Tutorial: Upycled Makeup Bag

Turn your old jeans into a makeup bag

Upcycled Makeup Bag

This bag makes a great travel pouch to take on your next vacation or camping trip, all you need is an old pair of jeans and a few sewing supplies.  I'm calling it a makeup bag but you can fill it with whatever you like. Follow this tutorial to learn how to make the bag, then decorate it however you want; embroidery, applique, buttons, fabric paint, or stamps.  The possibilities are endless!  Get creative.  The perfect sewing project for everyone from beginners to advanced crafters.

Happy Crafting!
-Amelia Strader

Visit my website for more info about my business, GoGo Craft- a mobile craft workshop based in San Francisco.

Use Men's or Women's jeans

Materials Needed:
Denim Pants
Scissors
Ruler
Tailors chalk
Shank button
Thread
Pins
Sewing machine

The width of the pant leg determines the width of the bag. 

Using tailor's chalk and a ruler, make a line marking where to cut the pant leg.

Cut off the pant leg along the chalk line.

Turn the pant leg inside out and pin.

Sew the pant leg closed 1/2" from the cut edge.
(hand sew if you don't have a sewing  machine)

Turn the pant leg right side out.

Fold down the pant hem to create the bag flap.

Cut off the waistband below the seam.

Cut the waistband on the buttonhole side.

Insert the waistband piece into the center of the flap.
(This becomes the bag closure)

Pin to the top flap layer ONLY to secure.

With matching thread, sew the waistband piece to the flap at the pant hem.
(Make sure not to sew the flap closed)

Hand sew the edge of the pant hem to the waistband piece.

Optional: Using tailors chalk, mark where you would like to add the
decorative topstitching.

Sew along the chalk line with contrast thread.
(I used gold thread to make it sparkly)

Add a button and your bag is complete!

Visit my website for more info about GoGo Craft.