DIY Denim Necklace – Boho Jewellery From Your Old Jeans

This fun project turns a small piece of denim into a fantastic, unique piece of jewellery: a Boho old blue jeans necklace!  All you need besides the denim is an old wooden curtain ring or something similar.

It’s a great way to use the parts of denim pants that usually get thrown away, like the jeans seams. This is just one of the many things you can make from an old favourite pair of jeans you love but can’t wear anymore. And you can make this denim necklace with just a little glue, so you don’t need to sew if you don’t want to.

The resulting boho denim pendant necklace would make a fun charm for jean bags and handbags.

The project is simple: you take a strip of denim and fray it to make a tassel. I love fraying denim because it’s relaxing in the evening while watching TV. Making tassels and denim feathers is a fun way to be creative.

This project is not just about making something pretty; it’s also about recycling and upcycling. It’s an excellent way to create something new out of something old, showing how denim can be used in many different ways.

So, if you like making things or if you’re starting with DIY projects, this denim necklace is a fun and easy way to get creative and be kind to the planet at the same time.

How To Make A Denim Necklace

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Materials

• For the tassel, a strip of denim is about 20cm x 3cm (7″x 3″). But if you want a bigger or smaller tassel, then you can adjust this to suit.
• Denim seam from the inside leg of a pair of jeans, long enough to wrap around the wooden ring. Or you can use some nice coloured hemp cord.
• Denim belt loop – easily removed from the waistband with a seam ripper.
• Wooden curtain ring or craft ring.
• Leather cord for hanging the pendant
• Needle and thread and or glue

Wrapping the Wooden Ring

Step 1: Wrap the wooden ring with a coloured cord or a denim seam, and secure the ends with glue. I made one of each as I was making two necklaces.

Making The Denim Tassel

Step 2: Creating Denim Tassels: To make denim tassels fray the fabric. Since denim is woven, this means removing the threads one at a time.

A seam ripper is handy here; use it to gently pick out the threads from the fabric, making them easier to pull out by hand.

Step 3: Fray Both Ends: Work on both ends of your denim strip, pulling threads until you have about 5 cm of frayed fabric on each end.

Interestingly, you can create tassels in two different colours from the same piece of denim. By removing the white threads, you’ll leave behind a blue tassel. Conversely, pulling out the blue threads results in a white tassel.

Step 4: After fraying both ends of the denim strip, fold it lengthwise so the ends meet. Secure them together by either sewing or using glue. This will form a double-side denim tassel resembling the tube in the picture below.

Assembling the DIY Denim Necklace

Step 5: Gather together the belt loop, covered wooden ring and denim tassel.

Step 6: Drape the denim tassel over the wooden ring, allowing it to hang downwards. Next, encircle the top portion of the tassel with the belt loop and secure it by stitching or glueing.

This belt loop serves a dual purpose: it secures the tassel and introduces an additional denim element to the necklace, enhancing its appeal.

Step 7: The final step involves attaching a leather jewellery cord to the top of the Boho pendant, enabling it to be worn as a necklace. As mentioned earlier, this denim pendant could also be a charming addition to your upcycled jeans bags.

I was torn between creating a ring wrapped in hemp cord and another wrapped in denim seams, so I crafted both versions.

Conclusion & Other Denim Ideas

With just a few simple steps, you’ve transformed an old piece of denim into a unique piece of jewellery that captures the essence of Boho chic. This project gives new life to old jeans and adds a personal touch to your jewellery collection.

Complement Your Collection: Don’t stop at a necklace! Use your remaining denim scraps to create matching Boho earrings or a denim bracelet. Or you could add to this necklace by making some denim beads to thread onto the hanging cord.

Explore different ways to incorporate denim into your crafts, like creating denim flowers that can adorn your other accessories or home decor.

I also think one of these denim necklaces would make a great gift for a friend who loves a bit of Boho.

Remember, the key to DIY projects is to experiment and have fun. There are countless ways to repurpose those beloved old jeans, from no-sew projects to ones that utilize every part of the denim, including the seams and scraps. Happy crafting!