How to Make a Mini Tote out of Embroidered Jeans

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Jennifer Stern, contributor

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The finished tote.

Jen Stern

A side view.

Jen Stern

Here's the "before" picture.

Jen Stern

The finished tote.

Photo: Jen Stern

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Use the pattern pieces to cut out a stiff fusible interfacing, such as Pellon Shirt Tailor. Fuse it to the wrong sides of all the pieces. This will give the denim body and make the finished bag more durable.

Interfacing is especially important if the jeans you are working with are worn or ripped.

Here's a way to add structure and support to your tote without lots of heavy interfacing and batting. I wanted my tote to stand up on its own, but I didn't want to fuse lots of stuff to the wrong side of the denim to achieve my goal. As I thought about an answer to this challange, I glanced over to a spool of nylon braid that was perched on my shelf. I decided to give it a try.

I put decorative thread in my bobbin and used a triple zigzag to stitch to sew the 1/4-inch braid over the top of the seams. I also sewed the braid all the way around the top of the bag about an inch down from the top edge. This provided nice support to my tote, and all the seams were topstitched with decorative thread in one shot!

To sew the nylon braid on, position your tote right side facing down toward the feed dogs. Start by centering the braid over the seam. (Make sure that your seams are pressed open first!) Adjust your triple zigzag to the longest stitch length that you can. Stitch over the entire width of the braid as you go.

It's easier to sew the braid over each seam as you construct the tote. I did mine after the entire bag was put together. It got a little hairy in the lower corners...

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See how nicely my tote stands up after the nylon braid is topstitched over the seams.

I liked the topstitching so much that I decided to add some more detail on the front and back of my bag. I topstitched the nylon braid in irregular vertical lines on the sides that didn't have any embroidery.

Topstitching the nylon braid on the front and back sections of my tote made it even less floppy!

When you're done applying decorative stitching and adding structure, finish your tote by following the manufacturer's instructions.

I hope you enjoy your embroidered bag as much as I'm enjoying mine...instead of a pair of jeans that live in the closet, I have a new favorite to tote my stuff in!

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Comments (8)

Denissoltra writes: Hi great idea, i was looking something like that, now i know how can i use my denim pants, were can i found the pattern? thanks
Posted: 1:54 pm on March 13th

1Suprise writes: I love it, so cute, and pratial..thank you
Posted: 1:04 am on January 15th

JenniferStern writes: Please do exercise those decorative stitches...I love to see what you come up with!
Posted: 6:51 pm on July 4th

StatGirl writes: Jennifer...thanks for the suggestions. My machine does have some decorative stitches. This might be just the reason to try them out. :)
Posted: 7:11 am on July 1st

colorscreen writes: It is awesome; I'm going to try one soon.
Posted: 9:45 pm on June 30th

JenniferStern writes: Hey StatGirl...you don't need embroidered jeans to make this bag. You can use any pair of jeans you don't wear any more. Add decorative machine or hand stitches ...even a zig zag looks great. If you want an embroidered look, stitch on some embroidered patches...you can find them at any big sewing store...give it a try!
Posted: 9:39 pm on June 24th

StatGirl writes: So cute! Wish I had some embroidered jeans...
Posted: 10:57 am on June 24th

JenniferStern writes: Hi everyone...I'm commenting on my own project! I just wanted to tell you that since I finished this bag, my other "purse" has been on a vacation. Initially I was hesitant to cut up those jeans, because I loved them...even though I never wore them. Now, I'm glad I trusted my creative spirit to transform those jeans into a new favorite.
Posted: 9:17 am on June 24th

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