Things You'll Need:
- Thick satin ribbon (at least 1" wide) in one or more colors Jeans Scissors Sewing machine Fabric paint Iron-on patches Iron Velcro
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Step 1
Cut off a leg of the jeans. The amount you cut off should be a little bit longer than what you want the size of your purse to be.
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Step 2
Cut off about 2 inches on one side of the jeans on the hemmed end. This is how you will create the flap to close your purse. You should start cutting as close to the side seam as possible without actually cutting the seam itself. Cut down and across to remove a portion of the jeans, thereby creating a flap the will fold over the top.
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Step 3
Hem the bottom of the purse. To do this, turn the jeans inside out and sew up the ragged, cut end of the jeans. Once you have turned them right side out again, your seam will be invisible.
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Step 4
Cut one small hole in each side of the purse just underneath where the flap starts. These holes will secure your strap. They do not need to be real holes, but can be small slits about 1/2 inch long. If you wish, you can make them buttonholes, but most people just cut them with scissors and leave them unfinished because they will not be visible when you are done.
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Step 5
Braid three lengths of ribbon together. Each length should be about 4 inches longer than you want the strap of your purse to be. When you are done braiding, knot each end of the braid so that it does not come undone. You should have about 2 inches of extra ribbon tailing off on each end of the braid.
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Step 6
Secure the shoulder strap to the bag. Push the tails of the ribbon through the holes in the side of the bag and knot them several times on the inside of the purse. This will keep the strap from pulling back out of the slit you cut in the side, and the knot on the outside will hide the slit.
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Step 7
Attach the velcro. You can purchase velcro that sticks on with adhesive or that needs to be ironed on. Adhesive is the easiest, but it also wears out the fastest. Place one piece on the inside of the flap, and a corresponding piece on the outside of the purse where the flap meets the purse. At this point, you have a fully functional purse.
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Step 8
Patches and glitter paint can create endless designs.Accessorize your purse. You can use fabric paint, iron-on patches or even pins and buttons to make your denim purse unique.
