Got an Old Pair of Jeans? Turn Them Into a Cute DIY Denim Clutch

Tools and materials:

• Jeans
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun
• Velcro
• Chalk
• Iron
• Needle and thread
• Felt or fabric for lining (optional)
• 3 Beads (optional)
• Chain (optional)

1. Create the pocket

Lay the jeans on a flat surface. Measure a 24cm x 16cm (9½ x 6 inches) rectangle from the bottom leg of the jeans and cut it out. Flip it inside out. The hemmed part is the top of the clutch.

Hot glue the unhemmed part of the jeans about 5cm (2 inches) in. Once the glue has set, flip it right side out for the perfect pocket.

2. Make the fold-over top of the denim clutch

Measure, mark, and cut two pieces from the thigh part of the jeans that are 24cm x 15cm or (9½ x 6 inches).

Have the right sides facing each other and hot glue the interior at the edges of the rectangle, leaving about 8cm (3 inches) open.

Once the glue sets, flip it inside out so the jeans side shows. Gently push the sides until it is fully opened to its size. Tuck in any loose ends at the opening and hot glue it closed.

3. Connect the pocket and the top

Lay the fold-over top of the clutch on a flat surface and the pocket on top about halfway down to make the flap.

Cut off a belt loop from the jeans. Press and glue the open ends of the loop together. Glue the loop and place it on one side of the clutch.

4. Attach the flap

Glue the flap to the pocket on the back.

At the top of the inside flap, glue the bottom of a 2.5cm (1 inch) of velcro tape, with both pieces attached, at either end of the clutch. Add glue to the top of the velcro tape, fold the flap over the clutch, and press down. 

5. Line the DIY denim clutch

This step is optional, but looks striking, especially with a bright color. Take a 24cm x 32cm (9½ x 12½) piece of felt or fabric. Fold it in half.

Hot glue the side edges, leaving the top open to create a pocket. Once the glue has set, fold the pocket down 1cm (½ inch). Iron to make it smooth.

Tuck it into the denim clutch. Hot glue the edges of the lining to the jeans all around: front, back, and at the seams.

6. How to make a denim flower

This step is also optional. It makes the clutch look gorgeous. Cut a 30cm x 3cm or (11 x 2 inches) strip from the jeans.

On the right side of the strip, mark at the 2cm (1 inch) mark. Mark the left side at the 1cm (¼ inch) mark. Cut on the diagonal, so the strip is 2cm wide on the right and 1cm on left. 

Strip about 4 to 5 layers of the blue denim thread, exposing white fringe. 

Sew a basic stitch by hand in the center of the strip. Pull the thread to coil the strip, creating a flower.

Secure the flower by stitching and knotting it in the back. Hot glue three beads in the center front of the flower. 

Cut a long piece of edge stitching of the jeans for the stems. Cut into three lengths about 4-6cm (2-4 inches).

Arrange in a spoke pattern on the front of the clutch. Hot glue the stems down. Either hot glue or hand sew the flower on top of the stems. Add a small chain to the loop to complete the clutch!

DIY denim clutch tutorial

Like jeans, this clutch goes with everything! Please let me know in the comments how easy this pretty DIY denim clutch was to make, and what you think of this tutorial on how to make a DIY purse from old jeans.