Five Craft Project Uses for Old Denim Jeans

For durability, style, and comfort, little beats denim jeans. They are omnipresent in our modern society. But what happens when your old jeans finally give up and are no longer wearable? You could throw them in the garbage, or you could make further use of that soft, comfortable denim fabric.

Small pieces of your old denim jeans can be used for these craft uses:

Heat Pack

Cut off a portion of the leg of your old jeans, sew up the end, and fill with rice, dry beans, or lentils. Sew up the other end as well. This makes an excellent and sturdy reusable heat pack. Simply microwave the pack and use it to sooth sore muscles or warm feet or beds.

Denim Pot Holders

Denim jean fabric makes excellent potholders due to its sturdiness and thickness. All you have to do is sew two squares of denim together with some quilt batting between. You can also get special heat resistant fabric for holding pots right from the oven.

Easy Denim Pocket Purse

A very cute and stylish way to utilize the old back pockets of your jeans is to cut out the pocket and the backing fabric without cutting the stitches. To make the strap, you can use any creative idea. Make a narrow strip of denim and fray the edges for a funky look, or use a leather lace or ribbon.

Pocket Fridge or Locker Magnets for Pens etc.

Also using one of the back pockets, you can make a really cute fridge or locker magnet. Simply glue a large magnet to the back of the cut out denim jeans pocket and use it to store pens, small notes, or other items.

If you have larger pieces of denim jeans or fabric from many pairs, you can make larger craft projects.

Back Pockets Handbag

You can use the entire butt of the jeans, including both back pockets, to make a large handbag, purse, or a tote bag depending on how big it is. Simply cut the rear end out at the seams and sew, right sides together, to a plain piece that is just the same size. Make a narrow tube of denim fabric for a shoulder strap.

Denim Block Quilt

If you have denim fabric from a lot of pairs of jeans, you can make a denim block quilt. With the soft, worn in denim fabric, this quilt will be soft and very warm. Simply cut out squares of different denim jeans fabric and arrange them in a pleasing arrangement. You can put the cut edges to the inside for a neat quilt of leave them on the outside and fray them.

Recycling your old denim jeans into a variety of craft projects is a great way to increase their use and decrease the amount of garbage. The durability, comfort, and style of denim jeans does not have to die when your pants no longer fit, wear out, or are otherwise rendered useless for wear.