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How To Upcycle Jeans Into Things You Will Want To Make

Inside: how to upcycle old jeans and everything you can make with just one pair.

Don’t you hate it when your favourite jeans are no longer wearable? Mine always wear away on the inside of the thighs. I’ve tried patching them, but that doesn’t last.

I can’t give them to the charity shop, but the material is too good to throw away. So I keep the jeans for upcycling and crafting. The number of beautiful things you can make by upcycling one pair of jeans is amazing.

My popular A to Z of denim crafts comprises hundreds of denim upcycles. But many of these ideas, such as denim rugs and quilts, involve repurposing more than one pair of jeans.

I realize you might not have a stash of old jeans to repurpose but just one pair.

Like a few of us, it might be that you can no longer get into your favourite pair of jeans due to those extra lockdown pounds. Or you could be one of the lucky ones who lost weight, and your old jeans are too big.

Or they might just no longer be fashionable and have seen better days!

Maybe you’re unsure whether to put those old jeans in the donate pile or actually upcycle and repurpose them. Hopefully, after checking out these ideas, you’ll be inspired to upcycle them!

old pair of jeans

How to Upcycle Jeans and Take Them Apart

I will show you how to take apart and deconstruct a pair of jeans into different parts to upcycle. There is more you can make out of a pair of jeans than just bags and cut-off shorts!

And even if you just cut off the legs to make shorts, you can still make plenty of things from the cutaway denim fabric.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the number of denim upcycles you can get from just one pair of jeans. They will keep you crafting for a while. Many of the ideas would make great homemade gifts too.

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What You Need And Where To Start

I use two main tools when taking apart an old pair of jeans to upcycle. And that is a good pair of sharp fabric scissors and a seam ripper.

The seam ripper is used to unpick the stitches in the jeans. Hold the fabric with the seam facing you, and then carefully stick the long sharp pointed end of the ripper between the stitches.

Pulling the ripper up the sharp edge of the ripper blade will cut the thread. Carry along with the fabric until all the stitches are removed. The first stitch is always the hardest to remove.

If you want to go further and remove the rivets and buttons from a pair of jeans, I recommend using a good set of pliers with a wire cutter edge. I like to keep the buttons on with my denim upcycles, which add character to my craft.

Before deconstructing your old jeans to upcycle, consider what you will make carefully. For example, some denim upcycles require you to cut the back pocket right up to the seam, like these hanging pockets. Another denim pocket upcycle may also need some denim fabric surrounding the pocket.

scissors and seam ripper

1. Upcycling the Jeans Waistband

The waistband on a pair of jeans is often the thickest part. This is because it is constructed of two layers of denim stitched together, sometimes with a piece of fabric sandwiched between them.

The thickness of denim waistbands can make them challenging to sew, but they are plenty of things you can do with them that don’t involve stitching.

The belt loops are attached to both the waistband and the main part of the jeans. Before removing the waistband, you will need to use a seam ripper to remove the belt loops from the waistband.

Keep the belt loops, which are great for adding personality to denim upcycles and can be used as hanging loops, like with these denim heart keychains.

Denim heart keychain

The waistband can be removed from the jeans in two ways. The first is to cut the waistband from the top of the jeans as close to the seam as possible.

cutting-waistband-off-jeans

The second is to use the seam ripper to unstitch the waistband from the top of the jeans. This second method will open the waistband at the bottom edge.

Unpicking a denim waistband
What You Can Make With A Jeans Waistband
What you can make from a denim waistband

2. Upcycling the Seams & Hems on Jeans

Seams can be found on the inside leg of a pair of jeans. It is the double-stitched seams on a pair of jeans that you want to salvage and repurpose.

A long seam can be obtained by cutting the stitching up the inside of one leg of the jeans, following it around the crotch, and back down the other leg.

Another seam runs across the seat of a pair of jeans, between the waistband and the pockets. The hems on jeans can also be cut out and used for many denim seams upcycles.

Inside upcycled jeans seams
What You Can Make With Denim Seams
Upcycled-denim-seams

3. Upcycling the Pockets on Jeans

You can upcycle the front and back pockets on a pair of jeans, often with the same project.

Before you start cutting away the pocket on a pair of jeans, decide how you are going to upcycle them. Some projects require just the pocket. Other denim crafts also incorporate some denim fabric surrounding the pocket.

cutting out a back pocket with scissors.
What You Can Make With The Jean Pockets
Pocket upcycles from one pair of jeans

4. Upcycling the Legs on Jeans

This is the most common part of a pair of old jeans to upcycle. As many people will cut down their old jeans into shorts and are left with the denim legs to repurpose.

cutting the leg off a pair of jeans.

The legs on a pair of jeans provide the largest expanse of fabric to work with when upcycling. A seam ripper can open up the leg to create one big piece of fabric.

Also, the amount of denim fabric you have to work with will depend on the style of the pair of jeans you are upcycling. Flared and boot-cut jeans will provide a lot more fabric than skinny jeans.

With this easy-to-make rag rug, there is a guide on how to upcycle jeans into fabric yarn.

unpicked jeans leg.
What You Can Upcycle With Old Jeans legs
Upcycled-old-jeans-legs

5. Upcycling the Left Over Denim Scraps

After dissecting and upcycling a pair of old jeans, there will be lots of small scraps of leftover denim. Don’t throw them away, as there are so many wonderful things you can make from these scrappy bits of fabric.

Denim scraps have to be one of my favourite bits of old jeans to upcycle. Not all projects require sewing; there is a lot you can make by fraying and glueing the denim fabric.

What You Can Upcycle Scrap Fabric from Old Jeans
Upcycled old jeans fabric scraps
All The Denim Crafts You Can Make from A Single Pair of Jeans

I hope you find upcycling jeans inspires you to hang on to those old jeans. Here is my suggestion for all the denim crafts you can make from that single pair of jeans.

  • Left front & back pocket + left side waistband – denim sunglasses case
  • Right-back pocket hanging pocket storage
  • Remaining waistbandfabric key fobs
  • Left jeans legcombine with other fabric to make a Boho pillow or table runner
  • Bottom of right leg & belt loophanging denim planter
  • The remainder of the right leg and scraps – dog toy, tags, feathers, flowers, and tassels
More Than One Pair of Jeans

There is a disadvantage to having just one pair of jeans to upcycle. It’s not just because you can make bigger things with more denim and tackle projects such as denim upholstery; it’s because of the colour.

One of the most attractive things about denim upcycles is the shades of indigo that jeans come in. If you have more than one pair of jeans, you can add another element to your upcycle by showing off the different shades of denim with some clever patchwork.

What-you-can-make-from-old-jeans

Angie

Friday 14th of January 2022

Love your jeans ideas! I want to make chew toys for my grand dog and grand cat. Thanks. I want to put catnip in the cat toy. Do you think that will work?

Claire Armstrong

Friday 14th of January 2022

I think that cat nip is a great idea. Thank you.

Donna @ Modern on Monticello

Thursday 3rd of June 2021

I have one old worn pair of jeans available that I didn't throw out because of your many posts on upcycling jeans. Now I can start making things with that one pair. Thanks for sharing this post. #HomeMattersParty

Claire Armstrong

Friday 4th of June 2021

Thank you, Donna. I hope you have fun upcycling your jeans, there are so many things you can make with one pair.

Melynda Brown

Thursday 3rd of June 2021

This is my personal favorite from last week’s Funtastic Friday, also pinned to the FF board! Thanks for sharing great such great content! Stop by and see what’s new, thanks again Melynda@ScratchMadeFood!

Claire Armstrong

Thursday 3rd of June 2021

Thank you so much, I just love to upcycle denim.

Cecilia

Sunday 30th of May 2021

Claire, you are the queen of blue jean upcycles! Thanks for sharing your creative ideas at Vintage Charm!

Claire Armstrong

Monday 31st of May 2021

Thank you, Cecilia. They are my favourite thing to upcycle.

Deirdre Henry

Saturday 29th of May 2021

Some terrific ideas for using denim. Shall ask my daughter to save her old ones for me. Thank you for the tutorial. Very clearly explained.

Claire Armstrong

Sunday 30th of May 2021

Thank you, have fun upcycling them.