What a fantastic idea! Upcycling old jeans into a cosmetic bag is a brilliant way to give them new life. Denim is naturally sturdy, which is perfect for holding your essentials, and you can add a fun, rustic touch to your accessories. Plus, using a zipper adds a professional and secure finish.
This guide will walk you through creating a simple, yet stylish zippered cosmetic bag from your old jeans, complete with a full lining.
How to Sew a Zippered Cosmetic Bag from Old Jeans
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I. Planning Your Upcycled Cosmetic Bag
Good planning makes all the difference, especially when working with repurposed materials. It helps you maximize your denim and ensures a smooth sewing process.
Choose Your Jeans Wisely:
Size: You don't need a huge pair of jeans for a cosmetic bag. Even smaller adult jeans will likely have enough usable fabric.
Fabric Type: Non-stretch or low-stretch denim is ideal. High-stretch denim can be a bit trickier to work with for structured items.
Condition: Make sure the jeans are clean, free of major stains (unless you want that worn-in look!), and ironed. Fading or slight distressing can add character.
Desired Bag Size: Think about what you'll put inside.
A common size for a versatile cosmetic bag might be around 9 inches wide x 6 inches tall x 2 inches deep (23 cm x 15 cm x 5 cm) when finished. This can hold makeup, toiletries, or small essentials.
Key Denim Features to Reuse (Optional):
Pockets: You could incorporate a small patch pocket from the jeans onto the exterior or interior of your bag for extra organization.
Waistband/Seams: Consider using a piece of the waistband for a small loop handle, or strategically place existing jean seams on the bag's exterior for a cool detail.
Lining: Highly recommended! A lining gives your bag a professional finish, hides raw seams, and adds durability. You'll likely use a new fabric for this.
Zipper: The main closure!
II. Gather Your Materials
Having everything ready before you start sewing will make your project much more enjoyable.
Old Jeans: 1 pair of clean, ironed, sturdy denim jeans.
Lining Fabric: 1/2 yard (0.45 meters) of medium-weight quilting cotton, broadcloth, or poly-cotton. Choose a fun print or color that complements your denim.
Zipper: 1 zipper, 9-10 inches (23-25 cm) long. A standard coil zipper is easiest for beginners. Choose a color that matches or contrasts nicely with your denim.
Medium-Weight Fusible Interfacing (Optional but Recommended): 1/2 yard (0.45 meters) (e.g., Pellon SF101 Shape-Flex or similar). This adds a nice crispness and structure to both your denim and lining, making the bag look more polished.
Matching Thread: All-purpose polyester thread. For topstitching on denim, you could use a slightly thicker topstitching thread in a contrasting color (like gold, orange, or beige) for that authentic jean look.
Basic Sewing Supplies:
Sewing Machine: With a zipper foot (essential for sewing close to the zipper teeth) and ideally a walking foot (helpful for thick denim layers).
Heavy-Duty Needles: Denim needles (size 90/14 or 100/16) are essential for piercing thick denim. Have spares on hand.
Sharp Fabric Scissors or Rotary Cutter and Mat.
Long Quilting Ruler or Measuring Tape.
Fabric Chalk or Mark-B-Gone Pen.
Plenty of Pins or Fabric Clips (clips are excellent for holding thick layers and zippers).
Iron and Ironing Board (crucial for pressing seams flat and fusing interfacing).
Seam Ripper (your best friend for deconstructing jeans and correcting mistakes!).
III. Prepare Your Jeans & Cut Fabric Pieces
This stage involves deconstructing your jeans carefully to get flat fabric pieces.
A. Deconstruct Your Jeans:
Cut Off Legs: Lay the jeans flat and smooth. Using your sharp fabric scissors, cut straight across both pant legs, just below the crotch seam.
Open Leg Seams: Use your seam ripper to carefully open up both the inseam (inner leg seam) and the outseam (outer leg seam) of each cut-off leg. This will give you two large, flat panels of denim fabric. Iron these pieces flat to remove any creases.
Harvest Pockets (Optional): If you plan to reuse a back pocket for a patch pocket, carefully seam rip it off the jeans.
B. Determine Your Panel Sizes (Example: 9" W x 6" H x 2" D Cosmetic Bag):
We'll use a consistent 1/2-inch (1.27 cm) seam allowance throughout this project.
Main Body Panel Width: Finished Width + Finished Depth + (2 * Seam Allowance) = 9" + 2" + 1" = 12 inches (30.5 cm)
Main Body Panel Height: Finished Height + Finished Depth + (2 * Seam Allowance) = 6" + 2" + 1" = 9 inches (23 cm)
C. Cut Your Fabric Pieces:
Exterior Denim Pieces:
Main Body: Cut 2 rectangles, each 12 inches wide x 9 inches high.
Important Note on Piecing: If your jean legs aren't wide enough, you might need to piece together sections of denim. To do this, place two denim pieces right sides together, stitch along one edge with a 1/2-inch seam, press the seam open, and then topstitch on both sides of the seam for strength and a decorative finish (like real jean seams). Then cut your main panels from this larger piece.
Small Loop Handle (Optional, from denim scrap or waistband piece): 1 rectangle, 2 inches wide x 4 inches long.
Lining Fabric Pieces:
Main Body: Cut 2 rectangles, each 12 inches wide x 9 inches high.
Interior Patch Pocket (Optional): Cut 1 rectangle, 6 inches wide x 8 inches high.
Medium-Weight Fusible Interfacing (Optional):
Main Body (for both Exterior & Lining): Cut 4 rectangles, each 11 inches wide x 8 inches high (1 inch smaller on all sides than your main fabric panels to keep bulk out of the seam allowances).
IV. Let's Start Sewing Your Zippered Cosmetic Bag!
General Sewing Tips for Denim & Zippers:
Press, Press, Press: This is crucial for crisp seams and a professional finish.
Backstitch: Always backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam to secure your stitches.
Use your zipper foot: You'll need this to get nice, close stitches to the zipper teeth.
Use clips: Especially around the zipper and when sewing thick layers of denim and interfacing.
Go slow: Take your time, especially when sewing around corners or over thick spots.
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Step 1: Fuse Interfacing (Optional but Recommended)
Take your two Exterior Denim Main Body Panels and your two Lining Fabric Main Body Panels.
Lay each one wrong side up on your ironing board.
Center an Interfacing piece on each fabric panel (it's 1 inch smaller on all sides).
Following the manufacturer's instructions for your specific interfacing, fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric. Press firmly and allow to cool completely.
Step 2: Prepare Interior Patch Pocket (Optional)
Take your 6" x 8" pocket piece (lining fabric).
Fold one long 6-inch edge down by 1/2 inch (1.27 cm) towards the wrong side and press. Fold it down again by another 1/2 inch and press. Stitch this hem in place, close to the folded edge. This is the top edge of your pocket.
Fold the other three raw edges (the two short 8-inch sides and the bottom 6-inch side) in by 1/2 inch and press.
Position this prepared pocket onto the right side of one of your Lining Fabric Main Body Panels. Center it horizontally, about 1.5-2 inches (3.8-5 cm) down from the top raw edge.
Topstitch the pocket in place along its two sides and bottom edge, close to the folded edges. Backstitch at the beginning and end, and reinforce the top corners with a small triangle or extra back-and-forth stitches for durability.
Step 3: Attach the Zipper
This is often the trickiest part for beginners, but take it slow!
Lay one Exterior Denim Main Body Panel right side up.
Place your zipper on top of the denim panel, right side down, aligning the top edge of the zipper tape with the top raw edge of the denim panel. The zipper teeth should be facing down.
Place one Lining Fabric Main Body Panel on top of the zipper, right side down, aligning its top raw edge with the zipper tape and the denim panel.
You now have a "sandwich": Denim (right side up) - Zipper (right side down) - Lining (right side down).
Clip all three layers together along the top edge.
Using your zipper foot, stitch through all three layers, sewing as close to the zipper teeth as possible. Stitch from one end of the zipper to the other.
Press: Open up the fabric pieces so the denim and lining are pulled away from the zipper, and the zipper teeth are exposed. Press the fabric well away from the zipper.
Topstitch: On the right side of the denim, sew a line of topstitching very close to the seam you just made (about 1/8 inch / 0.3 cm from the zipper teeth). This helps the fabric lay flat and gives a polished look.
Now, you'll attach the other side of the zipper.
Take your remaining Exterior Denim Main Body Panel. Lay it right side up.
Take the already-attached zipper/denim/lining unit. Place it on top of the new denim panel, aligning the unstitched side of the zipper tape with the top raw edge of this new denim panel. The first denim piece and lining should be flipped out of the way.
Place the remaining Lining Fabric Main Body Panel on top of the zipper tape, right side down, aligning its top raw edge with the zipper tape and the denim.
You now have a second "sandwich": New Denim (right side up) - Zipper (unstitched side down) - New Lining (right side down).
Clip all three layers together.
Using your zipper foot, stitch through all three layers, as close to the zipper teeth as possible.
Press & Topstitch: Open up the fabric pieces and press well away from the zipper. Then, topstitch on the right side of the denim, close to the zipper teeth.
Result: You now have a flat piece of fabric with the zipper running across the middle, and the denim pieces on the outside, lining pieces on the inside.
Step 4: Add Small Loop Handle (Optional)
If adding a small loop handle to one side of the bag:
Take your 2" x 4" denim scrap. Fold it in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Open it up.
Fold each long raw edge into the center crease and press again. Fold in half along the original center crease. You'll have a strip about 1/2 inch wide.
Topstitch down both long sides.
Fold this strip in half to create a loop.
Before going to Step 5, you'll pin this loop in place. Locate the center of one of the denim side edges (the side that will become the side of your bag, perpendicular to the zipper). Pin the raw ends of the loop to the raw edge of the denim, within the 1/2-inch seam allowance. Ensure the loop itself is pointing inward, away from the raw edge.
Step 5: Sew the Bag Body (Exterior and Lining)
CRITICAL STEP: UNZIP THE ZIPPER HALFWAY OR MORE BEFORE SEWING! If you forget this, you won't be able to turn your bag right side out.
Pull the exterior denim pieces together so they are right sides together. Align the unstitched raw edges, forming a "tube." Clip or pin along the bottom and side seams.
Pull the lining fabric pieces together so they are also right sides together. Align the unstitched raw edges, forming a "tube." Clip or pin along the bottom and side seams.
For the Lining: Along the bottom seam of the lining, leave a 3-4 inch (7.6-10.2 cm) opening in the middle. This is essential for turning the bag right side out later. Backstitch well at the start and end of this opening.
Stitch all the way around the exterior denim "tube" (bottom and two sides) using a 1/2-inch seam allowance.
Stitch all the way around the lining "tube" (bottom - remembering the opening! - and two sides) using a 1/2-inch seam allowance.
Press all seams open. This reduces bulk and gives a cleaner finish.
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Step 6: Box the Corners (Exterior and Lining)
This step creates the flat, defined bottom of your cosmetic bag.
At one of the bottom corners of the exterior denim bag, carefully bring the side seam and the bottom seam together, aligning them perfectly. This will naturally form a triangular shape at the corner.
Measure from the tip of this triangle inward along the seam line a distance equal to half of your desired bag depth (e.g., for a 2-inch deep bag, you'll measure 1 inch / 2.5 cm).
Draw a straight line perpendicular to the seam at this measured point. This is your new stitching line. (For a 2-inch deep bag, this line will be 2 inches long).
Clip firmly along this drawn line.
Stitch precisely along the drawn line, backstitching securely at both ends.
Trim the excess fabric from the corner, leaving about a 1/2-inch (1.27 cm) seam allowance beyond your new stitching line.
Repeat this exact process for all three remaining corners (the other exterior corner and both lining corners).
Result: Both your exterior denim bag and your lining bag now have structured, flat bottoms.
Step 7: Final Assembly (The "Bag-in-a-Bag" Method)
Keep the exterior denim bag wrong side out.
Turn the lining bag right side out.
Carefully insert the exterior denim bag into the lining bag.
The wrong side of the exterior bag should now be facing the right side of the lining.
The zipper tape should be between the two layers.
Align all the seams (side seams and corner seams) and the top edges of the zipper tape.
Clip very securely all the way around the zipper opening.
You might notice the lining is a bit bigger than the exterior at the top. This is good! It helps the lining sit nicely inside.
Step 8: Turn Your Bag Right Side Out & Finish
This is the incredibly satisfying moment your upcycled denim cosmetic bag takes its final, beautiful shape!
Remember that opening you left in the bottom seam of the lining (Step 5)? Reach through it.
Slowly and carefully pull the entire bag (exterior, zipper, lining – everything!) through this opening until it is completely right side out. Take your time, gently pushing out all the corners for a crisp, well-defined shape.
Close the Lining Opening: Go to your ironing board. Press the raw edges of the opening in the bottom of the lining under by 1/2 inch (1.27 cm) so they meet neatly. Align these pressed edges and clip them together. Stitch this opening closed by machine (sewing very close to the folded edge for a neat finish) or by hand using an invisible ladder stitch for a truly seamless look.
Now, gently push the lining down into the exterior denim bag.
Final Press: Carefully press the entire bag, especially around the zipper, to ensure the fabric lays flat and the shape is crisp.
Your unique, upcycled denim zippered cosmetic bag is now complete! You've transformed old jeans into a functional, durable, and stylish accessory that's truly one-of-a-kind. Enjoy using your sustainable creation with pride!
What will you fill your new cosmetic bag with first?
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