspire!!

“There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again.” ~ Margaret Sangster

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