Blue Jeans & Pearls

As Christmas approaches, it can be a challenge to juggle your budget with the gifts you want to give.  One way that we stretch our budget is through crafts.  The big kids are always wearing holes through their jeans, and when they can no longer be patched, it's time to upcycle!  Today, we're making some wine bags to use as hostess and thank you gifts...

After cutting the legs off of your adult-sized (or teen-sized) jeans, just below the knee, make the outline of your design in tailor's chalk.  Paint over the design with a fine-tipped or firm-edged paintbrush.  Allow your design to dry overnight.

Sew the bottom of the pant leg together, just above the thick portion.  If you try to sew over too thick a seam with a regular sewing machine / needle, it will break....and you don't want that to happen at high speed!  (You can also use heavy duty needles.)

Turn the pant leg inside out, fold down two 3/4" sections, and make a seam.  Be sure to leave the space between open, as this is where you'll run your drawstring.  Again, be cautious when going over the pant seams, or simply skip that small section altogether.

Cut a length of ribbon just a few inches longer than the circumference of your pant legs (twice the measure of the top when laid flat).  I used a 1/4" white ribbon that was silver-edged to dress these up a bit.  Use a safety pin to run the ribbon through the opening at the top of the bag, then clip a tiny hole to pull out through the top, as shown in the photo above.  Tie your ribbon (which will act as the drawstring), and VOILA!  Easy, homemade wine bags for gifting!