7 Ways To Refashion Old Denim Jeans

Are you having trouble letting go of your favorite pair of jeans? We understand how attached you can get to a piece of clothing that fits just right or holds a special memory.

But when those jeans start to show their age, it can be tough to figure out what to do with them.

That’s where this DIY craft article comes in! With a roundup of 7 creative ways to refashion old jeans, you’ll have plenty of inspiration for what to do with those jeans that you just can’t bear to part with. From turning them into a trendy skirt to repurposing them into a stylish tote bag, these ideas will help you give your old jeans a new lease on life.

Check out this book featuring 10 other ways to use Denim jeans.

1- Patchwork Jeans from Une Touche de Rose

2- DIY Tie Dye Denim from Swell Mayde

3- DIY Distressed Jeans from Fashion On Blog

Denim fabric is a sturdy cotton twill fabric that is most commonly used to make jeans. It was originally invented in the French city of Nîmes (which is where the name “denim” comes from) in the 18th century, but it wasn’t until the mid-19th century that it became popular for use in clothing, particularly in the form of denim jeans.

In the 1870s, a tailor named Jacob W. Davis and a dry goods merchant named Levi Strauss began making work pants out of denim fabric for miners and other workers in the American West. These pants, known as “waist overalls,” became popular due to their durability and comfort. In the 1920s, the concept of blue jeans as a fashion item took off, and denim has been a popular fabric for clothing ever since. Today, denim is used to make a wide range of clothing items, including jeans, jackets, skirts, skirts, and more.

4- From Flared to Skinny Jeans from Lazy Girl’s DIY

5- New Capris From Old Jeans from Baking Outside The Box

6- DIY Lace Bonanza Jeans from Pariata Time

7- DIY Fest Studded Cuffs from 21^st Street Blog

Do you have your own ideas for using recycled jeans? We’d love to hear them! Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and let’s inspire each other to get creative with our old jeans.

Here are some of the submissions for other ways to recycle your denim jeans.

Turn them into a trendy skirt or dress
Make a tote bag or backpack
Create a patchwork quilt or throw blanket
Use them to make a cushion cover or throw pillows
Repurpose them into a stylish apron
Make a denim wallet or purse
Create a denim headband or hair accessory
Turn them into a pet bed or toy
Use them to make a jean purse or clutch
Cut them into strips and use them as ribbon or twine for gift wrapping or crafts.

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We’ve already talked a bit about women in STEM for Women’s History Month, but I thought it would be fun to take a look at some female artists, too. Kids can learn about the women, see their art and even make art projects inspired by them. Let’s take a look at some fun resources for learning about female artists.

The Wadsworth Atheneum has a video reading of the book Women Artists A to Z by Melanie LaBarge, which covers women artists and the subjects they painted (example, n is for nature and talks about how Maya Lin uses natural materials and makes works that fit into the environment surrounding them). Or check out this post full of children’s books about female artists from the New York Public Library.

Need more ideas of artists to talk about? These lists overlap a bit, but check out:

6 Famous Female Artists Every Classroom Should Know by Winged Canvas
5 Women Artists of Color from Multicultural Kids Blog
Famous and Should be Famous Women Artists Your Students Should Know by Art Class Curator

Once you’ve picked a few artists to focus on, or let each child choose an artist to work with, you can search for their art and more biographical information online. You may also be able to find projects inspired by particular artists, or you can develop your own. For example Yayoi Kusama is known for the use of dots in her work, so you could use that as inspiration for a classroom project. Or check out these ideas:

These art projects inspired by women artists from Artsy Craftsy Mom include Kusama, Sonia Delaunay, Helen Frankenthaler and more. The one shown above is inspired by Alma Thomas and can be found on Woo Jr.
Table Life Blog has a collection of resources for studying Mary Cassatt, including books, videos and projects.
Artsy Craftsy Mom has several art study lessons for various artists, male and female. Here are her posts on Georgia O’Keeffe and Frida Kahlo. I love the flower bowl pictured above, which comes from the Crayon Lab.

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Have you read?