By Leslie Richard •
May 16, 2008
If you’ve ever cruised the Internet & local boutiques for eco friendly lingerie you know right away that these tiny little intimates cost an entire day’s work (and then some). But the thought of turning back to slave made big box skivvies just does not feel sexy! To fuel my *ehem* addiction to having new earth lovin’ panties I had to learn how to upcycle my own. Here is how to make yourself some luscious green lingerie for less $ then a gallon of gasoline, using one old scarf for fabric.
You Will Need:
One large thrifted or kidnapped scarf
Wide ribbon
Stretch lace/Elastic (optional)
Scissors
Thread (that either matches your ribbon or is a fun contrasting color)
Sewing machine or Olympic hand sewing skills
Step One: Choosing- Find, beg, thrift, or steal a scarf that has a pattern you want to flaunt and is made of a comfortable fabric. Avoid overly crunchy polyester fabrics that feel like your 1984 taffeta holiday dress, and lean more towards soft cottons and silk. I found my scarf for $1 at a local thrift shop that supports ending domestic violence. The organic satin ribbon was already waiting in my craft box.
Step Two: Cutting- In order to get the sizing perfect without having fret over a pattern that may not fit, I use a pair of panties & bra (or) bikini I already have to outline the shape I need. Bikini’s are great for sizing since they usually have side ties and can be taken apart and laid flat for measuring. Remember when cutting that you will be sewing a seam line, so cut a tad wider then the exact outline of your previous lingerie. Note: You can make your new lingerie set have more coverage by cutting the triangle shapes wider, or less coverage by thinning them out even smaller.
You’ve now cut your old jeans to make a sexy upcycled mini skirt, craft supply organizer or I-pod case- what do you do with all those…well, leg scraps laying around? In a few simple & experimental steps you can have a super eco craft that has double the earth loving power- an upcycled denim BYOB (bring your own bag) tote! Not only is it eco savvy to reuse your old jeans but this crafty shopper will help stop the plastic bag litter that is poisoning ground water & soil. This sassy project deserves 2 green stars!
You Will Need:
legs left over from your last denim craft project
scissors
sewing machine or turn of the century hand sewing skills
thread of a fun contrasting color
STEP #1: Choosing - I chose legs from two different stone washed jeans to make subtle contrasting stripes, but you can use any number scrap colors. You can also go for the mono color look, and let the thread be your main contrast.
STEP #2: Cutting - Now is the time to lay out those jean legs and cut them open. You will want to save the thick seams for the straps of the bag, so cut directly up the seams on both sides and remove them. Then cut 9 rectangles at 13inch X 5 inch ( you can make them larger or smaller if you’d like to change the size of the bag, as long as every rectangle is the same exact size.)
This is a fabulous fun mini skirt project that will leave you some left over scraps for a DIY ‘bring your own bag’ project after. Don’t fret, it’s quite easy to make those jeans into a denim mini!
Supplies Needed:
Funky jeans past their prime (beyond patching or your style threshold)
Scissors
Sewing machine or mad hand sewing skills
Thread of any color you enjoy
Step one: Choosing
Use either old jeans, or thrift jeans that you really love the color of but you just don’t wear that MC Hammer style anymore. Just make sure the jeans fit your hip or waist where you plan to wear the skirt.
Step two: Length
I like mine short, and I measure it against a skirt I already own that is the length I like by laying them flat on top one another. It’s a good idea to start with a longer length, since you can always go back and cut it shorter. Decide whether you want it to hit your knee, mid thigh, or super high.
Step three: Cutting
Once you know the length, cutting will be easy. Cut straight across both the legs at the length measured and wa-la, now you have some jean shorts! But you want a sexy mini, so take the scissors and begin cutting the inner seam line and cut open the crotch of the jeans. Then cut along the front seam up to the zipper. (If you made your skirt longer you may want to cut along the back seam 2-3 inches, so it doesn’t pucker in the back when you sew it back together.)
