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    Home » DIY Projects

    Upcycling Jeans into Useful and Pretty Woven Placemats

    March 11, 2020 by Patti Estep 7 Comments

    Jump to How-to Card
    Weaving denim strips and place mat.

    Upcycling jeans you don't wear anymore is a great way to recycle denim. Today's tutorial shows you how to turn them into pretty placemats.

    Upcycling jeans to make a placemat

    Upcycling Jeans is Good for the Environment

    If you are a fan of Project Runway you may have seen the recent episode where the contestants had to make fashion from materials they found at Goodwill.

    One contestant Chelsea, made an outfit out of 12 pairs of denim jeans. I believe she made a comment about the high cost to the environment in the blue jean industry, and it made me think.

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    I'm a huge blue jean user. It's my uniform. I don't wear leggings but prefer jeans. However, I do give them away if they are in good shape, and those that are not, go into my fabric stash. A while back I made a Blue Jean Weekend Bag and today I'm sharing a fun placemat idea made from old blue jeans.

    This post contains some affiliate links (that means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, there's no additional cost to you, but I will earn a very small commission. ) i.e. as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

    Strips of denim from old blue jeans

    How to Make A Placemat from Blue Jeans

    Supplies

    • Blue jean material
    • Fabric Glue
    • Shelf liner material
    Horizontal strips of denim in different shades of blue

    Tear strips about 1-1.25 inch wide by 14-16 inches long. I used about 8 strips for the horizontal part of the placemat. 

    Then tear strips for the vertical pieces. I ended up using about 11, but that may vary a bit so make sure you have a few extra.

    Lay them out in varying shades or any pattern you like.

    Weaving strips of denim together to make placemat

    Then weave the shorter denim strips into the longer ones. Over and under. Once you have a few in place, it is easy to just lift every other piece to the side (see above) and then set your vertical piece right in.

    Gluing edges of denim strips

    Next, use a brush and some fabric glue to glue the edges in place on the front side.

    Then flip it over and glue the back edges.

    Finished woven denim strips

    As you can see some of my strips are longer than others and that's okay because you will be trimming it later.

    Gluing backing on from shelf liner

    Add some shelf liner to the back with more dots of fabric glue.

    Trimming excess fabric

    The final step is trimming any excess away. I used a rotary cutter but good sharp scissors would work well too.

    Upcycling jeans to make a woven placemat

    This is not something that you can wash but you could spot clean it.

    It's crafty and not exact but I love all the pretty shades of blue. 

    Upcycling jeans is a great way to feel like you are doing something resourceful and creating less waste.

    Patti signature

    More Recycled Jean Projects

    • DIY Jean Crossbody Bag
    • How to Make a Denim Pouch
    • DIY Bag with Jeans
    Placemat made from woven denim
    Upcycling jeans to make a placemat
    Print
    5 from 1 vote

    Upcycling Jeans into Placemats

    Upcycling jeans you don’t wear anymore is a great way to recycle denim. Today’s tutorial shows you how to turn them into pretty placemats.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Active Time30 minutes mins
    Total Time45 minutes mins
    Course: Thrift Store/Vintage
    Yield: 1
    Author: Patti Estep
    Cost: $5

    Equipment

    • Scissors/rotary cutter
    • Small paintbrush

    Materials

    • Old blue jeans
    • Shelf Liner
    • Fabric Glue

    Instructions

    • Tear strips about 1-1.25 inch wide by 14 inches long. I used about 8 strips for the horizontal part of the placemat. 
    • Then tear strips for the vertical section. I ended up using about 11 but that may vary a bit so make sure you have a few extra.
    • Lay them out in varying shades or any pattern you like.
    • Then weave the shorter denim strips into the longer ones. Over and under. Once you have a few in place, it is easy to just lift every other piece to the side and then set your vertical piece right in.
    • Next, use a brush and some fabric glue to glue the edges in place on the front side.
    • Then flip it over and glue the back edges.
    • Add some shelf liner to the back with more dots of fabric glue.
    • Then trim any excess away.

    Notes

    This is not something that you can wash but you could spot clean it.
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    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Allie123

      September 22, 2021 at 5:15 pm

      This is a good idea thank you so much. a pair of my jeans ripped today and this seems like a fun thing to do with them.

      Reply
    2. Cathi

      March 13, 2020 at 4:22 pm

      Nicely done! I love that woven look and these can go along with all seasons and design styles.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        March 13, 2020 at 5:00 pm

        I like the woven look too and am thinking about what else I can make with it. Thanks for the kind comment Cathi.

        Reply
    3. Amanda

      March 13, 2020 at 9:46 am

      Very nice and great use of old jeans. We all have those don’t we? I think I’ll try this but am trying to think of a good way to sew them so they are washable. We are a messy family 😄

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        March 13, 2020 at 10:20 am

        Thanks Amanda. Let me know if you come up with any great ideas about washing them.

        Reply
    4. Claire

      March 11, 2020 at 2:56 pm

      What a great idea, Patti!

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        March 11, 2020 at 4:49 pm

        Thanks Claire. I'm so glad you like it.

        Reply

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