Alright, so I’m gonna spill the beans on my latest DIY project – a blue jean crossbody purse. I’ve been meaning to do this for ages, and finally, I just went for it.
First things first, I grabbed an old pair of jeans. You know, the ones that are too worn out to wear but too good to throw away? Those are perfect. I laid them out flat and started cutting. I decided to use the legs for the main body of the purse, aiming for a rectangular shape. Nothing too fancy, just straightforward cutting.
Next up, I sewed the bottom of the rectangle together. I flipped the jean legs inside out, pinned the bottom edges together, and ran it through my sewing machine. Nothing spectacular here, just a simple, sturdy seam. I did a double stitch for extra reinforcement – you know, just in case.
Then came the tricky part: lining. I had some leftover fabric lying around – a floral print cotton. I cut out a piece the same size as the inside of my jean rectangle, sewed it into a tube, and then carefully slipped it inside the jean outer. It was a bit fiddly, getting everything to line up nicely, but I pinned it in place and then sewed the top edge of the lining to the top edge of the jeans. This created a nice, clean finish around the opening of the purse.
Okay, so now I had the main body of the purse. Time for pockets! I cut out some pocket shapes from the remaining jean fabric. One large pocket for the front, and a couple of smaller ones for the inside lining. I sewed these onto the denim and lining, making sure to reinforce the corners so they wouldn’t tear easily.
The strap was next. I cut two long strips of denim, about 3 inches wide, and sewed them together lengthwise, wrong sides facing. Then I flipped it right-side out and ironed it flat. This gave me a long, sturdy denim strap. I sewed the ends of the strap to the sides of the purse, making sure to distribute the weight evenly.
Almost there! I added a magnetic snap closure to the top of the purse to keep it closed. These are super easy to install – just punch a small hole in the fabric, insert the snap pieces, and press them together. Done!
Finally, for a little extra flair, I added some decorative stitching around the edges of the pockets and the top of the purse. I used a contrasting color thread – a bright red – to make it pop. It’s a small detail, but it makes a big difference.
And that’s it! My blue jean crossbody purse is finished. It’s not perfect, but it’s functional and has a rustic charm. Plus, I recycled an old pair of jeans, so I feel good about that too. Definitely a fun and satisfying project.
