How to Make Handmade Blue Jean Book Bags
Handmade blue jean book bags are a popular back-to-school craft, repurposing a sturdy pair of blue jeans into an equally sturdy open-top book bag. If you don't have any old jeans you're ready and willing to part with, you can always pick up a pair at a thrift store for a few dollars. Using thrift-store jeans is also a good way of practicing if you're worried about messing the project up on jeans that are special to you or someone else.
Things You'll Need
- Blue jeans
- Ruler
- Market
- Sharp scissors
- Needle and thread
- Cotton or nylon webbing belt
Instructions
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1
Zip up the front of the blue jeans and turn them inside out.
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2
Measure and mark a line straight across both legs of the blue jeans, 3 inches down from the crotch. Use a ruler to help keep the line even.
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3
Cut the legs of the blue jeans off at the line you marked, using a pair of sharp sewing scissors or shears. Set the legs of the jeans aside for later use as patches on other jeans.
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4
Stitch both legs of the blue jeans (the portion still attached to the hip section of the jeans) shut with an even, tight seam, 1 inch above the cut you made. Trim the 1-inch seam allowance down to 1/2-inch once the seam is completed. Then turn the jeans back to right-side out.
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5
Thread an extra-long cotton or nylon webbing belt through the belt loops on the jeans and tie the ends together, stitch them together for a neater look, or thread them through the buckle. If you do either of the first two options, you'll want to cut the buckle off first. The excess length in the belt can be gathered up to serve as "handles" for your book bag. You can adjust the length of your handles, making the bag into an over-the-shoulder or hand-carry affair, by trimming the belt as necessary.
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