DIY: Upcycle Old Denim Into Market Tote

Leslie Richard — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:48:44 +0000

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.)

Green Options » market tote

DIY: Upcycle Old Denim Into Market Tote