Authored by Jaipi Sixbear in Environment 
Published on 10-11-2009

Recycling blue jeans was trendy in the sixties and seventies. You can recycle blue jeans today. Use some of those same techniques. A wide variety of items can be made from recycled blue jeans. Recycle blue jeans to make any of these useful items. Save money and save the earth.

Draft Dodger

A draft dodger is a long stuffed tube of fabric placed along the bottom of a door to keep out drafts. Recycle the legs of blue jeans to make this useful household item. Simply cut off blue jean legs, stuff with fiberfill. Sew ends together.

Back Pack

Recycle blue jeans by making a purse, back pack or book bag. Simply cut all but two inches off the legs of the blue jeans. Fold the two inches under and stitch together. Leave the waist open or sew in a zipper. Stitch on two brass rings. Use the pant legs to make straps.

A Line Skirt

Sometimes the legs of blue jeans wear out first. Recycle blue jeans by making a skirt from the usable portion of the pants. Simply take apart the leg seams. Sew a triangle of fabric into the front and back gaps. Cut and hem to desired length.

Ruffled Skirt

Recycle blue jeans by making a more decorative skirt too. Make the A Line skirt described above. Use a pretty fabric to make the ruffle. Just gather a piece of fabric twice the circumference of the skirt bottom. Sew the gathered fabric to the inside of the skirt hem.

Pillows

Recycle blue jeans by making cute throw pillows. Cut two equal size pieces from random parts of the blue jeans. Sew together on three sides and stuff. Sew the last side together and the pillow is done. Make bolster pillows with the blue jean legs. Stuff the legs and sew fabric circles on each end.

Curtains

Every hippie remembers the blue jean curtain. Sew together recycled stripes of blue jean fabric. Hem on all four sides. Fold the top down a few inches and sew together. Run the curtain rod through the recycled blue jeans curtain and hang.

Stuffed Animals

Recycle blue jeans by making basic stuffed animals for babies. Cut simple stuffed animal shapes in duplicate from blue jean fabric. Sew ¾ of the way around the animal. Stuff with polyester batting. Sew up the hole and you have a cute stuffed animal.

Belts

Its so easy to make belts from blue jeans. Recycle blue jeans for belts by cutting long strips of fabric from the legs. Hem and use as a tied belt. You can also loop one end of the belt around two brass rings and sew back. To tighten the belt go through both rings and back through one with the other end.

Braided Rug

Braided rugs can be made when recycling blue jeans and other fabric. Tear long strips from the fabric and braid together. Sew into a spiral shape to make a colorful braided rug. This technique works best when bright colored fabric is combined with the recycled blue jean fabric.

Why waste good fabric by throwing away old blue jeans? Recycle blue jeans by making one of the creative items listed above. When projects are finished, the rest of the blue jean fabric is used for rags. Save the flat, sturdy pieces for making patches. Nothing goes to waste.