Upcycled Blue Jean Leg Into A Barbie Bag

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Creating this Upcycled Blue Jean Leg Into A Barbie Bag project was a lot of fun!

No pattern, just make it up as you go, now that is fun!

Repurposing and Upcycling are among my favorite things to do! Find lots more Repurpose projects on the blog here.

It’s a tough task to ‘get rid of’ anything from the hubby’s closet! Can I get a witness? He wears jeans until they literally have holes. Oh, I know, holes in jeans are considered stylish for some folks but for me it made them fair game for an upcycle project! So I grabbed a pair of my husbands old worn out jeans and set out to make an upcycle project.

I recently made this Bandana Summer Top for my granddaughter. I had some supplies left over so of course I put them to use making a matching bag for her dolls.

I had to convince Ashley to pose for the picture. She was very busy playing with her dolls. It looks like a huge bag on her shoulder but when you’re stuffing it with Barbie and all her friends, you need plenty of space!

Sorry, I didn’t take step by step pictures. I’ll do better in the future. You can tell from the above photo that I cut a section from the leg of the jeans close to the bottom. The bottom of the leg becomes the top of the bag.

I cut the inside pocket section from the jeans and sewed it to the inside of the ‘bag’. Inside pockets are essential in any bag, right!

I did not cut the leg seams, no need to, which makes for less sewing. You need a little bit larger needle to sew through those seams on jeans. I found this handy needle chart, thanks to the good folks at Singer.

Once you finish sewing the inside pocket, turn the bag right side out.

I had the opportunity to learn how to make a button hole on this project! I found this video on You Tube which made the process completely painless! Now I just want to buy buttons and put them on everything just because I can!

Because I wanted the closure to be buttoned and also for the top to fold over, it was necessary to make two button holes aligned, one on the top and back of the leg. The button is sewn onto the front of the bag.

I found this post with free printable applique letters. Score! Use Heat Bond, following the instructions on the package, to attach the letter to the fabric. Then sew around the edges for extra security, using one of the fun stitch options for some added flair.

Then I stitched the last little piece of that pretty pink ruffled ribbon across the bottom of the leg which is now the closing flap on the bag. I left the ragged edges of the jeans on purpose. For final touches, I hand stitched a few of the flowers across the front.

To make the strap, I cut a section from the seam area of a leg. Be careful not to cut your section too narrow. Once you sew right sides together, you will need to be able to turn the straps right side out. Denim is very thick and there is a seam involved so wider is better for the process of turning right side out. I had to toss my first effort into the trash because I made it too narrow.

For the strap, I sewed a piece of the matching bandana fabric, right sides together with the section of leg I cut for the strap. Once the strap was complete, I simply sewed it into place on the outsides of the bag.

♫TaaDaa♫ all done.

Ashley’s Elsa doll may find her way into the ‘new’ bag until next time!

What was your last repurpose or upcycle project? I’d love to hear about it!

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