This is my favorite item right now! I was watching TV and
they showed during a commercial one of those DIY shows and I saw they made a
denim bag and I literally saw it for only a few seconds but I was like I can
make something like that!
Back in High School I had a favorite pair of blue jeans but
after leaving school for a few years the jeans got so many holes in the inseam
area that I just couldn’t wear them anymore so I bought a few new pairs that
became my favorites! But I really liked the pockets on the old pair and knew I
could use them somehow so I washed them and put them in a drawer, and I am no
hoarder I always throw old stuff away but like I said I thought I could use the
pockets for something so I saved the jeans. So when I saw the show advertised
that showed the denim bag I knew exactly the pair of jeans I was going to use!
So I dug the jeans out of my drawer and washed and dried
them again and then waited a few days as I thought over how best to do it. So I
took the jeans and cut them as you would cut off shorts straight across the leg
area on the one side and saved the rest of the cut off leg for the strap /
handle later. I then cut upward toward the waistband but avoided the crotch and
zipper area on mine as that is where the holes had come after many years of
washing and wearing.
I took the fabric and folded it to where the inside is
facing out toward me and then leveled the fabric up, kind of how one makes a
pillow. The pictures below should help you understand how to place it to sew. I
took black thread and sewed, by hand as I don’t have a sewing machine but if
you have a sewing machine it will go by faster, across the bottom and then up
the one side until I got all the way to the top of the waistband. One side already is taken care of as there is a seam there already so no sewing is necessary. So then I did
what you do if making a pillow I put it back right side in and pushed my
fingers down to push out the edges inside! So the example I saw was done but I
wanted to add something to my version to spice it up!
I took some lace ribbon I have and cut off a little bit and
instead of sewing it to the waistband I did it right underneath and under the one
belt buckle area. When I cut the lace ribbon a little of it wound up on the other
side of the belt buckle and was a little uneven and shredded a bit so I decided
to use a daisy button later to cover it! I bought a sunflower iron on appliqué,
3 daisy flower iron on appliqués, and then I was going to do 2 bumble bees but they
were sew on instead of iron on appliqués and though I can sew I decided not to
do it but instead bought a little grey smiling kitten with a little butterfly
on his head iron on appliqué. I attached the sunflower and 3 daisy flowers first after finding
the right arrangement for me and a few days later I got and attached the little
grey kitten. It looks like the kitten is walking through a garden and a
butterfly lands on him much to his delight! :~)
Now it would look perfect as this point but I decided to
make an attachable strap / handle as I had seen on the one on TV. So after the iron
on appliqués was added I bought some daisy flower buttons which match the whole
flower power bohemian theme, lol! I attached 2 of the largest daisy buttons to
each of the side waistband of the jeans at the top and one of the medium size ones I
sewed over the ends of the lace ribbon at the back where it was frayed as I
explained earlier. My version is rustic but if you are better at sewing it may
look a lot better!
So now onto the strap / handle. If you saved the leg pieces
as I did then the strap / handle will be easier but if you didn’t then on your
version then just use the other pants leg to do it or make a strap / handle out
of other material if you care to or you can just go without a strap / handle. I
cut the pants leg up the center and the one side was easier to sew as it was
already sewn because of the one seam but I did the same as I did with the bag I
turned it where the inside is facing out and sewed up the one side and then
carefully turned it right side in which was a challenge, lol! The rest of the material
I sewed both sides and then put it right side in as well.
I took the two pieces and sewed them together which doesn’t
look so great but honestly it was the only way I could think to do it but it
does have a padded look which is good at the shoulder area where it falls on
me. I made holes for the buttons at the end of the jeans just above the hem
with just a pair of scissors. I eye balled the area and the buttons to see
about the size I needed so it wasn’t too small or too big a hole for the
buttons and then I just carefully cut a small area and then extended it
carefully with the scissors. This gave it a rugged look but when the buttons
are in nobody, you included, can tell how the holes were created. I then
attached the wider strap / handle that I made by pushing the holes through the
buttons and then there you have it!
Of course if anyone makes this they can make thinner straps as I may wind up doing or make handles if they like! And of course they can decorate it in any way they so choose to make it their own! Have fun with it! If anyone is unclear on my directions please leave a comment and I will try and explain the process in an easier way!
Voila! Now this bag can be a tablet carrier, purse, day hike
bag, book carrier, ect!
The bag has a tad bit of a floppy appearance but that is
true of a lot of bags and tablet carriers but if you want to give it a firmer
look then I’ve heard fusible fleece is the way to go but since I haven’t used fusible
fleece before I didn’t use it but I might add it to it sometime in the future.
I’ve heard it isn’t too hard to add so I might play around and see how to do it
in the future!
Also if you put a tablet in this multi-use bag then you can
also put cloths inside so the denim doesn’t scratch your screens or just put
the cases in along with the tablet and of course this is a smaller bag but
bigger bags can be made by cutting lower on the jeans and incorporating more of
the upper top of the jeans. My jeans are stretch jeans as well which I think is
great as it allows for a measure of maneuverability and stretch. Also the
pockets of jeans allow you to put headphones, charges, cash, cleaning cloths,
ect in which is great as well!
I am putting some pictures of it on me below as well and I
thought they looked good but may look a little goofy instead, lol! In some of
those I am the Queen of the stump in my back yard, lol, which used to belong to
my little cat Missy who sadly passed away earlier this year so I chose to do
them in honor of her. Other pictures I forced my cat Tommy to be in the
pictures with me, well maybe not forced as he loves his picture taken and loves
to sit in the sun on the banister, lol! In the one it looks like I’m forcing
his head that way but really I am just itching his chin which he loves more
than anything else, lol! Also if anyone is curious the book I was reading is The
Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper which I read many years ago and just used as prop
in this picture, lol, but it is a very good book and I recommend it!
- Sunflower Appliqué- $1.47 at Wal Mart or similar appliqués can be purchased at any hobby or sewing store
- 3 Daisy Flower Appliqués- $1.47 at Wal Mart or similar appliqués can be purchased at any hobby or sewing store
- Kitten with Butterfly Appliqué- $0.97 at Wal Mart or similar appliqués can be purchased at any hobby or sewing store
- Daisy Buttons- $1.97 at Wal Mart or similar buttons can be purchased at any hobby or sewing store
- Lace Ribbon- $1.00 at Dollar Tree or similar lace can be purchased at any hobby or sewing store
- Pair of Blue Jeans, preferably old as similar jeans will give it a cool used look
