Craft Project : Blue Jean Pocket Pouch

Recycle used blue jeans and make yourself a handy carrying case at the same time with this fun craft!

For some reason our family keeps tearing up the bottom of their jeans while leaving the top section practically untouched. I decided to use those top sections to make durable and interesting carry-all pouches. Here is how you can do it...

Cut a section of blue jeans about ten inches wide and as long as you want your pouch to be tall. Try to center one of the back pockets on your rectangle of denim. If you don't have a usable section on the backside where the pockets are, you can cut the pockets off and then reattach them to whatever section of the pants you are able to use. For instance, if you have a large usable section on the thigh, you can cut that section to use as your pouch and simply put the pocket onto that section instead.

For the opposite side of your pouch you will need another piece of denim the same size as your first one, but this piece doesn't need to have a pocket on it.

With a zipper closed, stitch one side of the zipper across the top of the section that has the pocket on it. Stitch the opposite side of the zipper onto the top edge of the plain piece of denim. Make sure that the 'good' side (that's the outside) of your zipper is facing the 'good' or the outside of your denim. If you do it backwards the zipper pull will end up on the inside of your pouch and you will have a lot of trouble getting it opened and closed.

If you have had to move your pocket make sure you do it before going on to the next step. Anytime after this it is going to be much harder to reattach it.

Keep the zipper closed with the two good sides of your fabric touching each other, and the pocket should be sandwiched in between them. You will then stitch along all three remaining sides, stitching your pouch closed.

Make your stitch-line about half an inch in from each of the three edges. You can use a machine to do this or you can stitch it by hand. Whichever you are comfortable with is fine.

When you finish, you will have an inside-out pouch and the zipper pull will be facing the wrong way (just this once!). Wiggle it loose so that it unzips, and then turn your pouch right-side out. Now you should have the two good sides of the denim facing outwards and the pocket and the zipper pull should be on the outside.

You can use your new denim blue jean pouch as a pencil case for school, a carry-all for your crafts or hobbies, or you can attach a strip of your leftover denim to each corner of it creating a handle and use it as a purse. This is a very versatile craft that makes use of a material that would otherwise go to waste.

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