Hey Thrift & Stitch friends,
I finally finished turning my old favorite jeans into shorts last month, but I couldn’t bring myself to throw away the cut-off legs. They were still such good, thick denim! So I decided to make something actually useful instead of letting them sit in my “maybe later” pile.
The original piece was just a plain jean leg — faded blue, a few natural wear marks, nothing fancy. But the fabric was still strong and had that perfect casual vibe I love.
How I Turned It Into a Phone Bag
I measured my phone plus a little extra room and cut the leg to about 8 inches tall. Then I folded the bottom up and stitched it closed for the base. Sounds easy, right? Well… I sewed the first seam crooked and the bag ended up lopsided. I actually said some bad words, unpicked the whole thing, and did it again. Second try was much straighter.
For the flap, I used the extra fabric from the top of the leg. I cut a slightly curved piece, folded the edges under, and topstitched it. Added a small buttonhole and an old wooden button I had lying around. The button almost flew off when I was testing it — good thing I reinforced it with extra stitches.
The strap was the fun part. I cut a long strip from the other leftover leg piece, folded it into a tube, and stitched it. Attached it to the sides with some heavy-duty stitches. I made it adjustable by adding a simple slider from an old belt. Total genius move… after I first made it too short and had to redo it.
The Finished Bag
Now I have this adorable little crossbody that I throw on when I’m running errands or going for coffee. It holds my big phone, wallet, keys, and lip balm without feeling bulky. The denim matches everything and already looks nicely worn-in.
I love that it cost literally nothing extra and kept good denim out of the trash. It’s not perfect — one corner is a tiny bit bulky because of my messy seam — but I don’t care. It’s useful and it’s mine, right?