Old Jeans // New Bag

I had a favorite bag when I was little that looked like an old pair of Levis. It was a tote with red straps and a pocket on the front. It even had an authentic little red Levi tag. Oh, how I loved this bag! In fact, I still have it. My daughters use it sometimes, but it’s starting to get frayed so I put it away for a little while. I decided to make each of my girls their own jeans bag. You already know I save their clothes for quilts (a basement full of old clothes I’m afraid) so it was just a matter of finding the time to get it done.

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This DIY requires some sewing skills. And if you have sewing skills, then you probably are clever enough to figure out how to make one of these bags on your own (there are at least 50 different ways to make a denim bag). But, if you’re interested in knowing how I made mine, you can download this PDF for the full instructions.

Here’s what you’ll need:

– an old pair of jeans (mine were a child’s size 6 and my bag ended up being about 10″ x 12″)

– an old shirt (or some lining fabric)

– handles (I bought my webbing in NYC, but you can source Etsy for some good alternatives)

– a fine tip sharpie

– good fabric scissors (such as Gingher)

– a needle and thread

– a sewing machine

I love mixing my daughter’s old jeans with her dad’s old shirt. Those two are pretty tight already, and now they are stitched together for eternity. To make this tote even more sentimental, I used a Sharpie to write some of her six-year old milestones (the age she was when she wore these blue jeans). As a mom, I am always trying to find ways to strengthen our family narrative. Making sense of who they are and knowing that they belong to something bigger helps with their self-confidence. Talking about milestones and comparing stories (mommy’s favorite bag, daddy still uses bunny ears to tie his shoes) is a lovely way to build our family story.

Now I just need to make another for my middle girl. Can’t you just picture the three of us skipping around town with our awesome bags? I better hurry before they don’t think I’m cool anymore (like that would ever happen).

Have a happy Memorial Day weekend!

xo Bar