Best Things to Do with Jeans Filled with Holes // by Suzanne Townsend

Hurricane Irene is bearing down on the East Coast and thankfully it looks like she'll hit to our North...so we're only expected to see tropical storm winds and rain. We have our emergency food and water, lots of batteries and stacks of DVD's for our weekend hiding out in our house. Since we'll be battening the hatches...crafty friend Susanne is sharing ways to recycle your holey jeans. 

There is a circle of life when it comes to jeans: purchase, wear for a few years until the sight of the first hole, hang in your closet for two years trying to deny the existence of holes, and then eventually throw away or give away. Alas, even the most well constructed jeans eventually wear through. But what if there was a way to prolong the inevitable and extend the life of your favorite jeans? Consider me your jean genie for I am about to make your denim dreams come true.

Turn your jeans into shorts~
You might be thinking that any 3rd grade student with a pair of safety scissors could turn jeans into shorts, but hear me out. Cut off jeans have had negative connotations for years – visions of trailer parks and booty shorts may be dancing in your head as you read this, but there is a way to wear cut offs and still look respectable. Try cutting them right above your knee and roll them up once leaving the frayed edge visible for a casual surfer look, or cut them at your mid-thigh and roll twice for a more polished summer look.


Patch up your jeans~

Visit your local fabric store and buy a dynamic print to sew into your jeans. For a contemporary look, pick a simple black and white print or go for complete whimsy and use Winnie the Pooh or a tie-dye print. As long as you love the fabric you chose, you’ll wear your new original jeans with pride.


Turn your jeans into a purse~

Cut straight across your jeans where your hips would be and sew straight across the jagged edge. Voila, you have the makings of a cost free handbag. Sew straps by using strips cut from the legs of your jeans. Don’t be alarmed! – when you wear your jeans on your arm you may be self conscious about displaying the size of your bottom as an accessory, but you’ll get over that the moment you get your first compliment.


Make your own bell bottoms~

Okay, this doesn’t make the holes in your jeans go away, but it will make them 70’s chic. At the bottom of your jeans, cut a triangle on the outside of each pant leg with the base of the triangle at the hem of the jean. Use the cut out triangle and trace it on a piece of fabric with an extra 1” around the shape and sew the larger triangle into your jeans. The extra fabric will give them retro flare.


Wear your holey jeans!

A few years ago the trend was to wear distressed denim. Jeans had so many holes that they looked like strips of fabric connected by a zipper and a button. We now understand that less is more. One hole in the knee of your jeans can (and should) be pulled off with style. Six holes means you’re trying a little too hard. If your denim wear and tear has occurred naturally then wear those holes with pride.

With these ideas, and maybe a few of your own, you are well equipped to breathe new life into those jeans sitting idly in your closet. After all, they are your favorites for a reason! So, don’t abandon hope. Fight for your denim, holes and all.


Suzanne is a blogging Seattlile with an affinity for fashion and a healthy obsession with skinny jeans. She loves helping others find their personal style and believes that every day is an opportunity to shine.