Tutorial: Reusable Shopping Bag Using Old Jeans
This is a quick tutorial to show you how to turn an old pair of jeans into a reusable shopping bag. You can download the free pattern below that was made to work with an average pair of jeans (jeans with narrow legs will be too small though). Just cut your pattern out and follow along with the step by step instructions.
Note: when sewing with denim, I recommend using a heavy weight or denim needle with your sewing machine. A standard needle may snap if you try to sew through too many layers of denim.
This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. That being said, I encourage you to use your local sewing shop whenever possible, or to look for supplies second hand.
Supplies Needed:
(all of my patterns include 1/2″ seam allowance)
Step 1
cut out the pattern pieces
Cut out the pattern piece from the two pant legs, lining up the fold with the seam of the pants.
Step 2
Sew the front and back of the bag together
Sew the two pieces together along the bottom sides, and the top of the handles.
Step 3
flatten the inner corners to make a triangle
Sew about 1.5 inches from the tip of the triangle. This gives the bag more of a shape so it’s not completely flat, and it reinforces the corners of the bag.
Step 4
turn the bag to the right side
Step 5
sew on single fold bias tape to the right side of the bag
Open the single fold bias tape and line up the edge with the edge of the bag (for the “armholes” and “neckhole” of the bag). Sew along the fold of the bias tape that’s closest to the edge of the bag.
Step 6
Fold the bias tape to the reverse side of the bag
Fold the bias tape over the edge of the bag fabric so that it’s on the reverse side and sew along the edge to encase the raw edges of the denim.
Finished!
