How to Recycle Blue Jeans Into Shopping Bags

When blue jeans begin to wear or get stained, they are perfect to make into shopping bags. Each pair of jeans will make two shopping bags. I have been using mine for a year for weekly grocery shopping and they are still in great shape.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• pair of blue jeans
• 2 yd of webbing
• scissors
• thread
• sewing machine

1. 
    

   Cut blue jeans along both sides of zipper and along both sides of seam to separate legs.

2. Cut along inseam of each leg. Patch holes or rips, this will add character to bag.

3. 
    

   Use waistband and leg hem as top of bag. Trim along edge of leg to narrow seat area of jeans.

4. 
    

   Decide on height of bag. Mine were 16" high. I measured 17" to allow for seam at bottom of bag. The width will be determined by the leg of the jeans.

5. Sew side and bottom seams. Reinforce bottom seam by sewing two or three times.

6. 
    

   Sew gussets in bottom if desired. I made 3" gussets and reinforced stitching.

7. Add handles. I used nylon webbing cut to 18" using a heated putty knife. This method cut and melted webbing so it would not ravel with use. Any heated metal instrument can be used to cut/melt webbing.

8. 
    

   Sew on handles. I sewed around all edges, then criss-cross the first time reinforcing the sides, then criss-cross the second time reinforcing top and bottom.