I wanted to revisited some of my recycled Valentine’s themed projects. Over the years, I have crocheted and sewn several fun projects that might inspire some of you to try these for Valentine’s Day. Plus it’s eye candy for any plarn and denim lovers out there.
Here is a recycled plastic Valentine’s card holder that adults and children can both make together. It uses some pieces of red and white recycled plastic bags, scrap yarn, ribbon and a small remnant of red felt to make. The full picture tutorial and directions can be found at the fused plastic Valentine’s heart link.
Here is a little Valentine’s basket that is crocheted using recycled plastic bags or plarn.
This little basket or bag could be used to hold Valentine cards or as a little gift bag for a loved one. The free pattern is found here.
I promised some recycled denim projects and here are a few cute little purses to share.
Here is a real quick and simple dog toy you can make from recycled denim. It doesn’t even require any sewing and can be made in just a matter of minutes.
Take an old pair of denim jeans and cut around the lower pants hem and then continue up the side seam to make one continuous strip of denim. I cut up the side seam 27 inches and the hem length was 18 inches on my piece of cut denim.
Next I just started tying knots using either end of the denim strip. Using knots and then threading the long end through the knots, I create this 8 inch long denim dog toy.
You could also join the ends together to make a circle by either sewing the ends together or by joining them with a knot.
And there you have it,
We have been making mini Christmas stockings for the troops over at Ravelry. We are in the middle of a stocking-along at the Good Things Together group. I haven’t made any recycled denim stockings this year and figured it was time. So I broke out the sewing machine and stitched up 3 denim stocking shells.
I added crocheted tops to each of the 3 denim stockings. Here are the final results.
The stocking-along is for mini Christmas stockings that will be sent to the Warmth for Warriors organization. Each year people handcraft the little stockings and then they are filled with small goodies and shipped off to the troops.
Last year over 1900 mini stockings filled with soaps, toiletries, and candies were sent to our troops as a little Christmas gifts. The handmade stockings filled with goodies are a wonderful way to say thank you to our troops and give them a little Christmas cheer during the holidays.
Here is the link to my mini denim Christmas stocking tutorial. It is very simple to cut two pieces of denim from old jeans and stitch them together. Once that is done, you just add 3-4 rows
Here is another great use of recycled denim hem strips from your old jeans. This project uses a strip of hem along with a recycled glass jar to make a handy match holder. Take the screw-on lid from the jar and drill a hole into the lid top for the match opening. Then using the lid as a template, trace around it on a piece of sandpaper. Cut out the sandpaper and glue it onto the lid top as shown.
Here is the top with the sandpaper glued on the lid.
Here is a closeup on the inside of the lid.
Cut a length of denim hem from a recycled pair of jeans and trim it close to the hem line. To get the correct length of denim,
It’s Christmas in July for me as I’m working on mini Christmas stockings. The Warmth for Warriors organization needs 2000 mini Christmas stockings for the troops. They have just kicked off their 2013 Christmas Stocking Drive. The socks need to be around 6 inches long and will be filled with a small bar of soap, shampoo, body wash or similar item and given to the troops as a little Christmas gift. The socks can be sewn, knitted or crocheted and do need to be all handmade.
These recycled denim Christmas socks were all sewn on my Singer treadle sewing machine. It was fun to use the treadle to sew the denim sock shells. Once sewn, I just turn the socks so the right sides are showing and fold under the top to the inside. I then crochet a top
I know it may be early to start crafting for Christmas but I just had to share these mini recycled denim Christmas socks that I have been making. I used one of my crocheted small Christmas stockings as a template and traced around the sock to create the shape on a piece of paper. I then used the template to cut out two sock shapes from old denim jeans.
The sock shapes before sewing are about 8 inches long and 3-1/4 inches wide. Just use a stocking shape you like and the size of your sock can be bigger or smaller depending on your preference.
Put the right sides together and machine stitch a narrow seam around the sock. Leave the top edge unsewn as you will fold in the top edge about 2 inches to create a finished edge without having to sew along the top opening. The crocheted top and loop is then added to the top edge of the denim stocking.
Below the denim sock is shown with the narrow hem sewn and before it was turned to the inside.
This is my new denim eyelet tote bag. I am so excited about how it turned out. I bought this big piece of denim from a yard sale and set out to make a nice new purse for myself.
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
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.
Recycling your old jeans into new and useful things is fun and frugal. The denim recycled from old jeans is very durable and the fabric is very versatile. Oh and the best part, when you recycle denim from materials you have on hand, its FREE.
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 free so the link has been changed to one that is free.
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.
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