by Texas Homesteader ~
I’m sharing easy ways to repurpose old denim into useful things. I love all things denim, and the eco-warrior in me loves repurposing! Come see 5 quick projects I’ve done to repurpose denim from worn jeans into useful things around our home.
RancherMan goes through his heavy Wrangler jeans pretty frequently. Between barbed-wire nicks and kneeling at the cattle chute wearing out the knees, sooner or later those jeans are no longer fit to wear.
But all is not wasted. I love all things denim! So I save those worn jeans for other uses.
There are several things I like to do with that sturdy denim material. Links for more details are in the titles and sometimes in the paragraphs below them. Check it out!
No-Sew Denim Pocket Coasters
Of course one of my favorite denim repurposing crafts is to use that heavy denim fabric to make these oh-so-cute Denim Pocket Coasters. They’re easy to make & completely no-sew. You know I love that!
I insert a sturdy waterproof sheet (most of the time simply a small section of a chip bag – eh hemmmm….) so that condensation from the drinking glass doesn’t soak through the fabric and onto my furniture.
I love these no-sew denim coasters and have several of them in our home. And I’ve made them for rustic country-themed gifts as well.
Homemade Repurposed Denim Game Bags
For a recent family reunion RancherMan & I built our own CornHole Game for some spirited competition. OMGosh that game was a HIT!!!
And we free-handed a ranch-themed design on the cornhole board too. It turned out really cute!
Although we could have just purchased the corn-filled Game Bags to go with the game, I have this sturdy denim just waiting to be used.
And c’mon, how much more ranch-themed is our CornHole game with denim tossing bags?
Rustic Repurposed Denim Baskets
Another fun thing I like to do with used denim is make these Cute Denim Baskets.
I like to leave them rugged in appearance. So if the hems are frayed – all the better!
And even with my novice sewing skills I can make these up pretty quickly. I especially like to use them to nicely package our Homemade Christmas Gifts.
Repurpose Denim into Pocket-Sized Hand Warmers
Speaking of Christmas gifts, one year I decided I wanted to make Pocket-Sized Hand Warmers for our grandbabies.
They are filled with long-grain rice that I’ve scented with essential oils. I’ve since made a larger set of handwarmers for RancherMan & myself as well.
It’s lovely to use them when it’s c-c-c-c-COLD outside. A few seconds in the microwave and then just pop them into my pockets.
They stay warm about 30 minutes before needing to be heated again!
I’ve made them for other family members over the years too. My dad recently asked me “Does EVERYONE know about these things?? If so, why doesn’t everyone have one in their pockets??!!”
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Awwww. Thanks dad, I love ’em too. These pocket hand warmers are my absolute favorite easy way to repurpose denim.
How About This Cute Casserole Carrier??
This is by far my most used denim repurpose. I’ve used the leg section of a pair of old jeans and turned the material into a cute casserole carrier.
You see, I like to bring my own small dish into restaurants to carry my leftovers home. That way I avoid their single-use Styrofoam clam-shell container. (yeah, I hate those things!)
This cute carrier has gotten lots of compliments from friends and even restaurant servers. And it was oh-so-easy to make too!
How Do You Repurpose Denim?
So there are a few easy & quick things I’ve made with repurposed denim material. They’re all simple to make with minimal or even NO sewing involved.
But I’ve always got my eye open for other fun things to do with it as well. What’s your favorite way to repurpose denim?
~TxH~
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14 Responses
I raised three sons so I know what you mean about being rough on their jeans. When they were little, Sears used to sell jeans with a reinforced knee. I used to take two of those iron on patches and put them on the inside of their jeans. It really did help make them last a little longer.
Oh man, I know what you mean about the Sears jeans Patty. Those are the only ones I’d buy for our son when he was little too. Those jeans lasted long enough that he might actually outgrow them before the knees wore out. I couldn’t say that about any other brand of jeans. ~TxH~
So Tammy; will your next jean project be a Frayed Denim Quilt; placemats maybe, apron or maybe a denim pillow cover?
I have denim placemats Colleen, although I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t make them but purchased them years & years ago. I’m working on a pillow cover for our guest bedroom now, but it will be red flannel plaid. I will probably be doing a softer-white material for our summer bed. I have a couple of aprons but I’ll admit I’ve pondered doing a denim one. Hummm… ~TxH~
I like the coaster idea! I think a picnic quilt would be a good idea!
The coasters were my first projects Chrissy because they were completely no-sew. I’m all about that! I have those cute coasters all around the house. When they get coffee-stained to the point that they don’t come clean anymore I just make another one in minutes! ~TxH~
When the kids were little, an old pair of jeans would get recycled into all kinds of things like these. I have the cutest pattern for a baby bib. I once took a pair of my jeans and refashioned them into a skirt and vest for my daughter. Just turned the lower legs into a skirt and the top part into the vest. Speaking of skirts, I turned a pair of jeans into a long Hippy style skirt ( like we used to do in the 70’s) for my daughter to wear to State 4H competition. I’ve made halter tops and crocheted rugs too. Now that I have a big loom, I think I’ll start on woven rag rugs.
These are some great ideas, thank you!
I’m building a cornhole game too, but I hate that name, so we are going to call it something else, I don’t know what.
LOL – I always thought CornHole was an odd name for a game too, but around here that game is just exploding in popularity. ~TxH~
Awesome! I’ll definitely be making those cute coasters and baskets! Thank you for the great ideas! I never would have thought of this! Heidi
Those baskets are so cute on the shelf Heidi, and they make awesome presentations for homemade gifts too. ~TxH~
Love it! Much of our creative and DIY projects utilize upcycled and refashioned materials and clothing, so your denim repurposing ideas are just what we’re looking for – thanks for sharing! Nina @ Vintage Mama’s Cottage
Love the game bag idea. I bet my mother in-law would like the handwarmers. She’s one of those people who is ALWAYS cold. ha ha Thanks for sharing on the Clever Chicks hop.
OMGosh Alicia, the hand warmers are awesome. I made the first set for myself so I could experiment before making the actual gifts for our grandbabies. RancherMan fell in love with them and has requested that I make a set for him as well. I sure love mine! ~TxH~