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DIY Crescent Purse From Old Jeans (With Matching Coin Pouch!)

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Do you have old jeans that you don’t wear them anymore? Here is a free purse pattern and step-by-step instructions to transform old jeans into a crescent purse with a matching coin purse. The adjustable shoulder strap and beautiful purse lining adds to the professional details included in this bag making project.

Looking for more inspiration on how to reuse old jeans? Maybe your denim jeans were ripped or damaged in a way that makes them no longer attractive or wearable.

If you are working with stretchy denim, don’t worry! I also chose a stretchy denim for this project, I’ll show you how to put interfacing behind each piece to help strengthen the material when sewing. 

In order to make handmade bags from old jeans, all you need is a pair of jeans with a medium weight in order to give a nice outer structure for the DIY purse. Follow the detailed instructions, specific measurement, project photos and video tutorial to show each phase of this upcycled jeans project.

DIY crescent purse form old jeans before and after

You will love this crescent purse from old jeans project because…

  • The sewing tutorial includes a free DIY purse pattern.
  • Learn how to sew denim material.
  • Attach a lining to give a clean and professional finish.
  • Learn how to use a zipper foot.
  • Make a matching coin purse with the remnant denim and original zipper from the old jeans.
  • Great beginner upcycle project!

For this sewing tutorial, I used dark washed denim jeans that had distressed detail around the knee area. The holes kept growing, so I thought it would be a great material to convert into classic purse to carry around. 

Use the video instructions and detailed guide to make it easier to start assembling the pieces together. In addition, the medium weight fabrication makes it challenging to sew through the seams when not done in the right order. 

How to make crescent purse from old jeans?

DIY Crescent Purse From Old Jeans (With Matching Coin Pouch!)

Prepare your old pair of jeans by washing and drying them before starting to deconstruct the pants. Grab your sewing kit with the basic supplies and tools for this beginners sewing project.

Also, review the measurement of each piece to have clear idea if you can accomplish the bourse patter with the denim you choose. Avoid the need to panic because of not having enough material to work with. 

DIY Crescent Purse From Old Jeans Materials:

Materials to make a crescent purse from old jeans.
  • Old Jeans
  • Fabric for lining
  • 9” Zipper
  • Adjustable Slide Buckle for 1-Inch Strap
  • Fusible Interfacing
  • Sewing Machine
  • Fabric Chalk
  • Measuring Tape
  • Ruler 
  • Seam Ripper
  • Straight Pins

Start by preparing the DIY purse pattern to make this crescent purse from old jeans. Fold a piece of paper in half and draw a 5”x6” receptacle with a rounded bottom corner.

Make both side pieces of the bag by tracing the pattern onto the old jeans with a ½” seam allowance all the way around. Make the bottom piece by cutting a rectangle piece that is 3½” x 7”.

The outside with pieces have a 3½” wide side and a 2½” wide side that are parallel to each other and connected by 9½” diagonal lines. Trace the top 2½” of outside piece to make both inside width pieces.

The adjustable strap is made of two pieces that are 2” x 4”.
The shoulder strap is made of two strap pieces that are 2” x 30”.

Trace both side pieces, bottom piece and outside pieces onto a sheet of fusible interfacing. Cut the fusing and bond to the wrong sides of the fabric with a hot iron.

Make a purse lining with a slippery material like acetate or poly-blend.

Join the bottom piece of the purse to the bottom of the outside width pieces. Line up the side pieces and the outside width pieces, pin to secure and topstitch. Flip the purse inside out.

Follow the same steps to assemble the purse lining. Then, insert the lining and topstitch around the top opening.

Add a zipper to the top opening, and lock both ends in place with a cover over the zipper tape.

Make the adjustable strap and the shoulder strap.
¼” fold the edges and topstitch both sides of each strap.

Attach the straps to the outside width pieces. Insert the adjustable buckle and secure the opposite end to the outside width piece.

¼” fold the end of the shoulder strap and hand sew to finish the DIY purse form old jeans.

DIY coin pouch

Also provided in the tutorial are instructions to make a matching coin pouch from the old jeans. The steps are similar and the free coin pouch pattern is provided below for you to copy.

DIY Crescent Purse Sewing Tips

DIY coin pouch from old jeans

Sewing bags require slightly different techniques and strategies compared to making clothes. Specifically, we are going to use fusing around the inner shells of the bag to have structured shape for the purse to stand up. 

Furthermore, I saved the lining material from previous project where I transformed a cowl neck mini dress from pants. I highly recommend saving materials and notions for future use when you deconstruct any thrifted or old clothes. Zero waste is satisfying and cost effective!

There are a couple of more important elements that I learned throughout this DIY purse from old jeans project. Listed below are the helpful sewing tips to complete the denim purse:

  • Sewing tips: Denim is a heavy weight fabric that requires the right needle and thread choice. With these choices, you will minimize needle deflection and reduce the risk of breaking the needle or skipping stitches. 
  • Needle: When sewing denim, regular needle won’t work because it may even break. Change the needle to Schmetz denim needles or universal needle that is at least 90/14. If your jeans are extra thick and heavy duty, then go with a 100/16 size. 
  • Thread: Use a heavy duty denim thread that matches the jeans color. Since we are not doing as much decorative topstitching, you don’t need contrasting color thread for this bag making tutorial. 
  • Zipper: Sewing a zipper to the top opening on the bag is very important, and requires a bit of extra skill that every sewer needs to know. To make it easier for you, hand baste the zipper tape to hold the zipper in place. Then. use a zipper foot to completely secure the position. 
  • Fusing: Lay the fabric with the wrong side up and place interfacing on top with the glue dots contacting the fabric. Set your iron to the hottest steam setting and fuse the interfacing to the outer structure of the bag. 
DIY crescent purse form old jeans
Yield: 1 Crescent Purse

How To Make Crescent Purse From Old Jeans

Prep Time: 1 hour
Active Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: Beginner
Estimated Cost: $10.00

Recycle old jeans to create a useful handmade purse. Learn how to make a denim zipper coin pouch with the easy step-by-step guide and simple sewing tricks that will save you time.

Explore your creativity and use blue or white denim as a personal touch to add different color DIY purses to your wardrobe. Here is a fun beginners sewing project that is guaranteed to teach you something new along the way!

Tools

  • Sewing Machine
  • Fabric Chalk
  • Measuring Tape
  • Ruler
  • Seam Ripper
  • Straight Pins

Instructions

  1. For this crescent purse from old jeans tutorial, start by preparing the DIY purse pattern.
    Old jeans with denim fabric in good condition
  2. To make the crescent purse pattern, fold a piece of paper in half.
    Measure 5” away from the folded line,
    and 6” down from the top line.
    Draw a line to connect the points.
    DIY purse pattern
  3. To round the bottom corners of the purse, measure 2” away from the bottom and side edges.
    Draw a smooth curved line to round the corner.
    Cut along the line to make the crescent purse pattern.
  4. To make the side pieces of the purse, use the crescent purse pattern.
    Lay the pattern pieces on the leg part of the old jeans.
    Trace the pattern onto the old jeans, and add ½” seam allowance on all sides 
    Trace the purse pattern onto the old jeans and add ½" seam allow on all sides
    Copy the side piece with seam allowance onto the other pant leg.
    Two side pieces of the DIY purse pattern
  5. To make the bottom piece of the purse, measure a rectangle piece that is 3½” x 7”.
    Bottom piece of the DIY purse pattern
  6. To make the outside width pieces of the purse, measure a piece that is 3½” wide along the bottom, 9½” tall and 2½” wide at the top.
    Two outside width pieces of the DIY purse pattern
    Copy the outside width piece to make one for the other side.
    DIY purse pattern pieces
  7. To make the inside width pieces of the purse, use the outside width piece to guide the measurement.
    Trace the top 2½” of outside piece.
    Copy the inside width piece to make one for the other side.
    Copy the top of the outside width piece to make the inside width piece
  8. To make the adjustable strap, measure two separate pieces that are 2” x 4”.
    Two adjustable strap pieces of the DIY purse pattern
  9. To make the shoulder strap, use the leg of the old jeans.
    Use a seam ripper to remove the pocket for extra length.
    Remove the pocket from the old jeans and use the leg to make a 2"x30" shoulder strap
    Measure two strap pieces that are 2” x 30”.
    Shoulder strap piece measurements
  10. To strengthen the purse pieces, add fusible interfacing.
    Trace both side pieces, bottom piece and outside pieces onto a sheet of interfacing.
    Cut the interfacing to match the purse pieces.
    Trace the purse pieces onto fusible interfacing to add strength to the fabric.
    Use an iron to bond the interfacing to the wrong side of the purse pieces.
    Iron the fusible interfacing onto the purse pieces.
  11. To make a lining for the purse, use a slippery material like acetate or poly-blend.
    Trace both side pieces, bottom piece and outside pieces onto the lining fabric. 
    Copy the purse pieces onto lining fabric to make lining for the purse.
  12. To assemble the DIY purse, start by joining the bottom piece of the purse to the bottom of the outside width pieces.
    Edge topstitch with the right sides facing together.
    Attach the outside width piece to the bottom piece of the purse with the right sides facing together.
    Open the seam and edge topstitch along the center line to flatten the seam.
    Topstitch the center of the seam to add strength to the corners of the purse.
  13. Fold the side piece in half, and snip with scissors to mark the bottom center.
    Fold the side pieces in half to mark the center of the bag.
    Fold the outside width pieces in half, and snip with scissors to mark the center on both sides.
  14. Line up the side center marking and the outside width center marking with the rights sides facing together.
    Line up the center of the side with the center of the bottom piece of the purse.
    Pin to secure and topstitch.
    Pin the bottom of the bag to the side of the bag. Topstitch to join the pieces.
  15. Do the same for the other side.
    Line up the other side center marking and the outside width center marking with the right sides facing together.
    Pin to secure and topstitch.
    Pin the other side to the bottom of the bag. Join with topstitch.
  16. Use scissors to snip the seam allowance along the rounded corners of the purse.
    Snip the inside corners of the bag with scissors
  17. Flip the purse inside out.
  18. To assemble the purse lining, start by joining the bottom piece of the purse lining to the bottom of the outside width pieces of the purse lining.
    Edge topstitch with the right sides facing together.
  19. Fold the side piece of the purse lining in half, and snip with scissors to mark the bottom center.
  20. Fold the outside width pieces of the purse lining in half, and snip with scissors to mark the center on both sides.
  21. Line up the side center marking and the outside width center marking with the right sides facing together.
    Pin to secure and topstitch.
  22. Do the same for the other side.
    Line up the other side center marking and the outside width center marking with the rights sides facing together.
    Pin to secure and topstitch.
    Use the lining pieces to assemble the purse lining.
  23. Insert the lining into the purse.
    Pin to secure and edge topstitch.
    Insert the purse lining into the purse, pin to secure and topstitch around the top opening.
  24. To add a zipper to the purse, open the zipper slide and pin the right side of the zipper tape around the top edge of the purse opening.
    Flip the purse inside out to pin the other side of the zipper to the top opening on the opposite side.
    Pin the zipper to the top opening of the purse
  25. To cover the ends of the zipper tape, cut two pieces of fabric that are 1½” x 2”.
    Pin one cover piece to each end of the zipper tape.
    Use a zipper foot to sew the zipper tape to the top opening of the purse.
    Add cover pieces to the ends of the zipper tape along the top opening of the bag.
  26. To assemble the adjustable strap, join the pieces together with the right sides facing together and topstitch the side seam.
    For the opposite side, ¼” fold the edges, pin to secure and topstitch.
    ¼" fold the edges and topstitch the sides of the adjustable strap
  27. To attach the adjustable strap to the outside width piece, pin to secure and topstitch with the right sides facing together. 
    Attach the adjustable strap to the outside width piece
  28. To assemble the shoulder strap, join the pieces together with the right sides facing together and topstitch the side seam.
    For the opposite side, ¼” fold the edges, pin to secure and topstitch.
    Double fold the edges of the shoulder strap and topstitch the side seams
  29. To attach the shoulder strap to the outside width piece, pin to secure and topstitch with the right sides facing together. 
    Attach the shoulder strap to the outside width piece
  30. To attach the adjustable buckle to the adjustable strap, slide the strap into the buckle and over the center bar.
    Then, lock the buckle in place joining the end of the strap to the outside width piece.
    Insert the adjustable buckle and attach the other side of the adjustable strap to the outside width piece
  31. To attach the inside width pieces, ¼” fold the edges, pin to secure and topstitch around the sides.
    Pin to secure, and topstitch the inside width pieces to lock the adjustable strap and shoulder strap in place. 
    Cover the outside width pieces with the inside width pieces
  32. To finish this DIY purse from old jeans, ¼” fold the end of the shoulder strap and hand sew.
    ¼" fold the end of the shoulder strap and hand sew
    DIY purse from old jeans

DIY Coin Pouch From Old Jeans

  1. To make a matching crescent coin pouch from old jeans, use a seam ripper to remove the original zipper.
  2. The length of the miniature crescent was 4½”,
    and the height was 2”
    The bottom piece of the coin pouch was 1” x 7”
    Add ½” seam allow and copy the coin pouch pattern onto the old jeans.
    free coin pouch pattern
  3. Zigzag stitch the sides of the pieces so the fabric doesn’t fray.
    coin pouch pattern pieces
  4. Attach the zipper to the top of the side pieces with the right sides facing together.
    attach side pieces of coin pouch to the zipper, then pin the bottom piece to both sides.
  5. Pin the bottom piece to the side pieces with the right sides facing together.
    Topstitch to join both side pieces to the bottom piece.
    Pin the bottom piece of the coin pouch to both side pieces
  6. Flip the coin pouch inside out to finish the DIY coin pouch from old jeans.
    Finished coin pouch from old jeans

Notes

The bag was made from old jeans, but the purse pattern can also be copied onto canvas or denim fabric

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How to make a diy purse pattern
How to make a purse from old jeans
How to make a purse lining
How to make a shoulder strap for a diy purse
How to make a coin pouch from old jeans

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