How to Reuse Old Jeans

There are tons of creative ways to reuse old jeans. Favorite jeans are hard to part with, and are often worn out only in a few places. Make them useful and keep them close to heart by following the tips below.

Instructions

1. Cut off old jeans into shorts length. This is most successful for those who are confident enough to wear short shorts. Cut the front of the jeans a half inch shorter than the back to allow more room for the behind. Either leave the ends unfinished to fray, or allow an inch for a rolled hem with matching thread.

2. Turn old jeans into a skirt by cutting the jeans off right above the crotch seam. Sew on a layer of light cotton fabric to the bottom of the skirt. It should be gathered and pleated a bit. This is an especially cute skirt for little girls when brightly colored and patterned fabric is used.

3. Make unique placemats for a dining table, or pot holders. They are casual and fun, yet very practical. Denim is highly durably and can be thrown in the wash easily when dirty. Leave the pockets on for fun places to put silverware.

4. Cut each worn pair of jeans into denim squares for a denim quilt. This may take awhile and many pairs of jeans, but the end product will be worth it.

5. Use the back pockets cut from old jeans to make handy refrigerator magnets. After cutting the pockets, glue lace, ribbon, buttons or other embellishments onto the pocket. Glue magnets onto the back. Write words such as "coupons" or "grocery list" on the pocket with puffy paint.

6. Create bean bags for children to play with out of squares from jeans. Simply cut into squares and sew together like a pillow. Fill with any uncooked beans before sewing up the last edge.

7. Get old jeans turned into funky fashionable sandals. This is done by a company in the United Kingdom. Call the toll free number to get an order form. The number is [phone].