How to Make a Purse With Jean Pockets

Denim is one of the sturdiest fabrics known to man and while a pair of old jeans may become too worn to wear, don't toss them, because the material can be reused for many creative projects. A jeans pocket purse is a great creative example of what you can do with an old pair of jeans, a simple afternoon project that you can enjoy for time to come.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Old pair of jeans
• Seam ripper
• Scissors
• Thick, sturdy ribbon
• Sewing machine with denim needle
• Decorations (patches, fabric paints, sequins, buttons or snaps)

1. Turn your old pair of jeans inside out and use a seam ripper to carefully break the stitches around both pockets. Once the stitches are loose, use your fingertips to remove any hanging thread.

2. Choose a thick piece of ribbon for your shoulder strap. The width of the ribbon is up to you, but it should be sturdy enough to stand the test of time. Measure the strap by placing it over your shoulder and holding the ends together. Cut the ribbon where you would like the bottom of your purse to rest.

3. Sew the ends of the ribbon together and center your hem at the pointed edge of one of the pockets. Pin your ribbon along the bottom and side edges and then stitch in place. Repeat with the second pocket.

4. Decorate your new jeans purse with patches, paints, sequins and more. If you would like your purse to stay closed, try adding a denim strap, buttons or even velcro to the top edges.

Tips & Warnings

• Sewing jeans can be tricky. Make sure your sewing machine is equipped with a denim needle and test your machine's settings on a scrap of denim before getting started.
• Make pockets inside of your purse by removing the small coin pockets in your jeans and sewing them to the inside of your larger pockets before joining your purse.