Learn how to upcycle old jean pocket into a purse! It’s a great old jean upcycling idea! Also makes a great handmade old jeans keepsake gift!
Previously, I have reused a bunch of old jeans by making them into some fun crafts. One of my favorite old jeans upcycling projects was making denim Christmas stockings and a Valentine’s day wreath as well. Since I had so many upper parts of jeans leftover, I came up with an idea on how to upcycle an old jean pocket into a purse.
I’m really happy with how the purse came out. It’s actually a denim pocket wristlet with lining and a zipper. I found that Levi’s brand jeans have the biggest back pockets. And, a 7” zipper is a perfect length to use in that project. This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)!
What you need to upcycle old jean pocket into a purse with lining and zipper
Let’s learn how to upcycle old jean pocket into a wristlet purse!
Always wash and dry fabric ahead of time to pre-shrink it.
Step 1. First, cut out the back pocket out of an old pair of jeans. Cut it about 3/4” from the bottom and side edges of the pocket. On the top, cut 1” from the edge. Starting from the top corners of the pocket, cut the fabric in at a 90-degree angle to the top edge. Refer to the picture below.
Step 2. Now, place the just cut out pocket on different part of the jeans and cut by tracing the first cutout.
Step 3. Fold the quilting fabric in half, place one jean cut-out pocket on top, and cut by tracing the jean cut-out.
Step 4. Place the zipper (wrong side) to the right side of one lining cut-out. Align one edge of the zipper to the top edge of the lining piece. Stitch them together.
Step 5. Repeat Step 4 with the other side of the zipper and the second lining piece.
Step 6. Align both of the lining pieces and stitch together. Also, stitch through the folded down ends of the zipper.
Step 7. Cut about 16” of the double seam from the leg of the jeans. Then, rip about 1” of the seam open on both ends. This piece will work as a handle for the purse.
Step 8. Align and pin the denim purse pieces wrong side together. Also, pin both flattened ends of the handle piece between the denim pieces. Then, stitch the pieces together except the top.
Step 9. Finally, slide the lining into the denim purse and pin it together. Use backstitch to stitch the zipper to the denim purse about ¼” from the top edge.
Step 10. Wash and dry your old jean pocket purse to get the fringy finish. Cut out excess long threads.
There, you gave your old jeans a second life. I hope you enjoyed upcycling the back jean pocket into a cute wristlet. It’s perfect for putting essentials to run quick errands. You are welcome to share a picture of your pocket purse on my Facebook page.
