Create a Denim Skirt with Recycled Jeans
By Nancy Cavanaugh

You've had the jeans for six years and they're your favorite, but the knees are worn through and the cuffs are ragged. Instead of tossing them in the garbage, follow these directions to create a denim skirt.

What you need:
Old pair of jeans
Scissors
Seam ripper
Needle and thread or sewing machine
Decorations - lace, sequins, ribbons, paint, etc. (optional)
Fabric glue

What you do:
1. Cut off the waistband and discard.
2. Cut the legs off to the desired length of the skirt. Bear in mind that clothes get shorter when worn so it is better to cut too long, then take off more after trying it on.
3. Using a seam ripper, undo the front crotch seam from the hem to the zipper, and the inside leg from hem to seat.
4. Lay the skirt flat and pin the right front piece over the left to form a skirt front, tucking under the seam allowance. The front hem will have a gap as the legs sit further apart than they did as jeans. Sew by hand or with a machine.
5. Turn it over and pin the back legs with one over the other and sew the back of the skirt. Make sure that there's no pucker at the seat where the two pieces meet.
6. Try the skirt on and mark the hemline. The skirt can be hemmed for a cleaner look or left as is for a deconstructed look.
7. Decorate the skirt. You can use paint, lace, ribbons, sequins, buttons or anything that suits your fancy.