Best Ideas to Recycle and Upcycle Jeans and Denim

50+ Fabulous Crafts from Denim Jeans!

You Said “Denim”?

1a: a firm durable twilled usually cotton fabric woven with colored warp and white filling threads. b: a similar fabric woven in colored stripes. 2 denims plural: overalls or trousers usually of blue denim.

That’s what Merriam Webster tells us about denim.  But denim is so much more to us, right?

When we think of denim, we think of those cozy, comfy jeans that we can’t live without.  Time to learn a bit about those special pieces of clothing.

History of Denim Jeans

Our favorite jeans are most often made of denim or dungaree cloth.  “Blue jeans” were invented by J. Davis in a partnership with Levi Strauss and Co in 1871. 

Can you believe jeans go back that far?

“Jean” references a historic type of sturdy cloth usually made with a cotton warp and wool weft.  Jean cloth can be made of cotton as well, and in this form, it is known as “denim”.

Although denim jeans were originally made for miners, they became popular as casual wear by the great Marlon Brando and James Dean in their 1950s films. This lead to the denim fabric becoming a symbol of rebellion among teenagers. 

From the 1960s onward, jeans were common with young members of the general population.  And now, today we find denim jeans as the most popular type of pants in Western culture.

OK, I know that’s more than you need to know about jeans and denim. But I’m a history geek and just had to put that in there.

Mending Denim

If you are looking for fun and fancy ways to mend jeans, we have links to wonderful books and websites that will show you how to use decorative stitching and patching to make your jeans whole again.  

Now, be warned, not all jeans are meant for mending! 

My daughter definitely would not want me to “mend” the holey jeans that she paid so much for; I still struggle to see the allure of jeans that look 15 years past their prime.

However, many adults want to continue to wear those favorite jeans, and fancy or hidden mending can be a lifesaver.

We have more helpful hints on our page devoted to mending clothing.

Repurpose Your Denim

Because denim is so strong and comes in a variety of shades, it makes the perfect fabric to repurpose into new and usable items.

We have many projects to make with your old denim clothing or those you can purchase cheaply at thrift sales or yard sales.  

Some of the ideas below include:

• HOME ACCESSORIES such as the cozy denim quilt, chevron pillow, bedside organizers, Christmas stockings, rugs and more.
• CLOTHING like the skirt, apron, slippers, and many others.
• ACCESSORIES like barretts, purses, tote bags, plus more ideas.
• CRAFTING ITEMS such as our craft organizer with jean pockets, adult coloring pencils bag, and more!
• AND TOO MANY OTHER ITEMS TO LIST!

So go ahead and check out all of the great denim ideas we have gathered for you!  And remember to save those old jeans!!