Funky Friday Feature: Hoot Designs

Hi, My name is Chrissy and I blog over at Hoot Designs. You can also find me on Twitter.
I'm excited to be guest posting a fun tutorial for you today!

This jean purse is so super easy to make for yourself or for your daughter and her friends!!
I sewed 10 bags so forgive the jean brand changes through the post!!

I'm going to write the step by step directions for you between the photos!!

Start with a pair of jeans, any size will do.

Next you will cut off the legs which will become the straps for the purse

Here you will cut the crotch open (across) under the bulky seam

The crotch area will need to be folded over, both the front of the jeans and the back of the jeans, as seen on the photo.

So now turn inside out and fold over left or right, it will depend on your jeans and which way they fold best

Here you can see the bottom folded to the right and the top folded to the left. How you will measure across as far down as you can to have the deepest purse you can get from your jeans.

Now you will stitch across this line twice to be sure it's secure. Turn to the right side and you have a "purse" with no straps.

Here are the jean legs that were cut off. Choose the best seam,

I like the double needle stitched seam.

Now you will cut about 2 inches on either side all the way down the leg

You will need to cut off the bulky strip of the hem on your leg strip (to thick to sew through)

Now fold the sides under to make a long strip and sew down the middle or on either side of the double needle hem. The bag strap is somewhat unfinished, but that's the shabby nature of the bag. The one or two stitches down the length is to secure it as a strip.

Now you are ready to sew the front strap to the bag

Now you will stitch across the waist band edge on the top and on the bottom right over the mustard colored jean thread. Now I also stitched down the sides creating a "box" like you might see on a tote bag.

You can see in this photo how I made the square when securing the strap to the waist of the jeans. You will do this 4 times securing the front and back strap. When securing the second strap be sure its not longer then the other, or they won't rest on your shoulder correctly.

I had my daughters Girl Scout troop each bring in a pair of jeans that no longer fit and I sewed them into purses for each of them and then I brought one pair of jeans in to show how it's done from beginning to the end! Then they decorated them with buttons and ribbons! I sewed 10 bags for the troop! The girls loved them.

And now you have a Jean Purse!!