Description: How to sew a book bag from recycled blue jeans.

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This is a pretty easy sewing project. It is a cute book bag made from an old pair of blue jeans. Click here for a picture of the finished project.

What you will need:

- a pair of old jeans
- a cotton belt (instructions to make one follow), or a silk type scarf would work too

Step #1. Take a pair of jeans and zip up the front of them and turn them inside out. With a tape measure, measure about 3 inches down from the crotch and make a mark. Using a ruler draw a line across the leg at that mark. Do the same for the other leg. Now cut the legs off at the line.

Step #2. Now fold the jeans matching the side seams. This would be just as if you were going to sew a pleat in them down the front and back. Sew each leg closed 1 inch from the cut edge. Trim the seam to about a ½ inch.

Step #3. Turn the jeans right side out now and you have a little bag! Now you can thread a scarf or cotton belt through the loops and tie or sew the “handles” together. You can also decorate the outside pockets with lace or a hanky in the pocket. Do any decorating or creating on your bag to make it truly yours!

Cotton Belt (for Blue Jean Book Bag)

What you will need:

- cotton fabric of your choice, length of fabric to be your choice

Step #1. After you determine how long you want your handle to be cut out a strip of fabric that is this long, plus about 2 inches for hem. If you need to you can cut out shorter strips and then sew them together.

Your strips will need to be 4 inches wide x “your determined length”.

Step #2. Now take your strip of fabric and iron it half the longest direction. On the short ends of the strip fold them up so the finished belt will not have any raw edges.

Step #3. After you iron it open it up and fold each side of the strip to meet the center of the crease left by the iron. Now refold this in the center and iron the strip again.

Step #4. Sew the strip closed. You now have a long belt to thread through the belt loops of your book bag. You can sew the ends closed by overlapping them about 2 inches and sewing them together.

Crystal Miller is a mother of 8 children and enjoys her God given role as wife, homemaker and mother! She has a homemaking and country living web site called The Family Homestead http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com and has a free monthly newsletter called Homestead Happenings. You will find sign up information on her website.

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