It’s probably difficult to find a person who doesn’t have a couple of old jeans lying around in their closet. And it’s a shame to throw it away, and I don’t want to wear it anymore. An excellent option in the “how to make new out of old” style is to sew a denim handbag.
It’s not for nothing that jeans have not gone out of fashion for several decades. In addition to the fact that denim items look very stylish, they also have excellent wear resistance and comfort. A women's denim handbag is an almost universal accessory. Depending on the cut and finishing, it can be worn with sportswear, romantic summer dresses and even office outfits. And for teenagers and young people, this is generally a real find. Bright decor, funny inscriptions and applications will attract attention in any situation.
Many girls think that it is almost impossible to create such a fashionable item on their own. Not true! A little patience, a little imagination, a pair of unnecessary jeans - and a new accessory is in your hands. And the detailed master classes from our article will help you cope with every stage of the process without any problems.
Stylish denim bag. Sew according to the pattern
This handbag is distinguished by its simplicity of execution and original design. It will be easy to make even for a novice needlewoman. For this:
Let's go pick out an outfit for a new accessory!
Many patchwork lovers keep old jeans in their “bins” in the hope of someday sewing something from them. And there are those who use old jeans as a source material for their patchwork creativity.
Like any housewife with a large family (son, daughter, grandson, husband, sister, in-law, brother and a bunch of other relatives), my house has a huge amount of denim clothes that have already “outlived their usefulness.” But “jeans” are a fairly durable and high-quality material, I couldn’t bear to throw it away. So the idea came to sew bags and backpacks from these things. And what? They will no longer shed or shrink. And denim is always in fashion.
Do you have old jeans? Let's give them a new life together!
I suggest you sew a bag with a flap decorated with a monkey's paw patchwork block. For such a bag we will need scraps from two jeans in contrasting colors, scissors, thread and needles, a zipper, lining fabric, paper, tracing paper, non-woven fabric, and a ruler. And of course, a good mood!
We make a pattern from paper: the base of the bag and the flap.
Let's start with the valve. We put tracing paper on the paper valve pattern and draw this template. Since we are using contrasting fabrics, this should be noted (shaded).
The basic sewing technique is familiar to many. We measure the inner squares, take into account the seam allowance, cut out two strips, from which we sew a two-color square.
We secure it in the center of the base with pins, matching the lines of the central stitches with the central lines in the drawing (do not forget about matching the colors).
Next, measure one of the triangles following the central square, add it to the seams and cut out a triangle from the fabric of the desired color.
We pin, stitch, turn, iron, straighten. And so, sequentially, the remaining triangles.
The first row is ready. We do the same with all the other rows, don’t forget about the colors. We make sure to iron every detail.
The result is such beauty.
Remove the paper (it comes off easily).
We attach the patchwork set to an adhesive base (non-woven fabric, dublerin), make a decorative stitch and adjust it according to the valve pattern. Sew on the piping (optional), cut out the denim lining and sew it face to face to the patchwork flap piece.
Turn it inside out, iron it, stitch along the edge. The valve is ready.
Let's start with the base of the bag. We take a pattern and cut 4 parts from denim and 4 parts from lining fabric. You can make a pocket on one of the jeans parts (this will be the back).
We immediately prepare the handle for our handbag (120 cm) and the strap on which the buckle will be held (11 cm). The width of both the straps and the handles for me is 2 cm in finished form, yours may be different - it depends on the width of the buckle.
We sew the handle and strap into denim inserts (6x6 cm squares, folded in half).
I use buckles, rivets, eyelets and other metal parts. Their installation requires special tools, but this can be done in a special workshop.
Now we collect the “carcass” of the bag. Take two denim pieces (those without pockets) and place them facing each other. We transfer the line of the inner seam from the pattern and sew it together.
Next, we take the back part (I have a pocket on it), measure 3 cm from the top, draw a line, attach the finished flap to it and attach it, departing 0.3 cm from the edge of the flap.
Turn it over to the face and add a decorative stitch, leaving a margin of 0.5 cm.
We pin the crossbars on which the handle is attached at a distance of 3 cm from the top of the “back” of the bag.
We attach the “back” to the lower panel of the central part and sew them together. To prevent the top panel from accidentally getting under the needle, we turn its edges under and pin it with pins.
Turn it inside out, making cuts in the corners - half of the bag is ready.
Now we pin the edges of the finished (back) half, place the front of the bag face down and stitch it in the same way as the back (don’t forget about the inserts!). We cut the corners and turn them inside out. The “carcass” is ready.
Let's move on to the lining. We put the two cut pieces face to face and sew them around the perimeter. We do the same with the other two parts. This makes two bags. We turn the entrance to the bag 1 cm, baste it and put it aside for a while.
Take the zipper, apply it to the entrance of the bag, add 5-6 cm, cut it off.
At the entrance to the bag on both sides of the side seams, measure 1.5 cm to the center and make a mark.
We pin (or baste) the zipper, carefully tucking its beginning.
Sew from the edge 0.7 cm to the mark at the end of the zipper. We repeat the operation on the other side.
Carefully fold inward by 0.7-0.8 cm the edges of both sections of the bag, including those to which the zipper is sewn, and baste.
Now we take the previously sewn bags from the lining, put them (without turning them inside out) into each section of the bag, baste them to the jeans and make a stitch along the face of each section.
We put a slider and a stopper tail made of denim on the zipper.
Install the eyelets on the strap.
And the bag is ready!
A few words about decor and accessories. If you do not have the opportunity (or desire) to install rivets, eyelets and other attributes of the “denim” style, you can completely do without them. And the patchwork pattern on the valve can be anything. To confirm this, there is another handbag using the same pattern and sewing technology, which, it seems to me, looks no worse than the “heroine” of this master class.
It can be a shame to throw away old jeans that are either out of fashion or have lost their good appearance. Denim is a very durable fabric that holds its shape well. And if you've ever wondered what you can do with jeans or denim shorts, don't rush to throw them away. Try a little handicraft and make yourself three bags: a leisure bag, an evening bag, and a bag for school or work. How to sew a bag from old jeans with your own hands, patterns and photos of all three models you will see below.
Leisure bag (beach)
To make it you will need regular old jeans, colored denim or other thick fabric with a pattern and cotton fabric for the lining.
You need to cut out three parts from jeans:
- rectangle 26cm * 45cm (bottom of the bag) - 1 pc.
- strips 8cm * 120cm (handles) - 2 pcs.
From lining fabric:
- rectangle 42cm * 45cm - 1 pc.
From colored denim:
- rectangle 30cm * 45cm - 2 pcs.
We fold each of the denim fabric blanks for the bag handles with the right side inward and sew them on a machine. We sew one end side. Then turn it right side out, fold it so that the seam is in the middle of the handle and iron it. This is what the front side of the handles will look like.
We take colored fabric, attach the handles of the future bag to it and pin it with pins. Pay attention to the lower, unstitched end of the handles; it should protrude 1 centimeter beyond the edge of the colored fabric. On the sides, the handles are located 10 centimeters from the edge of the fabric. We measure 2 centimeters at the top and mark with colored chalk on the handles and on the colored fabric. We sew the handles to the bag part starting from the bottom. We reach the milk mark, unfold the machine foot across the handle and then unfold it again and continue the stitch down in the opposite direction. And so we sew on both handles.
We combine a rectangle of colored denim with handles from rectangles from old jeans, right sides facing each other. Let's sew. On the other side of the blue fabric we apply the second part with handles in exactly the same way and sew it together too. Fold the piece in half with the front side facing inward. We sew the side seams of the future bag.
We fold the future denim bag bottom up as shown in the photo below. And we sew up the corners.
All that remains is to make the lining. We combine the rectangles of lining fabric and sew three sides. This leaves the fourth side unsewn and on one side we leave a hole of about 10 centimeters unsewn, through which we will then turn the bags inside out.
Through the unstitched side, we insert the bag inside the lining, bend the handles inward so that they do not interfere with us, and release the edge of the colored fabric (the same 2 centimeters we measured) in order to assemble it together with the lining. Turn the bag inside out through the hole left. Now it can be carefully sewn by hand. This is what it should look like when turned inside out.
We tuck the lining inside. In order for the seam connecting the bag with the lining to look neat, it must first be ironed and then sewn on a machine, retreating 0.5 centimeters from the edge.
The bag is ready! It's time to go for a walk!
Clutch made from old jeans
We will need:
- 2 trouser legs from old jeans;
- white fabric paint;
- large button;
- small hair tie.
Let's start by cutting off the trouser leg, leaving ourselves 25 centimeters from it. Let's turn it inside out, stitch it and overlay it (optional) along the cut.
Let's turn the unstitched edge right side out so that we get something like an envelope.
Mark the middle of the bend. We will sew the elastic there, but for now we will pin it with a pin.
Using a needle and thread, sew the elastic on the wrong side of the flap of the future clutch. Mark the location for the button and sew it on. Iron the bag until it takes the shape of a clutch. Here the orn is, in principle, ready! But now it looks too simple. We need to decorate it. You can do this as you wish - with beads, beads, sequins, or like this - by painting it with fabric paint.
Bag for study (work)
For this bag you only need old jeans, double leather, thread, needles, a sewing machine and a little imagination.
First, we cut the trouser legs at the seams, start from the bottom of one trouser leg, move to the second at the top and go down along it again to the very bottom. Cut off both back pockets. We cut them as close to the edges as possible, but under no circumstances touch the belt with loops into which the jeans belt is pulled. We will still need them.
Then we cut off one leg. Right under the pocket. Unfold the trouser leg and cut off a rectangle 46 centimeters long and 38 centimeters wide. This will be the flap of the bag. The hem of the jeans will be the visible edge of the flap. We cut off the second leg and, placing it hem up, cut a piece of fabric 46 centimeters by 33 centimeters. This will be the back of the bag.
Now we need three more pieces of fabric (cut them from any of the leftover jeans). The dimensions of two pieces are 33 centimeters by 6.5 centimeters (sides of the bag) and the third is 46 centimeters by 6.5 centimeters (bottom of the bag).
We rip off the loops from the belt. Be careful not to damage the belt or loops. We will sew them to the bag flap. Cut out a small pocket that usually peeks out of the front pockets of jeans. We will then sew it inside the bag and it will be suitable, for example, for keys.
We cut off the waistband from our old jeans, as close to the seam as possible. For now we put it aside.
This is where we finish “cutting out” the future bag from old jeans.
We pin the back pockets to the bag flap on both sides of the middle seam and at the same distance from it and from the edge of the flap. We sew them on a sewing machine with threads of a color that matches the threads of old jeans, right along the old stitch.
The belt loops can be positioned on the flap as you like.
The valve is ready. Let's start sewing the bag itself. But before that, all the details will need to be glued with double tape if the jeans are thin, and you want the bag to keep its shape well. To do this, cut out the doublet, using denim parts as a pattern. Then iron to join the duplerin to the main fabric.
First stitch the back and bottom pieces together, right sides together. Then we sew the bottom, front and sides together. Do not neglect pins and basting so that when stitching on a machine the parts do not slip. We sew a flap to the back, which will then fold forward and cover the bag. We use the waistband from old jeans as a belt. We sew one end of it to one side of the bag inside, the other to the other.
And the bag is ready! If you wish, you can sew a lining for it and insert it inside, as well as sew several additional pockets inside for small items. Then a bag made from old jeans, sewn with your own hands, will not only be original, but also functional. And finally, look at the photos, videos, don’t be afraid to make patterns yourself and sew original bags.
Every girl's wardrobe has at least several bags of different sizes, shapes and colors. But any girl will definitely say that there are never too many bags and will be happy to add another such accessory to her wardrobe.
Bags made from jeans are distinguished by their originality, versatility and they are also quite durable. If you decide to add a denim handbag to your wardrobe, but you haven’t found one that fits the shape and size, or you’re simply not satisfied with its design. There is always the opportunity to make this accessory with your own hands at home.
Of course, for a person who does not sew often, and who has never sewn handbags on their own before, such a task will seem very difficult or almost impossible. But in reality this is not so. If you are determined to create an exclusive handmade handbag, then you will not need to spend hours running around the shops in search of the necessary materials, you will not have to sit for days at a sewing machine or draw the most complex patterns. There are ways to create a beautiful handbag without special expenses, complex patterns and many hours of work, the main thing is to tune in to the creative process and enjoy the opportunity to bring your design ideas to life.
The first stage of creating a handbag
At the first stage of work, you need to gather your thoughts and decide exactly what the finished bag will look like. That is, you need to decide what shape and size the finished product will be. It could be a small clutch, a large bag or a medium-sized bag, as well as how many straps it will have - one or two and how long they will be. In general, to begin with, you should imagine everything well and think through even the smallest details.
When you already have an idea of what your handbag will be like, you can begin preparing the tools and materials that will be used in the work. In order to sew a denim bag at home, we will use:
- Old jeans. You probably have old jeans lying around your house for a long time that you haven’t worn for a long time, but you can’t bring yourself to throw them away.
- Thick lining fabric.
You can use either a special lining material that can be purchased at sewing stores, or take any thick fabric that suits you as the interior lining of the bag.
- Lightning. Depending on your idea, you may need several zippers and other fasteners.
Instead of chalk, you can use a small piece of soap. The main thing is that the piece of soap is pre-dried and has one slightly pointed side so that you can draw a thin line.
- Threads. The best option would be to use threads that match the fabric, but you can replace them with white or contrasting threads.
- Long ruler.
- Sewing scissors, or any scissors sharp enough to handle denim material.
- Sewing machine.
- Tape measure.
- Decor elements. Depending on your preferences, you can decorate your bag in a variety of ways: use embroidery, appliqué, inserts made of other materials (leather, for example), add rhinestones, rivets, beads, metal parts, various belts, and the like. In principle, you can use absolutely any materials for decoration.
The second stage of work - creating the base for the bag
When you have prepared everything you need, let's get to work. You need to start by manipulating old jeans. The upper part of the pants will be used as the basis for the handbag.
Therefore, draw a straight line with chalk (or a piece of soap) that will divide the jeans into two legs and short shorts. Next, you need to cut off the pant legs. You shouldn’t throw away the trouser legs just yet, so put them aside for a while, they will be used in the future.
Now we turn the top of the jeans into a complete blank for the bag. To do this, you need to cut the lower part of the future workpiece, that is, in the end you will get something like a skirt. If the lower part of the workpiece is not level, it must be leveled using scissors.
When the blank for the handbag is ready, you can start making the future bottom of the handbag. We will make the bottom of the bag from one of the cut off trouser legs. To determine the size of the bottom, you need to measure the lower part of the base and, based on its size, draw a blank for the bottom with chalk (a piece of soap). *****If you want the bottom of the bag to be rigid and hold its shape, then you can use cardboard or a fairly thick fabric, for example, overcoat cloth. That is, we draw a rectangle on the cardboard, the dimensions of which will coincide with the dimensions of the base of the bag. And we cut out the fabric part of the bottom, calculating the allowances (add 1.5 - 2 cm to the dimensions of the cardboard rectangle, for seams) and cut it out.
Now all that remains is to cut out a rectangle from the denim leg. We will not rip the pant leg, but cut it out straight away. Thus, we will get two rectangles of equal size, which will subsequently become the bottom of the bag. If you are not comfortable cutting the folded jeans leg in half, you can first rip the leg and then cut out identical fabric rectangles.
Now the blanks for creating the “frame” of the future handbag are ready and all that remains is to connect them. First you need to machine stitch the bottom itself. That is, we connect both fabric rectangles and stitch them around the perimeter. If you are sewing a bag with a hard bottom, then place a rectangular piece of cardboard (cloth) between the pieces of jeans, and only then sew the bottom on a machine. When the denim rectangle is stitched around the perimeter, it needs to be connected to the side parts of the bag, and at the same time, to the top part of the jeans. To do this, turn the base for the bag inside out and sew it to the rectangular bottom of the bag.
First we sew with a regular stitch. And when you have sewn the entire perimeter with a regular stitch, you need to overlay the edges so that the fabric does not subsequently fray or unravel. Overlock will provide additional reliability and strength of the product.
The third stage - interior decoration of the bag
When the “frame” of the bag is ready, you can move on to the interior decoration of the bag - that is, start making the lining for the bag. Before sewing the lining, you need to decide how many departments the bag will have and whether it will have internal pockets. Of course, the simplest option would be a bag with one compartment, without internal pockets. But, if you still decide to sew a handbag with several compartments, with pockets, you will need a little more lining material, additional zippers and a little more time.
The lining is not difficult to make. First, measure the sides of the future handbag and the bottom with tape. Then, we transfer the dimensions to the lining material. First, cut out the lining for the sides of the bag. It is also necessary to cut out the bottom of the bag from the lining material, the dimensions of which will correspond to the dimensions of the bottom + seam allowance. Then we connect the bottom of the bag with the side parts from the lining. Now we try on the resulting “bag” from the lining. If the inner lining is the right size and fits well into the bag, you can fasten the parts together by following the seam lines.
If your purse has a partition dividing it into two compartments, then you need to prepare that too. So, first we decide what this partition will be - just a rectangle of fabric or the bag will be divided by a pocket. If you settled on a simpler option and decided to divide the bag with a simple “partition”, then cut out two rectangles from the lining fabric. Then we sew them together and sew them to the lining. And if you want to divide the bag into a pocket, we sew only three sides of the rectangle from the lining material, and sew a zipper on top.
If you have never sewn zippers before, then first watch training videos and master classes on this topic. It's not as easy as it seems. And practice beforehand so as not to ruin your bag.
When the “bag” with a zipper is ready, we sew it into the inside of the bag. If you want to equip the bag with internal pockets for storing all sorts of small items, then cut a piece of fabric of the required size from the lining material. The upper part of the future pocket needs to be processed, that is, fold the fabric cutting line inside and sew it on a typewriter, and then sew the three remaining sides to the lining. The pocket is ready. Depending on your wishes, the bag may have several pockets; they may have a zipper or other clasp, or they may not be fastened at all.
When the lining is ready, you can sew a zipper into it. The zipper must be sewn in very carefully. When the difficult process of sewing a zipper into the lining is over, all that remains is to sew the lining to the bag. We sew the lining at a distance of 2-3 cm from the top edge of the jeans. The lining needs to be stitched along all the seams of the bag so that the lining does not dangle as a separate bag from the outside of the bag and so that the bag looks more complete.
Stage four - making handles for the bag
The handles of your bag may be completely different. You can make handles from jeans or other material (handles made of leather will look very good if you use leather elements in the exterior decoration). If you are sewing a beach denim bag, small wooden handles will complement it very organically. You can also use leather belts, chains and a lot of other options as strap handles. Let's consider several simple options for making straps for a handbag:
- The easiest option is to make straps from the remaining scraps of jeans. First, decide how long the straps will be, how many there will be - one or two, whether they will be flat or voluminous. If you decide that your bag will have only one flat handle, this is the simplest option. Measure the required length of denim (if the length is not enough, you can lengthen the strap by connecting several pieces of fabric), then measure the width.
The most convenient way is to cut a strip of jeans of such a width that you can subsequently fold it in half and sew only one side. Draw a stripe on the trouser leg and cut it out.
If you want to make the straps as comfortable as possible, it is best to add a padding polyester lining. This lining will make the handle of the bag soft and will not dig into your shoulder, even if you walk with a full heavy bag on your shoulder all day.
To make a more comfortable strap, we cut out a strip of thin padding polyester.
The dimensions of the synthetic padding strip will be slightly smaller than the dimensions of the denim flap, 1-1.5 cm on each edge. Now we apply a strip of padding polyester to the denim blank, stepping back 1-1.5 cm from the edge, and “cover” the padding polyester with the rest of the jeans. All that remains is to machine stitch the edges of the strap. If you have little experience in sewing, you can first sew the edges by hand or fasten them with pins, and then go straight through the sewing machine. The fabric cutting line must be folded inward, and only then sewn so that there are no neat, unfinished edges left. We do this with the upper and lower edges of the strap. When the strap is ready, all that remains is to sew it into the frame of the bag. To make two handles, you need to sew an identical strap in the same way and sew it into the bag.
There are also several options for attaching handles. The easiest option is to simply carefully sew the straps to the bag itself. Another option is to attach the straps using rings. You can buy special rings at a sewing or craft store, or you can take rings from an old bag. In the case of rings, you will have to sew a small, thin denim loop to the base of the bag. Fold the edges of the strap and sew, leaving about 1 cm to insert the ring. Then, we insert the ring into the loop and into the edge of the strap. We make the second fastening in the same way. And voila, the straps are securely attached to the bag!
The handles of the bag can be located strictly at the ends of the product, or can be shifted to the middle, or run along the entire length of the bag. You can attach the handles in any way you like - you are only limited by your imagination.
- Straps can be made from chains. To make chain straps, you need to take a chain or two chains, the length of which will correspond to your idea, and connect them with a bag. If you choose this option, you need to take only strong and reliable chains so that their links do not become separated from the load. You can connect using loops or rings. To prevent the chain from digging into your shoulder during prolonged wear, the middle of the handles can be made from jeans with synthetic padding.
- You can use a regular belt as a strap. This strap will look very original and beautiful. In the case of a belt, you are unlikely to be able to simply sew it to the bag. After all, the belt is quite dense, especially belts made of genuine leather. In this case, you can attach the straps using ring loops or special rivets. Using rivets is one of the most reliable fastening methods. But to attach the straps with rivets, you will need a special rivet press and pliers.
- If you have bamboo handles from an old bag lying around, you can give them new life and add them to your denim handbag. There are different options for bamboo handles, and therefore different options for fastenings. If you have ring handles, then to attach them to the bag, you just need to fold the top edge of the bag and stitch it, and then just push the handles through. There are also bamboo handles-half rings, with holes along the edges. It is through these special holes that the handle is sewn.
- Another interesting and original option is wicker handles. Straps woven from denim will be a very beautiful addition to your handbag. But there is one thing - weaving straps for a bag is a rather long and painstaking process. And if you still decide to do it, be patient.
To make woven bag handles, you first need to make ribbons from denim. To do this, we cut the remains of the jeans into thin ribbons of the same length. The width of the ribbons should be such that the ribbon can be folded, the cut edge can be “hidden” inside so that it does not unravel, and stitched. You will need at least 6 ribbons. In general, there are a lot of weaving options, they differ in complexity and materials used. You can buy a construction cord at least 0.8-1 cm wide and use it as a base. That is, you just need to braid it. To do this, cut off the required length of the construction cord. We glue the ends of the jeans ribbons to one edge of the cord, fix them, and press them. And then we simply intertwine the ribbons together, braiding the cord. And then there is a long, monotonous job ahead, which will be completed only when you have completely braided the construction cord. The ends of the ribbons, when you finish weaving, also need to be securely fixed with glue. When the handles are woven, all that remains is to connect them to the bag using a method convenient for you.
In general, there are countless options for bag handles and their fastenings. So you can choose what will best reflect your idea.
Fifth stage - decor of the finished product
When the product is almost ready, you can begin the final stage of creating the bag - decorating it. The last stage is the most creative and enjoyable. It is at this stage that the bag acquires its individuality and finished look.
You can decorate your bag in a variety of ways:
- Decorate the bag with elements from jeans - bows, denim inserts of a different shade, etc.;
- Embroidery or applique. You can complement the finished product with an embroidered pattern or a fun applique.
- For more glamorous girls, decor with rhinestones, beads, and studs is ideal. Furniture stores have a very wide selection, which will allow you to realize your wildest fantasies.
- The combination of rather rough denim with delicate lace looks very original. This combination will add femininity to the product.
- Denim bags with leather inserts look very good. You can add some spice to such a bag with the help of decorative metal rivets.
- Fabric painting is suitable for the most creative individuals. Using special paints, you can put any inscription on the bag or make some kind of drawing.
- You can make a fringe on the bag.
This is not a complete list of handbag decorating techniques. There is no limit to the flight of fancy of modern needlewomen, and a large selection of decorative elements on store shelves and on the Internet will allow you to bring your wildest ideas to life.
A few more ideas for making a handbag from unwanted jeans
There are a huge number of options for sewing a bag from old, unwanted jeans; they differ in complexity and the materials used. You can use more than just the top of your jeans in your work. You can also take trouser legs for work.
If you don't want to make a purse out of the top of your jeans, then open the legs. You will get four stripes of denim, and we will work with them. In this case there will be a little more work. First, let's determine the size of the handbag and its shape. When you already have a good idea of exactly how the finished product will look, you can start cutting.
In order to make the frame of the handbag, you need to cut out five rectangles of different sizes. First, we cut out a large rectangle - the side of the bag; if you do not have enough of a single piece of denim, you can connect several pieces for the desired size. So, if you are sewing a medium-sized rectangular bag, cut out a rectangle measuring 40 by 30 cm (where the length is 40 and the width is 30). Then we cut out another completely identical piece, that is, with the same dimensions, which will later become the sides of the bag. You can take your own sizes. Now you need to cut out two end rectangles. The length will be 30 cm, and the width will be 15 cm. All that remains is to cut out the rectangular bottom. The length of the bottom will be equal to the length of the sides, that is, 40 cm, and the width will be 15 cm. When the parts of the bag are cut out, they must be fastened together.
If you have little sewing experience, pre-sew the parts of the bag with large stitches by hand so that the parts do not move apart and there are no crooked stitches.
Now all that remains is to assemble the base frame of the handbag and sew all the seams evenly and beautifully on a sewing machine. The frame is ready. Next, we work according to the same scheme as with the first bag. That is, you need to provide the frame with a lining (with or without pockets, at your discretion), sew in a zipper, attach a strap (or two) and decorate the finished product to your taste.
There is another not very difficult way to sew a bag from old jeans. In this case, it is a handbag made from denim scraps. To make a patchwork bag from old jeans, you need to cut unnecessary pants that are not the same size into rectangular or square pieces. Then, we connect the pieces of denim, first by hand, and then by machine, into a large rectangular part - the side of the bag, the size you need. After this, we perform the same manipulations to get exactly the same side. The ends and bottom of the bag can be made from a single piece of jeans, or from small shreds. When you have two large side parts, a bottom and end parts ready, you can sew the product. To do this, we proceed in a well-known way - we sew all the parts, sew on the lining, sew in a snake, attach the handles and add decorative fittings.
These are not all the possible options for creating a bag from jeans. Whatever option you choose, you will get a wonderful, exclusive handmade accessory. You definitely won’t run into someone with the same bag at the mall. Bags made from jeans are not only beautiful and interesting, they are also very strong and wear-resistant.
You can sew such a handbag for yourself, or please one of your friends or relatives with such a gift, since such an accessory is perfect for small children, teenagers, young girls and adult women. And various decorative elements will emphasize the individuality of the owner of a denim bag.
Jeans are always in fashion, they are worn by everyone - from the smallest to the most respectable. And, of course, they wear out, wear out and tear in various places, and get dirty. And what to do with jeans that have become old, spoiled or just tired?
There is no need to rush to throw them away or send them into exile. After all, from leftovers or whole old jeans you can make a lot of necessary, original, fashionable items and accessories, including you can sew all sorts of original bags with your own hands: jeans can make both an excellent utility bag and an original belt bag. If you scour the Internet and find the MK you need, you can step by step make a fun children’s bag, a fashionable sports bag, a roomy beach bag, and even a large travel bag.
Do you want to learn how to sew a bag step by step from old jeans - original and comfortable, interesting and exclusive - read the article to the end!
Such accessories will suit both teenagers and adults, because the choice of patterns, and accordingly, ready-made options, is huge and limited only by the imagination of the needlewoman. Is sewing a bag out of jeans amazing? Not at all!
Any work will go well and go easily if you carefully prepare for it. So where do you start? From preparing the basics - tools and materials. For sewing for a denim bag you will need:
The bag consists of a base, lining, and handles. And special attention worth the decor theme.
Important. Before you start working with old jeans, they need to be washed and ironed. You need to work with a clean cloth so as not to get dirty and stain the decor. In addition, if some stain does not wash off, then you can determine in advance that this area should not be used, or used, but in an invisible part of the bag, play with the cut, cover this place with a pocket, decor, and so on. And it is necessary to iron it because it is impossible to cut on wrinkled fabric, everything will turn out crooked.
Gallery: bag made from old jeans (25 photos)
Bag base
The base of the bag is essentially the bag itself without handles. You can very simply cut out a base from old jeans or their parts.
A denim bag of the simplest cut can be sewn from the top of trousers. To do this, you need to cut off the legs to the base to create a kind of “skirt”. Then there are two options to choose from:
- you can simply fold the base as it is, like jeans are worn, and sew, turning it inside out (they always sew from the inside out), the bottom of this figure along the cut. Then you get a flat bag-folder;
- You can make the bag voluminous. To do this, from the wrong side, the corners are laid inside in triangles, so that the vertices of the triangles lie on the bottom of the bag, and the triangle is attached with its base to the bottom. It turns out that the bottom and walls are highlighted.
In both cases, you will get a rather original and functional handbag, which already has there are pockets.
You can also simply sew a handbag from individual parts, that is, trouser legs and other parts from old jeans. Patterns here may be different. They are not difficult to draw.
The simplest pattern is a rectangle, trapezoid, square. Moreover, these parts can consist of several parts, and not just of the whole panel. To do this, you can grind any pieces together. In some cases this may even become decorative element.
So, you can make patchwork-style panels with your own hands - from patches of the same shape and size (they can be of different colors - it will also be original), in the freeform style - a random combination of patches of different sizes, shapes and even textures. You can also sew scraps of denim with scraps of completely different fabrics, colorful ones. Denim bags are freedom for imagination.
First, let's look at the basics. To simply sew this shape you need:
- draw a pattern in the form of a selected figure of the selected size;
- then transfer it to the fabric, tracing it with tailor’s chalk (or other similar device) and add along the edges - along the bottom and sides, 1 centimeter for allowances, along the top edge 2-3 centimeters for hems;
- cut out two drawn blanks, fold them facing each other and sew the side seams;
- draw a pattern for the bottom of the bag. The bottom can be oval, rectangular, square - anything. The main thing is that the perimeter of the bottom is equal to the length of the two parts of the base plus 1 centimeter along the entire perimeter for allowances;
- Place the pieces face to face, pin and thread, and then machine stitch the pieces together.
Important! Denim fabric tends to fray and fray. Therefore, all free sections of fabric must be processed with overcast seams. If you don’t have an overlocker, you can use a zigzag stitch, or you can do it manually. But in modern sewing machines, even simple ones, there are at least a couple of seams, imitating overlock.
So, the simplest base is ready.
Despite its apparent simplicity, sewing such a bag from jeans is just the beginning. You can leave it as is. You can make holes in the upper part along the edge, pull a cord through them - and you will get a bag-bag, you can assemble the upper edge into ring handles (metal or bamboo ring handles can be purchased at many handicraft stores), and so on.
Pockets from old jeans can be sewn to the resulting base. Moreover, it can be straight, like on jeans, it can be on the front side, it can be on the sides, as you wish.
Lining
You can sew a denim bag without lining, but with it the denim bag will be stronger, more practical, and more aesthetically pleasing.
The lining is sewn in the same way as the base, that is, the shape should completely match the bag. Pockets can be sewn to the lining, which will serve as the inner pockets of the bag. In this case, you need to sew on the pockets even before sewing bag lining.
If the bag will be closed with a zipper, then the upper edge of the lining needs to be folded, pinned or basted. Place the lining into the base, back to back. Then baste the lining to the bag one and a half centimeters below the top edge. Then place the edges of the zipper between the base and the lining, pin them or baste them, and stitch on a typewriter.
Important. The lining fabric can be any, but (!) choose durable fabrics that do not unravel or tear. It is not in the housewife's interests to look, for example, for keys somewhere under the lining, because they have pierced the thin or fraying fabric. Yes, and fabric that has spread at the seams or holes - even inside the bag - is ugly and uncomfortable.
Pens
Bag handles are not only a functional integral part of the bag, but they can also be a decorative element!
To sew simple handles you need to make straps. For this:
If the strap is sewn in, then the transverse edges do not need to be stitched, but it is better to process them. Sew-in straps are inserted between the outer fabric and the lining, pinned or basted, and stitched together with base and lining.
If the straps are sewn on the outside, it is better to sew them with several seams, for example, crosswise.
Bags made from old jeans are good because they allow a lot of liberties and imagination. So, the straps can be sewn from a different fabric, a different color, parts of which can be sewn to the bag as decorative elements.
In addition, bag handles can be made from other materials: from cords (curtains and other decorative ones), from belts, from braids woven from fabric scraps, and other fabrics. You can insert large eyelets and thread the handles through them. You can use ready-made pens - like the already mentioned pen rings. It all depends only on the desire and imagination of the craftswoman! A DIY jeans bag is a reflection of individuality!
Decor
Decorating accessories is a riot of imagination! You can decorate a bag from old jeans any way your heart desires.
The simplest options for external decorations are:
- all kinds of decorative badges, buttons, pendants, stripes (patches), adhesive and sew-on rhinestones, sequins, beads, beads and so on;
- decorative braid, ribbons, lace, frills, cords;
- rivets, buttons, eyelets as decoration;
- drawings with paints on fabrics;
- appliqués, patches...
In addition, as decoration you can use a combination of fabrics for the base of the bag, which were mentioned earlier (patchwork, freeform).
You can continue indefinitely, because a bag made of jeans is a very rewarding, free material, simply calling for a flight of creativity, and sewing a fashionable bag from old jeans with your own hands is very simple! And certainly, a do-it-yourself denim bag made according to your own sketches will be completely exclusive and a source of pride.
