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A while ago the lovely team at Simply Crochet Magazine asked me to design a bag for them – from a pair of old jeans….. What I came up with was a cute clutch bag from Dave’s old decorating jeans – I’m hoping he hasn’t missed them yet!
It was such an amazing project to dream up and I thought I’d share with you just how easy it was to make the jeans yarn in this easy tutorial.
Just click the link to see my funny little video or scroll down to see it in pictures, whichever you prefer!
To make the jeans yarn:
Materials:
An old pair of jeans
A pair of large sharp scissors
Plenty of muscle to cut!
Step 1:
Cut both legs off the jeans, as close to the top as you can without cutting the pockets – save these for other fabulous craftiness.
Lay each leg out flat and cut 2cm strips as far as the seam – do not cut through the side seam.
Step 2:
When you have cut the strips the whole way up the leg, snip the first seam so that you can work in spirals up the leg to make a long strand of yarn.
Step 3:
Once you have finished, cut the yarn in half again to get 1cm wide yarn. It doesn’t matter too much if the fabric is a bit wiggly – it will add more character this way!
That’s all there is to it – you’re ready to make whatever you fancy from your jeans yarn! This little clutch bag is what I came up with – it’s in Simply Crochet Magazine Issue 26. I’m planning on an adventurous rug sometime soon too….
Here are a few of my free patterns that you might enjoy:
The Skittles Poncho – a burst of sunshine and rainbow colours
The Silver Squares Blanket – classic, timeless baby blanket
Baby Bunny Hats – super cute and super fast!
awesome !!
Thanks!
What size hook did you use, it would have to be fairly stout yo handle the bits of “yarn” where the pieces of seam are included.
great idea for re purposing throw away jeans.
I know what you mean – it takes some muscles but well worth it! I used a 10mm hook and tried to keep it nice and loose.
Sorry! Meant to say a 12mm hook!
What size hook did you use?
It must have to be fairly stout to handle the bits of “yarn” with the seam in it.
Great idea for re purposing throw away jeans.
Hi,
Can you tell me where I can find the pattern for this bag please? I have lots of pairs of old jeans that I have kept but didn’t know what to do with them and I would love to make this bag.
If you do not have the pattern, can you tell me what size hook to use using the jeans yarn made as above and I will try and figure it out.
I have a subscription to Simply Crochet but only since November last year so missed the issue with this tutorial in it. I have tried to search for it but cannot find the pattern.
Thank you,
Amanda
Thanks for your message Amanda – I’ll be able to share the pattern soon but for now it’s best to try and get a copy with it in. I used a 12mm hook and found the simpler the design the better as the yarn looks fab whatever you do with it!
This is so awesome, thanks for sharing!
Thanks!
Howdy! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after checking through some of the post I
realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely delighted I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!
Hola, gracias por compartir tus ideas.
También podría cortarse el en vertical y no utilizar la arte de las costuras
Great tutorial Han, looking forward to the video. Now to steal some jeans from the boy!
Thanks Tan- good luck with the stealing….I’m sure he’ll never notice!
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This would be great for a crochet rug, nice and heavy to withstand a lot of use.
Great idea Judith – I’ve started collecting jeans of all shapes and sizes as I think it will take quite a few pairs!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about hanjan. Regards
Howdy! I know this is sort of off-topic but I needed to ask.
Does operating a well-established blog such as yours require a lot of work?
I’m completely new to blogging but I do write in my diary every day.
I’d like to start a blog so I can share my own experience and thoughts online.
Please let me know if you have any kind of suggestions or tips for
new aspiring blog owners. Thankyou!
Hi Reena,
Thanks so much for your message. Good question! It takes lots of time, but once you’ve got going it’s a pleasure to do. I spend roughly about 10 hours a week online related to my blog and the rest of my time is spent designing (and doing my full time job too!). Just start off gently and if you write in your diary each day then blogging should come naturally to you. Best of luck!
Hannah
Wonderful site you have here but I was curious about if you knew of any user discussion forums that cover the same topics discussed here?
I’d really like to be a part of community where I can get responses from other experienced people that
share the same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Thanks a lot!
Hi Martina,
Thanks for your message – there’s always lots of action over at knitting paradise for me so perhaps have a look there. Good luck!
I’ve made a rug out of hand and it turned out awesome!
How soon will you share the pattern?
Same way you make plarn with plastic bags. Did that once out of boredom. Never thought about using jeans the same way .