Turn Old Jeans into Fashionable Functionality: Create Your Own Upcycled Denim Tote Bag with This Easy Tutorial

Looking for a fun and eco-friendly way to repurpose old denim clothing? Tringa Osmani, the creative mind behind DIY Clothes, shares her tutorial for transforming a thrifted denim shirt into a trendy tote bag. With just a few simple materials and some basic sewing skills, you can create a stylish accessory that’s perfect for everyday use.

Tringa begins her tutorial by sharing her love for denim fabric and its versatility in refashioning projects. She explains how she came across a denim shirt at a local flea market for a mere 1 Euro and decided to repurpose it into a tote bag instead of the initially planned skirt. With plenty of leftover fabric, Tringa demonstrates the endless possibilities for upcycling denim.

To follow along with Tringa’s tutorial, you’ll need a denim shirt of your choice, lining fabric (such as an old bedsheet), cotton thread, pins, a sewing machine, an iron, and scissors. She provides clear instructions on how to measure and cut the denim panels for the tote bag, allowing for customization in size and design.

Tringa shares helpful photos illustrating the cutting process and advises on the construction of the tote’s exterior and lining. She cleverly utilizes leftover fabric to create additional panels for the bag, showcasing her resourcefulness in upcycling materials.

One of the highlights of Tringa’s tutorial is the addition of a pocket to the tote bag. She demonstrates how to cut and position the pocket on the denim fabric, secure it with pins, and edgestitch it for a professional finish. The pocket adds both functionality and style to the tote, making it perfect for carrying small essentials.

Tringa’s Upcycled Denim Tote Bag tutorial offers a creative and sustainable solution for repurposing old clothing into a practical accessory. By embracing the beauty of denim and incorporating thoughtful design details, she inspires readers to explore their own upcycling projects. So why not grab an old denim shirt and give this DIY tote bag a try?

40+ Things To Sew With Up-cycled Denim Jeans

Upcycled Jeans Denim Banner Sewing Tutorial

30+ Bags You Can Make With Up-cycled Denim Jeans

Next Pattern:

I am just smitten with this felt gingerbread house bag. This would make such a sweet special Christmas accessory for a kid. It’s a free pattern at Benzie Design, designed by Gracie from Hello Gracie Makes. It’s packed with adorable gingerbread house details, like swirls and stripes and scallops adoring the doors and windows.

And while all those details might seem like this would be a complicated pattern, it’s actually not. The bag itself is made from felt, which makes finishes edges unnecessary. (All of those scalloped edges are just cut from felt, no edge finishing required.) The strap is super simple, made from rope with knotted ends. And all those details are made with some basic hand embroidery stitches. Sparkle felt makes it extra cute.

The striped scallop roof is actually the top flap of the bag. A magnetic snap makes it a secure closure. The rope straps are attached through felt loops at the side of the bag.

They rate this project as an intermediate level, and it should take about 6 hours to make start to finish. That’s doable for a Saturday project or a couple of evenings. Full color photos step you through the entire process.

The project includes a shopping list for all of your supplies. They’ve got a shop so you can order all of them from Benzie if you like and get exactly the supplies used in the project. I noticed it includes a pair of scallop shears, which makes cutting all the scalloped edges for the roof and around the door a breeze.

Finished dimensions of the little felt gingerbread bag are approximately 6 ½” wide x 7 ½” tall. That’s the perfect size to hold a small book, a small toy, or a notepad and some cute pens.

Go to Benzie Design to get the tutorial and free pattern for the felt gingerbread house bag.

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply