Blue Jean Quilt Idea

Cut up old jeans to create a jeans quilt.

Whether you are an expert quilter or a novice, making a blue jeans quilt is an easy way to use old jeans you haven't worn in years; in addition, a blue jean quilt makes a rather creative bed cover. To make blue jean quilts, use jeans cut into squares and sew them together with cotton for lining and batting. Make your jeans quilt stand out by creating patterns, adding color and additional embellishments.

Back Pocket Blue Jean Quilt

Create a quilt made from back pocket squares of jeans. Back pockets often have a design or a brand logo on them, which can create an interesting design on a quilt. For example, the back pocket of a certain brand of jeans has a signature wide "V" stitched on it. Sewing the back pocket squares together creates a wave pattern. However, the back pockets of jeans are typically very close to the seam, restricting the size of the square you can cut. You should be able to create a 6-to-8-inch square with a back pocket.

Rainbow Jeans Quilt

Visit the thrift store or a consignment shop to find a variety of jeans in bright colors such as yellow, blue, green, orange and red unless you have lots of colored jeans in your own collection. Sew the patches together in such a manner that they create a random pattern. Alternatively, make a rainbow quilt by sewing the patches together to create a rainbow shape on the quilt.

Mix-and-Match Patches

Make your jeans quilt more interesting by adding some patches of all-cotton squares in between the jean squares. You can use solid color patches or patches with simple or intricate patterns. Adding dark blue cotton patches and red-and-white striped patches to your quilt will give it a classic American look, for example. Alternatively, add patches cut from other fabrics such as corduroy, tweed and linen. When using lighter materials, however, you should use a lighter weight denim as well.

Blue Jean Embellishments

Add embellishments to each square before or after putting the quilt together. For example, you can add decorative embroidery to each square using colored embroidery thread. Get everyone in your family or ask all your friends to embroider a square to help create a quilt that will become a lasting keepsake. Sew a small ribbon bow to each square to add a feminine touch to the quilt, or fasten small rhinestones to the squares to add a little sparkle. Fray the edges of the jean squares by sewing the squares together about a 1/2 inch from the edge, so that the seams are sticking out. After throwing the quilt in the washer and dryer several times, the edges will fray, adding texture and character to your jean quilt.

Resources

• Wise Bread; Twenty-Five Things to Do With Old Jeans; Myscha Theriault