DIY Pocket Purse

Once I started to upcycle clothes, I quickly fixed my sights on denim specifically. Not only is denim a great "blank" canvas, it's also a timeless piece of fashion that can always be utilized. Even if you're not going to wear jeans directly as they come, there's enough extra fabric to do other projects with. You could make a denim corset or mini skirt, but you could also use the waistband and pockets, which is what we're going to do today. I had a pair of jeans that I bought specifically to use for "spare parts" so that I could take them apart and learn how jeans are put together. I ended up saving the waistband and pockets to make a small purse. I'll walk you through the steps below so that you can DIY a pocket purse for yourself.

The first thing you'll need to do is remove the back pockets and the waistband. There are a few ways you can do this, the first is using scissors to cut off the parts you need, but this method can be tricky from a precision standpoint. If you have access to a seam ripper, I would recommend using that to make it easier on yourself. You can definitely use scissors but it's a little harder to ensure that you're cutting the seam directly since scissors tend to be thicker than a seam ripper. It will take longer to go along the seams, but it can make the process slightly easier since you'll be working with the jeans built in seam allowances.

After you've separated the back pockets and waistband, you can decide on the type of design you want. If you're thinking of making a crossbody purse, you'll probably need the whole length of the waistband piece, whereas a shorter portion can be used for a small handheld purse. You'll also need to decide if you want to use the full width of the waistband or fold it in half for a more slender strap. I opted to use a slender strap and sew the pockets together as close to the original seam as possible, that way none of the original pocket seam allowance would be visible from the outside.

For attaching the strap I went ahead and added it after I sewed the pockets together. I just nestled the strap into the top corners instead of sewing it into the seams directly because I liked how it looked having the strap come from the top versus the side. I left the original button on the waistband and decided to bedazzle it to add my own little sparkle, but you could always take it off if it would look better for your design.

And there you have it, a simple DIY purse that can be made with your denim scraps. There's plenty of opportunity to make adjustments and add embellishments to really make this a unique piece, so go ahead and flex those creativity muscles. Let me know if you try this project and how it turned out for you.

Happy Crafting!