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Blue Jeans
Using them in quilts. I've been
buying using old jeans and flannel shirts and cutting 2-3 inch squares to piece
together in a block/X pattern. I also use a 3rd remnant color- something that
matches one of the lines in the flannel to tie together the squares. I vary the
patterns but these are so cute. I use old mattress covers as the quilt lining
and a solid colored sheet for the backing. Not only are the jeans saved from the
trash but just about the whole quilt comes from it!!:) I'm making these for Christmas
gifts. Who doesn't wear jeans/flannel? Everyone loves these. The flannel
is so easy to cut out since the checked patterns are usually big enough that just
cutting each opposite square out gives me the 2-3 inches needed. (look at an old
shirt and you'll know what I mean) I'm thinking of also making blue jean potholders
the same way:) Melanie
My daughter and her friend bought
a rectangular shaped container with a lid that lifts up and covered it in the
blue jeans to make a toy box for her friend's children. They even left in
the pockets so that pencils, etc. or small toys could be put in these. It
really looks cute and I could send a picture if you want one. Mary
My favorite use of old blue jeans is
the one I did a few years ago. I sewed a Bible cover out of the still strong parts,
complete with a pocket from the jeans on the front for note cards and pens. I
cut a piece of an old bandana and sewed it above the pocket to make it look like
it was stuffed in the pocket. Ellen
A favorite use for jeans is to cut
off the top half just where the legs start, and sew a seam along the bottom ,
make handles out of the leg material, and use it for a tote bag. I'm making one
of these right now. Ellen
Cut off the legs, turn under the raw
edges, and sew straight across the bottom. Braid a long strap out of strips
cut from the legs, and attach to each side at the waist. Add Velcro to hold
the "waist" closed, if you want, and you have a neat purse or tote bag.
If you have a loom, blue jeans legs
cut into 2 inch strips make a great rug weft. Denim strips can also be braided
to make braided rugs.
Pieces of old jeans, especially those
with pockets, can be pieced together for a great teen quilt, comforter, or throw
pillows.
Pockets from old jeans can be added
to nearly anything, including other articles of clothing. They can be tacked
to bulletin boards, glued to note books, or made into a small purse with the addition
of a strap or handle.
Legs can be cut off and stuffed for
neck pillows. If the denim is soft and thin, the ends can be gathered and
tied closed. Otherwise, you will have to find a way to sew them shut by
hand. As denim weights vary, I've never come up with one way to do it that
always works - you just have to experiment.
Fabric scraps from jeans can, of course,
be used for all sorts of craft projects, and to patch other jeans! Make
iron-on patches with wonder-under, or other fabric bonding medium.
I have used heavy denim from jeans
legs to tar and patch roofs and stuff in cracks to stop drafts. I sure hope jeans never go out of
style! Dawn
Save them and after you have a pretty
good pile cut them into manageable pieces (8x8 or 12x12 squares) and stitch them
together to make a patchwork blanket. You will have to put batting in the middle
and a contrast fabric (cotton or denim) on the back of your blanket. You can make
one as small (lap blanket) or as large as you want, depending on how many pairs
of jeans you have.
You can patch some together into pieces
and put grommets or a pocket rod on the top and make a curtain for a boys room
or other area.
You can cut the legs off of the
jeans and finish the edges with hem or bias tape and add the jean pockets and
other fabric pockets to it and hang it on a dowel rod to store school supplies
or any other odds and ends in it.
Blue Jeans as an arm sling- when my
7 year old broke his arm I cut the top off a pair of denim overalls just below
the waistline. The straps (as per usual) sat across the shoulders and gave support
instead of the knotted and uncomfortable sling. I opened one side for the bad
arm to go in and stitched up the bottom at a height that was comfortable for my
son. My son wore regular blue jeans and this sling and it almost looked like he
was wearing overalls. He liked the support and he liked the jean sling.
I have had a lot of fun and success
in reusing the lower legs of worn out or outgrown blue jeans. I cut below
the knee (or hole in the knee) and turn the pant leg inside out. I then
sew across the cut edge (knee end) to make a tube. Next, I "mitre"
the ends by laying the seam up and sewing a triangle across each end. I
then turn the leg right side out. Voila!-- a gift bag that will stand upright.
I have used these for all kinds, shapes and sizes of gifts. I sometimes stuff the
bags with tissue paper or a bandana and leave them open or tie them with
ribbon, rope, or bandanas. The top can be used with the hem showing, or folded
down in a cuff. Being from Texas, it is a fun way to send a part of me along
with the gift.
K. Reinbold
Use them to patch other blue jeans.
The back of the legs is usually pretty good to use for patching.
Use the backs of the legs that aren't
badly worn to make a quilt in the rail fence design which is long strips (about
4 inches wide and 12 inches long, sew 4 of these together to make a block. Make
blocks for as big a quilt as you want. When laying them out for the quilt top,
lay one lengthwise and the next crosswise to make a stair step type design alternating
each row.
Another quilt idea is to stitch strips
together with the seam on the outside, not inside. Once it is washed the seams
will fray and it is quite decorative and you don't need a backing on this.
More ideas
for Blue Jeans
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