How to Make a Mini Tote out of Embroidered Jeans

Jennifer Stern, contributor

The finished tote.

Jen Stern

A side view.

Jen Stern

Here's the "before" picture.

Jen Stern

The finished tote.

Photo: Jen Stern

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I have been putting these jeans on and taking them right back off for a year now. I bought them at my favorite store, Anthropologie (there's definitely something in the air that makes that store "Jennifer Land"!). Anyway, at the time, I thought they would be my new favorite jeans, but after wearing them the first day, I was very dissapointed. I realized that the front pocket bags were too short and they kept poking out and the denim was way too stretchy, causing a funny thing to happen in the front crotch area after I had worn them for a few hours. Since then, I have wanted to wear them—I would put them on, check the mirror, and take them right back off (I think I secretly thought they would look fabulous each time I tried them on). Anyway, I have officially given up on the hope that they will look fabulous and decided to make a cute mini tote out of them. I did try them on one last time before I cut them up...just to be sure!

I love to recycle and remake clothes into something new—the best part about this project is that I can breathe new life into the beautiful embroidery that was seeing a lot of the inside of my closet.

Here's what you need.

1. A pair of embroidered jeans (or any garment that has embroidery on it)
   
2. Stiff fusible interfacing (A brand like Pellon Shirt Tailor does a wonderful job of making any fabric bag worthy!)
3. 1/4-inch nylon braid or horsehair
   
4. Sharp scissors
5. All-purpose sewing thread

Start by cutting your jeans apart so you can take full advantage of where the embroidery is. I cut mine down the center-back crotch seam, down the inseam on one leg and down the side seam on the other leg so I could take advantage of all the embroidered areas.

Cut the jeans apart so they lie flat.

Then cut out all the pieces to your tote bag (you could just as easily make a purse). Plan which pieces will have embroidery and which pieces will be plain denim. Be sure that there is a big enough section of jean to accommodate the pattern pieces as you decide where you want to position them. (Keep in mind that you can make a bigger piece to work with by sewing sections together. For example, you can cut a leg apart and sew another piece of denim to it to make it wider or longer...or both!)

Cut the jeans into individual pieces that will accommodate the pattern pieces of the tote.

Position pattern pieces on the denim, keeping in mind where you want the embroidery to end up. Try not to place the pieces so that rivets and heavy seams will be in the path of your scissors or sewing machine.

Avoid rivets and heavy seams when you position the pattern pieces on the denim.

The pattern pieces are placed away from the rivets and seams.

After you have positioned the pattern pieces, trace around the ones that have embroidered detail in them with a wash-away marker so you can double-check that the embroidery is exactly where you want it.

It's easy to see that this embroidered pocket is positioned correctly on the pattern piece.

Before you cut out your pieces, topstitch any of the pocket detail that will not be used as a pocket. For example, I used the area including the front pocket for one of my tote pieces because the edge was embroidered. I didn't want the pocket to be functional, so I sewed it shut by topstitching close to the edge of the pocket.

Sew the front pocket shut.

After sewing the pocket shut, trim the extra pocket-bag fabric away from the seam in the back as shown.

To reduce bulk, trim the pocket bag away from pockets that are sewn shut.

Cut out all of your pieces.

Using the pattern pieces, cut out fusible interfacing and fuse it to the wrong side of all the pieces.

These cut-out pieces are ready to be put together.

Use the pattern pieces to cut out a stiff fusible interfacing, such as Pellon Shirt Tailor. Fuse it to the wrong sides of all the pieces. This will give the denim body and make the finished bag more durable.

Interfacing is especially important if the jeans you are working with are worn or ripped.

Here's a way to add structure and support to your tote without lots of heavy interfacing and batting. I wanted my tote to stand up on its own, but I didn't want to fuse lots of stuff to the wrong side of the denim to achieve my goal. As I thought about an answer to this challange, I glanced over to a spool of nylon braid that was perched on my shelf. I decided to give it a try.

I put decorative thread in my bobbin and used a triple zigzag to stitch to sew the 1/4-inch braid over the top of the seams. I also sewed the braid all the way around the top of the bag about an inch down from the top edge. This provided nice support to my tote, and all the seams were topstitched with decorative thread in one shot!

To sew the nylon braid on, position your tote right side facing down toward the feed dogs. Start by centering the braid over the seam. (Make sure that your seams are pressed open first!) Adjust your triple zigzag to the longest stitch length that you can. Stitch over the entire width of the braid as you go.

It's easier to sew the braid over each seam as you construct the tote. I did mine after the entire bag was put together. It got a little hairy in the lower corners...

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See how nicely my tote stands up after the nylon braid is topstitched over the seams.

I liked the topstitching so much that I decided to add some more detail on the front and back of my bag. I topstitched the nylon braid in irregular vertical lines on the sides that didn't have any embroidery.

Topstitching the nylon braid on the front and back sections of my tote made it even less floppy!

When you're done applying decorative stitching and adding structure, finish your tote by following the manufacturer's instructions.

I hope you enjoy your embroidered bag as much as I'm enjoying mine...instead of a pair of jeans that live in the closet, I have a new favorite to tote my stuff in!

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Comments (6)

JenniferStern writes: Please do exercise those decorative stitches...I love to see what you come up with! Posted: 6:51 pm on July 4th

StatGirl writes: Jennifer...thanks for the suggestions. My machine does have some decorative stitches. This might be just the reason to try them out. :) Posted: 7:11 am on July 1st

colorscreen writes: It is awesome; I'm going to try one soon. Posted: 9:45 pm on June 30th

JenniferStern writes: Hey StatGirl...you don't need embroidered jeans to make this bag. You can use any pair of jeans you don't wear any more. Add decorative machine or hand stitches ...even a zig zag looks great. If you want an embroidered look, stitch on some embroidered patches...you can find them at any big sewing store...give it a try! Posted: 9:39 pm on June 24th

StatGirl writes: So cute! Wish I had some embroidered jeans... Posted: 10:57 am on June 24th

JenniferStern writes: Hi everyone...I'm commenting on my own project! I just wanted to tell you that since I finished this bag, my other "purse" has been on a vacation. Initially I was hesitant to cut up those jeans, because I loved them...even though I never wore them. Now, I'm glad I trusted my creative spirit to transform those jeans into a new favorite. Posted: 9:17 am on June 24th

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