Simple, sustainable, and creative. Upcycle old jeans seams into charming Christmas ornaments that bring a relaxed, boho style to your holiday decorations.
If you’ve been following Pillar Box Blue for a while, you’ll know I have a bit of an obsession with using every part of an old pair of jeans. Not just the fabric, but the interesting bits too! I’m talking seams, waistbands, and pockets. The parts that often get overlooked but add the most texture and character to upcycled crafts.
Last year, I turned jeans seams into denim medallion flower ornaments and even made mini hanging Christmas trees from them. I’ve also gone big with tabletop denim Christmas trees, so it only felt right to create a new ornament that’s simple, quick, and makes the most of those lovely double-stitched seams.
These little denim seam ornaments are rustic, fun to make, and perfect if you love that relaxed upcycled boho Christmas look. They require barely any sewing, just a couple of Chicago screws, a few holes, and a touch of creativity.
What You’ll Need
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- Old jeans (choose ones with nice double-stitched seams)
- Scissors
- Hole punch or eyelet tool (I used a Crop-A-Dile)
- 2 x Chicago screws (about 5–7mm long)
- Needle and thread (gold thread works beautifully)
- Tassel (you can make your own — here’s my easy tassel tutorial)
- Twine or cord for hanging
- Optional: seed beads for sparkle
How to Make Denim Seam Ornaments
Step 1:Cut Your Seams: Start by cutting a long double-stitched seam from your jeans. You can use the one that runs along the leg or the back yoke above the pockets,both work great.
Cut the seam into three lengths:
- 1 x 8 cm piece
- 2 x 10 cm pieces
The shorter one will sit in the middle when assembled.
Step 2: Punch Holes: Use a hole punch or eyelet tool to make a small hole (about 8mm from each end) in all three seam pieces. Make sure they’re lined up neatly, this helps the ornament hang nicely later on.
Step 3: Assemble with Chicago Screws: Thread a Chicago screw through the top holes of all three seams , the shorter one in the middle and tighten. Do the same with the bottom holes. As you screw the pieces together, you’ll notice the two longer seams bulge out slightly, creating a lovely curved shape.
The gold Chicago screws add a beautiful decorative touch — a little bit industrial and a little bit glam!
Step 4: Add a Tassel: Sew or glue a small tassel to the bottom screw. If you want to make your own, check out my simple tassel tutorial here.
Step 5: Add the Hanging Loop: Sew or thread a piece of twine or cord through the top of the ornament for hanging. I added a few beads to mine for extra charm.
Step 6: Optional: Add Beaded Stitching: If you want a more sparkly, festive look, use gold thread and blanket stitch to sew tiny seed beads along both edges of each seam before attaching the screws. I added a bead every other blanket stitch, which gave just the right amount of shimmer without being over the top.
Finished Look
And that’s it — your upcycled denim seam Christmas ornament is ready to hang! These look wonderful on a rustic or boho-style Christmas tree, and they also make great little handmade gifts.
If you enjoy denim Christmas crafts, check out some of my other favourites:
- 18 Denim Christmas Decoration Ideas
- Denim Dala Horse Christmas Ornament
- Sashiko Denim Stars with Tassels
Each year I love coming up with new ways to recycle old jeans into festive treasures and I think these might just be my easiest yet!
