DIY Travel Pouch: upcycle your old jeans

Everyone has that old pair of jeans that they no longer wear. Instead of throwing them out or donating them, why not upcycle your old jeans to create your very own sustainable travel pouch, perfect for summer? Vicky of Oh Wild has shared her fun and easy tutorial below!

DIY Travel Pouch: upcycle your old jeans

Materials

One pair of old jeans

2 press stud fasteners

Pins and a sewing needle

Cotton

White tailors chalk (or anything that shows up on denim)

A sewing machine (optional, but it’s much quicker!)

Method

1. First, iron your jeans so they’re crease free - it’s much easier to work with fabric that’s nice and flat!

2. Lay one leg of the jeans on a flat surface, and measure 25 inches from the bottom. Mark, and draw a line across.

3. Measure 14 inches from the first line, mark and draw a line as before.

4. Cut along both lines, so you end up with a denim tube. Set the bottom of the leg aside for later.

5. Turn your denim tube inside out so the wrong side is facing, pin along the widest edge and stitch together.

6. Fold the top edge of the tube over, and then over again so you’ve got a nice neat hem. Pin in place, and then stitch carefully. Once you’ve done this, you’ll have your main pouch. Turn it in the right way, and iron flat.

7. Take the bottom of the jeans leg, and cut the hem off.

8. With the right side facing, pin along the bottom and then stitch. This is going to be the front pocket, that you’ll attach to the pouch later.

9. Measure 5 inches from the bottom of the stitched edge, mark and cut.

10. Fold the top edge of the pocket over, and then over again. Pin in place and then stitch carefully around.

11. Turn the pocket in the right way and iron flat.

12. Using your needle and cotton, oversew the pocket to the front of the pouch. Fasten off and trim any ends.

13. The first press stud fastener is going to be what holds the main pouch closed. Take one half, and stitch it to the top centre of the back half of the pouch on the inside.

14. The next bit is a little trickier. Your second press stud fastener is what holds the pouch in place when you fold it over, and needs to be in roughly the same place as the first press stud. Take the second half of the first press stud, making sure it lines up with the first half, and pin in place using four pins. Then take the first half of the second press stud, and slide it on to the ends of the pins. Your two press stud halves should be perfectly lined up.

15. Stitch the two press stud halves in place.

16. Measure 7.5 inches from the top of the pouch, mark, and stitch the remaining press stud half in place - make sure it lines up with the half above!

17. Pack the essentials, and get going!

Planning a trip for summer? Here are our favourite lounge pieces, to keep you comfortable and stylish whilst travelling.

Let us know how you got on in the comments below, or share your photos on social media and tag @thoughtclothing!