Homemade Blue Jean Skirts

When a pair of denim jeans becomes frayed or torn below the knee, there's no need to throw them out. Old jeans can easily be transformed into a fashion-forward denim skirt styled to your own personal liking. By adding a few embellishments and colorful fabrics, you can create a skirt to match current trends, recycle an unused pair of jeans and save money for your next big wardrobe purchase.

Recycle Jeans

Choose a pair of old jeans that fits loosely around your hips and waist. Snug-fitting jeans are not recommended. Put the jeans on and place a pin at the spot on your leg where you hope to sew the hem of the skirt. If you are hoping to make a miniskirt, place the pin no higher than three inches below the crotch seam of the jeans. Allow an inch of additional fabric at the hemline to sew a hem.

Cut and Rip Jeans

Cut jean legs off below the hemline where you placed the pin. Keep the jean legs, as you may decide to use the jeans to fill space in the skirt later. Flip the jeans inside out and use a seam ripper or pair of small scissors to cut the stitches in the seam that runs from the inside ankle to the crotch on both legs. Remove all stitches in the front of the jeans until you reach the zipper. Remove the bottom three inches of stitching on the back of the jeans.

Sew, Sew, Sew

Turn the jeans right side out and smooth them out flat over your work surface. Take the two flaps of fabric at the crotch and overlap them. Ensure that there are no bumps or bulges. Pin in place. Cut away excess fabric. Flip the jeans inside out and sew the two sides of the skirt together in the middle. Stitch together the overlapped sides of the fabric until the seams no longer join together. You will see an empty, triangle-shaped space at the front of the skirt.

Add and Embellish

Use excess fabric from the cut-off legs of the jeans to fill the triangle space in the skirt. If you choose to embellish the jeans with a colorful fabric, dispose of the unused pant legs and place the fabric in the triangle space. Flip the jeans inside out and stitch the triangle onto the front of the skirt from the inside so the stitching is hidden. Fold the bottom of the skirt upward one inch and sew the hemline. Add buttons, ribbons and patches of fabric as desired.

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