Jeans upcycling: turn old pant legs into handy bags
Transform old jeans pant legs into useful fabric bags — a step-by-step tutorial for your upcycling project.
Do you still have an old pair of jeans lying around you don’t wear anymore? With this tutorial you can turn pant legs into practical fabric bags. Here’s the step-by-step guide.
1. Prepare materials
- Old jeans (Tip: if your jeans have a hem with a drawstring channel, you can later use it to close the top of the bag)
- Lining fabric: Choose a fabric that matches the denim.
- Fusible batting/interfacing: For extra stability.
- Sewing tools: Scissors, seam ripper, sewing machine, pins/clips, optional trim or lace for decoration.
2. Cut and unpick
Split the pant leg
Cut the leg lengthwise so you have an upper and a lower part.
Unpick a side seam
Carefully open one side seam on the upper part so you can lay it flat for further processing.
3. Reinforce the front piece
Fuse interfacing
Place fusible batting/interfacing on the wrong side of the upper denim piece and fuse according to the instructions. This adds stability to your bag.
4. Prepare the lining
Cut the lining
Cut your lining to the same width as the denim piece (including seam allowance).
Attach at the top edge
Pin the lining to the top edge of the denim, right sides together, and sew a straight seam.
Turn up & press
Flip the lining up and press the edge neatly. If you like, add decorative trim or lace along the top.
5. Close the side seams
Sew side seams
Place denim and lining right sides together and stitch the side seam.
Box the corners
Mark small squares at the top and bottom, cut them out and stitch the edges — this creates volume.
Leave a small opening at the bottom of the lining for turning.
6. Turn and finish
Turn right side out
Pull the bag through the lining opening.
Close the opening
Close the small opening with a straight or ladder stitch.
Seat the lining
Push the lining into the denim bag, shape the corners and press all seams.
Decorate
Trim, patches or embroidery will give your bag a unique look.
Have fun sewing and upcycling!
With just a few steps you can give your old jeans a second life. Want to add embroidery to your project? Try emborado — manage embroidery files with ease to organise your designs and find the right motif from your library in seconds.