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.

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time.

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring.

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row.

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves.

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy.

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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