10 Ideas for Up-Cycling Old Stretch Denim Jeans Into Wearable Pieces

We all have them tucked away in a closet – denim jeans with added stretch in the form or elastane or spandex. But when they don’t fit us anymore, or have a few too many holes to be wearable, what should we use them for?

I’m not one for casting off something unwearable to a charity shop or thrift store – statistics show that many people use these options as a dumping ground for clothes they can no longer wear – so I typically cut any old jeans that can be up cycled into jean shorts or stash them in a box, and pull them out when inspiration strikes.

This is what happened this past week when I had some downtime during a visit to the UK, my creative brain kicked in and I brainstormed 10 ideas that would work for you and me the next time we feel like up-cycling old stretch denim jeans.

Bicycle Shorts

Not something I would wear everyday – and I do find denim too hot to wear during summer months – but if the denim jeans you own are super stretchy, then some bicycle shorts might be just the thing to refashion them into!

I’d start by looking at legging sewing patterns and then work from there, unless you have a pair of bicycle shorts with the same stretch factor, then you could just trace those off.

I really like the shorts in the Elle Stitch Studio Activewear pattern but the denim I have is not at all suitable for it, and you’ll find this with a lot of patterns that are targeted towards activewear – they’ll stipulate 50-80% stretch, so you will need to look at the sizing and negative ease amounts.

Bikini Style Top

I’m not one for getting my belly out in public unless it’s a beach, and I also wouldn’t wear denim as a functional bikini – one that I’d swim in the sea. But, a top that looks like a bikini that I could wear in my back garden or for lounging on the beach? Count me in!

I like the idea of a wrap style bikini top, and this may be top of my list for a fun refashioning project!

I have a couple of sewing pattern options on my computer that I could use. Top of mind is the Superstar Bra from Waves & Wild. It does stipulate 50% stretch, but I would probably go up in size and see how it fits.

The other option is the Sunstar Swimsuit from Helen’s Closet, which has that wrap over too. It’s actually very similar to the Superstar Bra, which had I realised I would’ve just bought the one, but heigh ho.

Both would work with my stretch denim with some tweaking, but I also love the top part of the Flor Pattern from Bella Loves Patterns. It is not designed for stretch fabrics, but that ruffle has got me all excited!

And I know I have a suitable vintage pattern somewhere, which I’m now determined to find out.. watch this space!

Cropped Bolero or Shrug

With a limited amount of stretch denim on our old jeans, perhaps a cropped bolero or shrug would work? We could sew the seams on the exterior so we get some natural fringing effect and could even add some other embellishments to pizazz it up!

I once took apart two square cushion covers and used those to create more angular bolero, and might find out those photos to recreate it in denim…

Bucket Hat

The benefit of a bucket hat made from stretch denim is that it will stretch over the head and most likely stay in place because of that stretchiness. It also helps that denim salvaged from jeans can be itty bitty pieces due to the holes and rips, so a bucket hat makes a good denim refashion project to piece together.

I have a self drafted pattern loitering in my filing cabinet for a bucket hat and this would be a great way to retest it before putting it out into the world!

Cap Sleeve Top

Cap sleeves are shorter, and a top made from stretch denim will be form fitting – this could be a fun refashion project for an adult! If you think there wouldn’t be enough denim to make a cap sleeve top for yourself, what about making a smaller tee-shirt version for someone little in your life: a niece, a granddaughter… options are endless!

Using a stretch denim would be super comfy as the fabric would allow movement, and I quite like the idea of a denim tee!

Corset Style Belt

We always see denim corsets as a way to use up old denim jeans – in fact I too have been working on one as part of my DIY wedding dress process – but what about using the corset as a starting point for a belt?

I’m thinking an under bust corset would be the best starting point with this idea. We can use the stretchiness of the stretch denim in our favour, so that the corset is comfortable to wear after a heavy meal, but added boning will provide the structure we want.

I think a great option for this would be the Annette Corset pattern from Madalynne. It’s a two in one under bust corset pattern, and with some shortening of the pattern, it would work well as a corset style belt.

Fingerless Gloves

I do not like things on my fingertips, so often wear fingerless gloves. Stretchy denim from old jeans would be a great fabric choice to make some fingerless gloves, as they would have that built in stretch factor that we don’t get from a non-stretch denim.

I’d probably make them as simple rectangles, and use a button hole for my thumb to pass through. I could also add a little trim to each end to jazz them up…

Patch Work Skirt

Denim skirts form jeans are two-a-penny as an idea, so I thought about a patch work skirt. Not a standard square patch format, but one that is made from random denim scraps sewn together to create a larger piece of fabric. From this we would create a truly unique skirt.

If we wanted to incorporate any holes or ripped sections from our stretch jean denim fabric, we could baste these pieces onto other stretch fabric scraps in our stash. We would need to make sure that the backing fabric had the same percentage of stretch as our old denim, but it would make for interesting visual details.

Scrunchies or Head Bands

I’m a convert to the scrunchie and head band look now that my hair is so long, and denim jeans have the length we need for big volume scrunchies!

The stretch factor of old denim jeans would also work well for a headband too, as we’d be more able to stretch it over our head. And failing that, we can always make it big enough and pass a little elastic through it to help.

Tube Skirt

I think I would struggle to get enough fabric from a pair of old denim jeans, but if I have two in a similar or same colour, I could sew up a simple tube skirt with vertical panels. I’d probably use my panel skirt tutorial to cut the required number of panels.

I could even be brave and go for something shorter than I would normally wear, though the risk of thigh rub with close fit skirts alarms me.

I love all these ideas, and am honestly a little stumped which one I should start with. Let me know which you’d like to see first, and whether there are any you’d like specific tutorials for. I’m always happy to record the process with video or photos!