You're walking down the aisles of your favorite clothing store with your mouth half open. Everywhere you look, there are new designs - light summer shirts, adorable shorts, strappy sandals - all so different and bright! It's not up for discussion. You just have to buy everything you see.
Then you come home to see your favorite pair of jeans just lying there. They aren't practical in this weather, and they're faded and worn. Still, those jeans have been with you through so much. Sadly, you pick them up and walk toward the trash.
Hold it right there! Those old jeans still have some life in 'em! That's right, you can save your beloved pants and help out the planet, and I'm here to show you how.
Cut That Out
Get out a pair of fabric scissors - make sure they can make a clean cut through your jeans - and trim off the area just above the knees. Voila! New denim shorts! The area below the knee should look almost like a flattened cylinder. Take one end of the cylinder and sew it closed. Put cotton balls inside through the open end, then sew that shut too. You've got yourself a mini throw-pillow. Decorate it however you'd like to!
Halfway There
For this one, you'll need a pair of white jeans and a pair of darker jeans. Cut both pairs of jeans in half, so that you have the entire front of the white jeans and the entire back of the dark jeans.
Decorate the front of the white jeans with fabric paint in whatever design you want, then sew it to the back of the dark jeans. If you sew together the leftover halves from each pair, you get two pairs of jeans! Cut off the area below the knee if you want capris instead. (Credit for this project goes to the August 2008 issue of Teen Vogue)
It's Out of the Bag
Cut off both legs from the jeans, and sew the holes in the top portion (from where you cut) back together. Cut four long strips from the legs of the jeans, each about an inch wide. Take two strips and press them back to back, so that their color faces out. Sew them together to make a handle. Then sew each end of the handle onto the top portion of your jeans. Repeat those steps for the other two strips of fabric. You've got a homemade, eco-friendly bag. All that's left to do is decorate!
Now you're ready for summer with a style that's all your own! So what are you waiting for? Go out and use your new creations!
"So, a needle pulling thread . . . La, a note to follow So . . . Ti, a drink with jam and bread . . ."
-Wicked777
