Do you have one or more old pairs of jeans gathering dust in your closet? Rather than throwing them away, you should consider upcycling them.
Most garments don’t last forever — and jeans are no exception. Over time, jeans will begin to show signs of aging. Fortunately, you don’t have to toss your old jeans in the trash. Upcycling offers an eco-friendly solution. It will allow you to squeeze a little more use out of your jeans by turning them into something else.
What Is Upcycling?
Upcycling is the process of transforming old or damaged garments into something new. The term “upcycling” was coined by German engineer Reiner Pilz in the late 1990s. Pilz saw that recycling items diminished their value, which prompted him to come up with a solution. Upcycling had the opposite effect. When upcycled, the value of items increased.
Upcycling isn’t limited to jeans. You can upcycle all types of garments as well as other old items. Nonetheless, upcycling your old jeans offers several advantages. It reduces landfill waste, promotes a cleaner environment and allows you to get more use out of your old jeans. Here are some of the different ways that you can upcycle your old jeans.
There’s also downcycling. Downcycling is essentially the opposite of upcycling. While upcycling involves turning an old or damaged garment into something new and better, downcycling involves turning and old or damaged garment into something of lesser quality and lesser value.
Create Denim Shorts
You may be able to turn your old jeans into denim shorts via upcycling. You don’t need a sewing machine, nor do you need any special skills. As long as you have a pair of fabric-cutting scissors, you can create a pair of denim shorts out of your old jeans.
To turn your old jeans into a pair of denim shorts, you just need to cut off the pant legs. Using a pair of fabric-cutting scissors, carefully cut the pant legs to the desired length. Some people prefer shorter shorts than others. When turning your old jeans into denim shorts, you’ll have the freedom to choose your own length.
Keep in mind that you can always go back and make the denim shorts shorter, but you can’t make them longer. If you accidentally make them too short, for instance, you’ll be stuck with that length. You won’t be able to make the denim shorts longer.
Create a Denim Skirt
Another upcycling idea is to turn your old jeans into a denim skirt. Also known as jean skirts, denim skirts offer a timeless style that’s perfect for nearly all casual women’s outfits. You can wear them with blouses, t-shirts, sweaters and other tops. And while buying a new denim skirt is always an option, you may be able to make your own denim skirt out of a pair of old jeans.
Denim skirts are a bit more complex than denim shorts. To turn your old jeans into a denim skirt, you’ll need to start by cutting off the pant legs, after which you can cut the inseam between the right and left pant legs. Next, you’ll need to overlap the right and left pant legs. You can then sew them together using a needle and thread. When finished, trim off any excess denim material, at which point your denim skirt should be good to go.
Create a Denim Tote
If you’re feeling creative, you can turn your old jeans into a denim tote. Denim totes are large or medium-sized bags that, as the name suggests, are made of denim. Like all totes and handbags, they are used for storage purposes. You can store items in a denim tote. But first, you’ll need to make the denim tote.
To turn your old jeans into a denim tote, you’ll need to cut them into several patch-like pieces, after which you can sew those pieces together. Your denim tote will need a handle, of course. You can sew a handle on the top of it.
Repair Them
If your old jeans are damaged, you may be able to upcycle them by repairing them. If there’s a missing button on the fly, you can sew a new button in its place. Buttons are easy to replace. You don’t have to get rid of your old jeans just because they are missing a button. Rather, you can replace the missing button, thus allowing you to continue wearing the old jeans.
Jeans can fade over time. Fading is typically the result of dye being released from the denim material used in the jeans’ construction. Even if your jeans are faded, though, you can restore them to their original color. Fabric dye is available for faded garments. For an indigo color, you may want to use two bottles of blue fabric dye and one bottle of black fabric dye. After allowing your jeans to soak in the fabric dye, they’ll develop a dark blue or indigo color.
Choose Premium Jeans
You can make your jeans last longer by choosing premium, well-made jeans. The jeans sold here at MakeYourOwnJeans, for example, are premium. Whether you prefer regular or stretch jeans, you can rest assured knowing that they will last for a very long time.
By choosing premium jeans, you won’t have to worry about converting them into something else. Premium jeans are made with an emphasis on quality, so they typically last longer than cheap, low-quality jeans.
In Conclusion
Upcycling has become a hot topic in the world of fashion. It involves the transformation of an old or damaged garment into something new and better. If you have some old jeans lying around your house, you may want to upcycle them. You can upcycle your old jeans by turning them into denim shorts, denim skirts or denim totes. And depending on how your old jeans are damaged exactly, you may be able to repair them. The bottom line is that you don’t have to throw them away. Upcycling offers an eco-friendly solution for your old jeans.
