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Cost: $ $ $ $ $

Difficulty: • • • • •

Time: 648h00

new tote bag!
I havea pair of jeans in my closet that are...well...have you ever had pants that can never compliment your form and there never seems like a good time to wear it..well this bag were those jeans! (>w<) it's reversible also...there's alot of steps(please don't feel overwhelmed...), but the bag was worth it in the end....plus i have enough denim scraps to make another yo-yo embellishment on a tank top (my recommandation to do for summer fashion)

Posted by ♥ Mimi Foxtrot♥ from Cliffside Park, New Jersey, United States • Published 27th May 2009 • See ♥ Mimi Foxtrot♥ 's 47 projects »

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Step 1
grab the pants and align the legs together. chalk up where you will cut...then cut .
WARNING: this may be obvious, but when you cut off the leg, you have to be wary and think to yourself whether that's how long I want my bag to be..
Step 2
Now it looks like shorts. take the leg and cut al the way to the crotchand to the other end of the leg...the result will end up being a big hole and it would no longer look like a pair of shorts, but a (somewhat ugly) skirt
<- see!
Step 3
Know this step is similar to any miniskirt tutorial...attach each them together and do both on both sides...(READ STEP FOUR BEFORE SEWING)
Step 4
NOw, when cutting jeans...there of course will be fraying (you know those dangling thread that are kinda annoying..) so I suggest to fold it...look at the picture...
Step 5
if you fold and pin and THEN sew it'll stick and there's no fray...
Step 6
OKAY! this Step is direclty for the large jeans ( you know...for the large girls.......>.<)This would be difficult to explain..but

1) cut the jeans at the sides all the way down. (do to bothe sides)*note* don't cut off seams!
Step 7
Then pin to look smaller, but still large enogh to put books or stuff in...no worries about the fraying...use the seams as a sort of line to guide you where to sew. for those who hand sew, this may be difficult and may take a while to finish (lucky sewing machine users.)
Step 8
after you're done with that you would have technically made a skirt...(at least that's how it's supposed to look at first)
Step 9
Okay! align the top of the jeans and pin...
Step 10
now, we fix the length of the of the bag..tuck the fabric in and make sure its' the length you want the bag to be...then pin
Step 11
OH! and (this is optional also) fold the each opposite edge (look at photo for more details) and then pin
Step 12
now pin pin the bottom and sew (I used a blanket stich...very useful) when you're done turn it inside out and trim off excess fabric
Step 13
now you have a bag....now these steps are for the inside of the bag...the linen, i think it's called..plus if you plan to decorate your bag I suggest doing it now before preceeding
Step 14
now I bought fabric at a store and it's very stretchy...grab your almost done bag, chalk, and scissors.
Step 15
turn the fabric on the wrong side and align the bag again (like in step 9) and make sure it's an inch away from the edge

<-
Step 16
grab the chalk and outline the bag, but leave an inch apart so you can sew it up with out frays..
Step 17
fold the fabric in half and the you can cut
Step 18
but leave the bottom part of the bag intact to the other side or half.
Step 19
pin and sew
Step 20
one more thing...rol up the sides and then sew them Like in my pictureand continue until you reach the part you didn't cut (see step 18)
Step 21
when your done it'll look like your denim bag....keep it turned inside out (wrong side out, good side inside) then stuff it into your denim bag.
Step 22
make sure that it's covering the bag inside and the good lookin' fabric is the first thing you see inside....
Step 23
the frayed edges...tuck them into the bag and pin it around....then sew
Step 24
like this...
Step 25
and pin them around
Step 26
when your done grab the two legs of the jeans and turn it inside out...grab chalk,a pen, or a colored pencil and make a shape for the strap and then cut both sides of the fabric (result=two pieces of fabric)
Step 27
align the ends together, pin and estimate how long you want the strap to be...when you have decided cut it of, but keep them pined together still
Step 28
ok put the denim strap onto the wrong side of the fabric, pin and cut
Step 29
while averythingis pined and frayed, which we dont want, fold the each side of the fabric onto the inside till everything is nice and proper, pin it.
Step 30
but before sewing grab that pen, chalk, or colored pencil you used earlier and make a line like in the picture (if you can see it)sew along the line but leave each side with a flap...mkae sure to sew onto the line as well
Step 31
once everything is done...postion the strap on the bag and then flip the frayed edges inside, pin and sew
Step 32
SO! one strap is done...repeat steps 26 to 31 to make the other strap and your done!...whew~ this really toke a while to make, but I got a new bag out of it and new room in my closet!