How to Make Small Denim Purses

Throwing out an old pair of denim jeans because there is a hole in the knee, a torn inseam or some other problem that affects only one area of the pants is a waste. Denim is a particularly durable material perfect for creating all sorts of useful things, including purses. Recycle your old denim pants that have at least one leg still in good condition. Transform that usable leg into a small denim purse you can use to tote around your phone, keys, money and other small personal belongings.

Things You'll Need

• Old jeans
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• Iron
• 1-inch nylon webbing
• Lighter
• Straight pins

Instructions

1. Measure up one leg of your jeans 16 inches and cut straight across the leg with scissors. Turn the leg of the jeans inside out.

2. Stitch straight across the leg of the jeans 8 inches up from the hemmed bottom on your sewing machine.

3. Fold the raw top edge of the pant leg down 1/4 inch. Iron the fold. Fold the edge over another 1/4 inch and iron that fold as well.

4. Flip the bottom 8 inches of the leg up over the top portion of the leg. You now have a denim-lined denim pouch. Press the bottom of the pouch, where the seam goes across the leg, then flatten the seam.

5. Measure and cut two 18-inch lengths of 1-inch-wide nylon webbing. Heat the cut ends of the webbing with a lighter until they begin to melt; this seals the ends to prevent unraveling. Pin the ends of the webbing between the two layers of denim along the top of the purse to create handles.

6. Sew around the top of the purse 3/4 of an inch down from the top edge to connect the lining and the outside of the purse as well as to secure the handles on the purse. Remove the pins holding the ends of the handles in place when you come to them.