It is my first time using eyelets on a tote bag for the handles. In the past I’ve always found it tough sewing the heavy denim handles or straps to the bag. Most of the time your sewing machine doesn’t like sewing through the thick layers of denim so I wanted to try putting in eyelets. They worked out great and I just threaded my denim handle straps through the eyelets and tied a knot at the end to secure each side.

I did take lots of pictures as I created this tote bag and will detail them below for anyone who would like to make their own denim tote bag.

Picture Tutorial for a Denim Eyelet Tote Bag

Materials needed:
One piece of denim 28″ long by 16″ wide
Two denim strips 3″ wide by 38″ long for strap handles
One scrap piece of denim for flap
One piece of lining fabric 28″ long by 16″ wide and extra scrap pieces if pockets are added to lining
One magnetic closure
Thread for denim and lining
Four 7/16″ eyelets
One hammer

Finished Denim Eyelet Tote Bag Dimensions: 11″ wide by 10-1/2″ tall by 4″ deep with 30″ straps.

Click on any photos to super-size

Cut one piece of denim 28″ long x 16″ wide. I cut my piece of denim on the fold so it was 14″ long x 16″ wide. With right sides together, I folded and pressed it in half with a hot iron and then turned down the top hem 1-1/2″ at the top as shown. Pin the sides and machine stitch 5/8″ seams down each side.

Clip open end seam and fold corner as shown. Mark each corner down 2″ inches to create a square bottom for the bag. Sew across on each corner as shown. Turn bag to the outside now with right sides facing out. You should have a nice square bottom now on your bag as shown.

Cut two strips of denim for the straps 3″ wide by 38″ long. Fold over 5/8″ on each side and press with hot iron once to the center as shown and then fold over again. Your strap should be just under 1″ wide now.

Machine sew each strap along the outside edge. I sewed very close to the edge as shown. Then I cut a flap template from a piece of paper 5-1/2″ wide by 3-1/2″ long. Using my template, I cut two pieces of denim to create my flap. With right sides together, I machine stitched around the outer edge of my flap and left the top open for turning. Turn and press flap to the outside. At this point, I added a magnetic closure to the flap and the front of bag before I lined […]

My blog friend and fellow recycled crafter Carmen is back to share a cool project that she created using old denim from jeans. She used the jeans, along with bandannas and other recycled materials to decorate these flower pots.

Here is another denim pot she covered and used a pocket too. She created a fun gardening gift package with this project. You can see Carmen’s step-by-step photo tutorial here to help you create your own unique recycled denim pot cover. […]

Today I want to share how to make an oven mitt from your old jeans. There are several good tutorials on the Internet showing how to create a homemade oven mitt. (Edit:) Here is a oven mitt template you can use. The original one I used is no longer available on the Internet.

Cut two denim panels using the mitt template. Then cut two from fabric for your lining and two for your mylar batting. If you don’t want to use store bought mylar batting, just cut two pieces from old towels but make sure they are thick so you get enough protection for inside of your mitt.
Click on any photos to supersize

Because denim is so hard to machine sew through several layers, I assembled my oven mitt in two pieces. First pin the two denim panels together with right sides together. Machine sew the two denim panels together using a narrow hem around the mitt. Leave the end hem unfinished at this point. Trim curves and clip at thumb turn. Turn wrong sides to the inside. Using a pencil’s eraser end, push out the thumb and edges. Press with hot iron and turn under a narrow hem along the unfinished edge of the denim mitt shell.

Next put the two fabric lining panels together with right sides together. Then add a batting layer to the bottom and top of your lining insert. Pin in place and machine stitch a narrow hem around the mitt. Leave the end hem unfinished for now. Trim edges and clip at thumb curve but don’t turn. Turn under a narrow hem and press with a hot iron along the unfinished edge of the fabric lining.

Lastly insert your fabric lining inside your denim oven mitt. Check fit and trim edges if necessary so the insert fits nicely inside your denim mitt shell. Match hem edges and pin the two edges together. Machine stitch very close to the edge to enclose the hem of the denim panel and the lining insert. Fold over the edge if desired to show off your fabric lining or add embellishments to the outside of the mitt.

Need a potholder to go along with your oven mitt? You can add a denim potholder that sports a pocket from a pair of jeans to create a cool recycled denim kitchen set.[…]

I just love recycling denim and had to try this craft project. I used two inside hems from a pair of old jeans to create my coaster. Trim the edges very close and evenly with a pair of sharp scissors.

Next I spliced my two hem strips together with a thread and needle. Just do a few hidden slip stitches to secure your two denim pieces together. You can click on any of the photos to supersize them.

Using a fabric glue, roll up your denim hem and apply a line of glue along the inside of the strip. Work your way along by tightly rolling up the denim and applying the glue until you get to the end. I added a extra bit of glue at the end and left the coaster to dry for several hours on a flat surface to make sure the coaster would set up nicely.

Here is my finished denim coaster. It measures about 4 inches wide. I left the bottom hem end on it as I thought it added character. You could cut it off or add another hem strip to make your coaster larger as desired. Now I’m ready to go out and enjoy a hot cup of coffee using my new recycled denim coaster.

[…]

My next bib is smaller and features ribbon for the ties. I thought the ribbon would be gentler for a younger baby’s skin than the denim ties.

Below you will find a picture tutorial showing how I made each of these recycled denim heart bibs.

First I cut a heart-shaped template for my bib using a newspaper ad. Fold the heart in half and trim it so each side is shaped evenly. The heart template for the larger bib is 8″ wide by 10″ long. For the smaller bib, my template is 7″ by 7″. Just cut the size you want with a little extra for your narrow sewn seams. I also made a small heart for an embellishment.

Click on any photos to supersize

Lay your heart template on the pair of jeans and cut two. I used the leg so I just made both my hearts from this spot on the jeans.

Now with right sides together, cut your ribbon or use a trimmed side seam from a pair of jeans for the ties and insert it inside as shown in the picture. Each of my ties are about 12 inches long and you just pin them in place on the inside edge of the heart as shown. Just make sure you bunch the ties up together in the middle of the heart before sewing so only the top edge gets stitched in place. Sew around the heart, stitching close to the edge so you have a narrow hem and leave a opening at one side as shown for turning your bib to the outside.

Clip the curves and heart center seam just a bit so it lays flat after turning. Turn the bib to the outside through the opening you left from machine stitching. Press with hot iron and hand stitch close the opening you left for turning. You can top stitch around the heart as I did in the smaller bib and added a small denim heart to the center.

The larger bib I added a trimmed jean pocket to the front and hand stitched it in place. You can add other embellishments and trim as desired. I hope you have enjoyed this upcycled denim project. You can find more recycled denim projects and tutorials at my blog. Enjoy and happy crafting to all![…]

Next maybe you need a holder for your Valentines, if so here is a fused plastic bag project with a full picture tutorial found here.

For those crafters that enjoy working with recycled denim, here are a few little denim heart purses. The purses are lined and have several different embellishment options as shown in the tutorial.

Well that concludes my recycled crafting roundup for Valentine’s day.
Happy Valentine’s day!

[…]

I want to provide a tutorial on how to make these easy and cute little purses. I have included the following picture tutorial for your use so you too can take those old jeans and turn them into some wonderful re-purposed purses.

First I made a heart template with paper. My paper heart is 6-3/4″ wide by 7-1/2″ long. You can make yours larger or smaller as desired. My finished heart purses measures 6″ x 7″. Cut 2 denim hearts from an old pair of jeans and 2 fabric hearts. Put right sides together as shown using one denim heart with one printed fabric lining heart.

Click on any of the photos to view in larger size

Pin and stitch around the hearts using a narrow hem. Leave a small opening in your heart at the lower edge for turning. Clip and trim seams. Turn right sides out through the small opening. Push out all edges so your heart is shaped nicely. Press and turn the opening hole seam in to match sewn seam. You should now have two hearts, one side denim and the other side is the lining.
Fabric side of heart pressed out before and after.

Denim side of heart shown before and after.

Pin the two hearts together with denim sides facing out. The printed fabric lining will be inside your purse. I added red stones on one purse as embellishment before stitching the hearts together. This purse has a strap that was made by cutting a 2″ wide piece of denim for the purse strap. My strap is 28″ long. I pressed and folded it over twice to enclose all the unfinished edges. Stitch down the center to finish the strap. Insert the ends of the strap just inside the side edge of the heart and pin in place. Stitch slowing around the heart starting at the top edge where strap starts. Because you are stitching through both layers of hearts, make sure you’re using a denim sewing machine needle. Stitch down and around the heart edge to the other side where strap is inserted.

Here is a picture shown using a shorter strap. It was cut from a side hem piece and measures 9-1/2″ long. On the 2nd purse, I inserted this short strap inside the lining and the denim before I stitched it in place. That way the unfinished ends do not show.
Click on photos to enlarge

Here is the other denim heart purse shown with a magnetic closure and lace trim. The closure and lace were put in place in the first step when you pin the denim heart to the fabric heart.

Finished inside picture shown here of both purses.

There are many different variations that can be used in making these heart purses. I have shown you just a few options with some embellishments. Be creative — add additional decorations […]

Here is the back of the stocking. I left mine plain but you could add embellishments. Another option is to just make your entire stocking like this one and not use a printed panel as I did on the stocking above. Either way your recycled denim Christmas stocking is sure to be one-of-a-kind!

Below is a mini tutorial showing the steps to make your denim Christmas stocking.
Step 1
All pictures are clickable to view full-sized
Using a pre-printed Christmas stocking panel, lay it on the pant leg and cut out two denim stockings. Cut so you have extra material around all edges of the stocking.

Step 2

Place print side facing out on top of the right side of one denim stocking piece. Machine stitch around the edge marked for printed stocking.

Step 3

Then with right sides together, pin in place other denim stocking piece and printed stocking. Machine stitch together by using the prior stitching on the back side of denim stocking as your guide so you stitch it exactly over printed stocking edges.

Step 4

Trim all seams. Leave extra denim material at top of stocking for trim. Turn right sides out and press. I turned down a small hem on the printed stocking panel and used fusing tape to hold it in place.

Step 5
With a small steel crochet hook, crochet around the unfinished top edge of the denim stocking using a SC stitch. You have to carefully working the first row into the denim evenly around using the steel hook to make a small hole in the denim for your SC stitch. Switch to a larger crochet hook once the first base row is completed. I used a US size D hook and worked 6 rows of SC around the stocking top with sport weight yarn. Add the jingle bell on your last row. Then chain to make a small hook for hanging up the stocking. Finish off.[…]

Here is my denim potholder in use.

Old recycled denim makes great potholders. All you need is an old pair of jeans, some cotton for padding and I added a piece of insul-bright. Insul-bright is an inexpensive reflective material that is designed for providing padding for potholders, oven mitts etc. Use only 100% cotton towels and cotton crafting batting. Do not use polyester batting or towels as the heat passes right through that material. I paid less than a dollar for a small piece of insul-bright so I figure this is a bargain to provide a good insulation for my potholder. Plus I have leftovers for my future oven mitt project.

Below you will find my step-by-step picture tutorial on how to make this recycled denim potholder.

Cut a piece of denim from an old pair of jeans about 9 inches long with the leg seams intact. If your pant leg is too wide, just sew a seam down each side to make the denim shell as shown.
All Pictures are Clickable

Fold over and press a hem on both unfinished edges as shown.

A picture that shows the insul-bright I used.

I used an old cotton towel for additional padding for my insert inside my denim shell. Cut your cotton towel and insul-bright piece just slightly smaller than your denim piece. I zig-zag’d around the towel and insul-bright piece to secure them together.
Trim your edges and insert this inside your denim shell.

Here is the denim shell shown with the towel and insul-bright inserted inside.

I then pinned and stitched around the top and bottom hems once to close them off and again to secure the insert inside in place. Finish by sewing a trimmed jeans pocket on the outside of the potholder around on 3 sides of the original pocket stitching.
[…]

Here is my completed recycled denim tote bag with tutorial. I recycled an old pair of my son’s jeans to create this tote bag pattern. I used just one pant leg for the body of the bag and the other pant leg to make the straps. I lined the bag with some thrift store material that I bought for only a dollar. I want to remind readers here that I have stated in the past that I am not a seamstress so if my tutorial isn’t quite right, please be gentle. First and far most I am a recycler who tries to crochet and sew green, eco-friendly products. So with that being said, here’s my step-by-step instructions on how you too can sew a recycled denim tote bag.

First get a pant leg as shown.
All pictures are clickable complete tutorial click on the read more link here

Cut off bottom hem as shown.

Open up and fold with side seams matching.

Trim panel to approx. 14″ wide by 28-1/2″ long for tote bag as shown.

Folded back to show bag body.

Denim edge pinned on inside as shown. Sew down folded hem.

Top edge sewn and ready for side seams. Make sure you use a heavy-duty denim sewing machine needle.

Inside seams before sewn.

Sewn down side seams on outside edge. Outside seams sown after sewn.

Finish the top edges of jean pocket as shown.
All pictures are clickable

Finished jean pocket.

Here are the strap strips which are 4-1/2″ wide by 29″ long each before sewing.

Here are the straps sewn and turned right side out. I then top-stitched along the both edges on the straps.

Inside corner prep which creates a flat bottom so the bag stands up.

Corner sewn on inside 2 inches deep on both sides of the denim shell.

Here is the finished corners from the outside.

Lining with 14″ zipper. Remember the right side of fabric will be on the inside so you can insert it into the finished denim bag shell.

Pin zipper to lining as shown. My zipper was a bit long but don’t worry, you can just hide the long end inside the bag once it’s sewn inside the denim shell.

Stitch along the edges of zipper and lining as shown.

Turn lining right side in once zipper is sewn in.

Finished lining shown.

Corner of lining sewn just like on denim corner to create flat bottom.

I wanted to have an inside pocket on my tote so I added this little pocket shown here pinned to the right side of fabric.
Finished measurement on pocket is 5-1/2″ wide by 6″ long.

Now you turned the lining (right side of fabric) to the inside.

Outside pocket that I stitched in place on the denim bag shell. I machine sewed this in place over the existing top-stitching on pocket.

Next I pinned the straps in place about 2-1/2″ from either side. I overlapped the ends of strap just a bit as […]