5 Ways to Recycle Old Jeans

Have you ever snagged your favorite pair of jeans against something that left them relatively unwearable? Or perhaps you're a person that just doesn't want to wear jeans that look faded and worn out. Have you been hesitant to just throw away your old pair of jeans, thinking that they might still have some sort of use in them? You're not the only one! I too have been faced with this decision but decided instead of throwing away all my old jeans, I might be able to make them useful somehow.

Recycling your old jeans not only breathes life into an old pair that was destined for the dumpster, but also helps prevent our landfills from being "overpopulated" by trash. When you do this, you're not only doing yourself a service, but you're also helping make the world a better and cleaner place.

There are many different ways to recycle old jeans. A lot of ways require some sewing skill, but others are far more simpler. Below is a list of five easy ways to recycle your old pair of jeans.

1) Donate

If your old jeans are still in relatively decent condition (lightly worn, a few small holes, etc.) then your local Good Will and Salvation Army are more than grateful to take them off of your hands. Your old jeans can then be worn by someone less fortunate and give them adequate clothing to make their days easier.

2) Wall Organizer

This is one of my favorite things to do with my old jeans. Sew together legs and pockets of your jeans to make a wall organizer capable of holding odds and ends. I like to keep one for my sewing items (scissors, needles, thread, etc.) and one for my children's homeschool assignments.

3) Quilt

Jeans are made from very durable material, making them excellent for strong, sturdy quilts. You can make many types of quilts with blue jeans, it really just depends on what you know and are comfortable with. I've made a patchwork quilt entirely out of old jeans as well as one that consisted of just the buttocks portions of the jeans (this one was done with all Wrangler brand jeans to give it a more "western" feel).

4) Pet Toys

Once again, the blue jean's durability can come in handy when making your dog or cat a nice toy. This can be done my simply cutting off a leg portion, stuffing it with cotton (or an alternative stuffing), and sewing the ends shut to provide a nice chew toy or scratching toy. The more craftier people might want to make more elaborate toys from these but really the very simple design will do well too.

5) Potholders

The buttock pockets from your old jeans can make excellent pot holders! Simply cut the two pockets out and sew them together (stuff them if you feel this is necessary).

These are very simple ways to avoid throwing away jeans that might still have some use left in them. Always remember before you throw something away if it might possibly still have some other use in it before you send it off to the landfills.