Rock Those Old Jeans!

Okay, so you've been hit by the bad economy too. The new hot shorts, you wanted for summer just aren't in your budget. And to make matters worst you're not artistically inclined like some of your show-off friends. You can't sew,even if you mess up everything you try to make . Don't worry I can guide you through it. You'll feel great about recycling some of your old jeans.

Summer shorts are easy, and you can make them in various lengths. And with the left-over denim we have a kids project. I call it the ,"Boogie bag" it ties to jeans belt loop.

Kids 12 or over, could make one easily as a gift. There are a lot of fun projects, you can make with jean scraps. We'll discuss a few later. You need to go through your closet find some jeans, you don't wear much. They may be three or so years old. Make sure they still fit, your waist.

This what you'll need:

fabric glue, such as tacky glue, or Elmer's' glue (you use much less)

Good scissors, shears

A variety of colored thread

Large sewing needles

Scraps of cloth, and buttons, for embellishment

A 22 inch black or red shoestring

Measure the jeans by trying them on. If they still fit in the waist and hips your in business. You can hold a pair of shorts against, the jeans you want to cut off. Mark them with a crayon or marker, about an inch longer than the shorts you already have. This will give you a chance to make a cuff, or make them longer. You may need someone to help you mark them. You are going to lay the jeans on a table, put the shorts on top. Cut carefully about an inch below the shorts. It may help to pin the shorts against the jeans with stick pins.

Make sure you use good sharp shears, not the ones you cut paper with a lot. Turn the cuff up, wear you want the length of the shorts, Try them on again. You are going to thread a large needle, with navy blue thread. Take the needle, and hold the cuff in your hand. Slip the needle on the underside of the cuffs, inside the jeans. Go in in and out, sewing tacking, the seam the middle and the back make sure it the shorts stay cuffed. If you want a rough look, you don't have to sew. Just turn the cuff up, wear you'd like it and iron it in, with some spray starch.

Cut a small piece of scrap cloth to make sure you get, a clean cut. Find some designs you like such as hearts or flowers, in a magazine or old greeting cards. Decide what type of design you want on your shorts. Lay the designs out on the scrap fabric, and cut. Find the spot you want to place them on the jeans. Use very small drops of glue, on the backside of the fabric designs. Glue them to the pants, make sure it's the spot you want.

When the designs are dry, take the needle, and in tiny stitches go around the edge of the design, sewing it on. Do this for each design, make very small stitches that can't be easily seen. When you're done iron the designs, and make sure they are on tight. Try on your shorts their ready, to wear! For a hot look you can pair them with, a nice white long shirt, roll the long sleeves up, and pair over a small t-shirt. You can add the same small design to the front of the shirt, that you have on your shorts. Add some strappy sandals and you're good to go!

I'm encouraging recycling and practicing it more myself. You can use the scrap leg you cut off the jeans, to make the Boogie bag. I mentioned at the top. Kids can make them for gifts. They are about 10-12 inches of the jean leg. You cut it off, and fold it in half and sew the sides. Turn it inside out and sew it that way. You can also, sew it from the outside in a contrasting color like red. Leave the top open, and you've sewn the sides and bottom.

You can use the little handy, handheld sewer for about $19.99., if you really don't want to sew. Leave a half inch down, at the top for a seam for the shoestring, drawstring. After you've folded a half inch of the cuff down. Starting at the top, sew around the edges of cuff. This will create a little "Tunnel", for the shoestring to go through. You can cut the shoestring if you want, a shorter string. Thread the shoestring through, and pull them down evenly7. You can add a little bead on each end if you like. Cut designs, the same way you did for the shorts,

Follow the same steps, and glue and tack the designs on. You can or a child can use it for a pencil bag, and tie it to their belt loops. Get creative! You can cut squares of cloth from the denim, double it sew it together. And have potholders, coasters, a lot of little decorative items, coasters, etc. Now that you know how use your imagination! Strut your jeans and bags and enjoy your summer!