upcycle denim jacket
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Upcycle Denim Jacket : Fun and Easy Upcycling Project

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At some point in our lives we all have an old denim jacket (blue or black) and don’t want to throw it away. Well, why not upcycle your denim jacket into a new jacket to wear. There are so many options to choose from to achieve this.

In this article I will share with you several upcycled denim jacket ideas and show you what I did with one my son gave me when it no longer fitted him. Utilise your sewing skills or do it all without any sewing at all – the choice is yours.

This tutorial is part of the Sustainable Craft Challenge Blog Hop for September. The theme for the challenge this month is ‘Transformation’. Well, I have transformed this old jacket into something I will wear instead of throwing it away! At the end of the tutorial you will find all the other projects to try. I really recommend taking a look!

This page contains affiliate links meaning I earn a little commission if you use those links at no cost to you. I only recommend brands I use and trust.

sustainable craft challenge

You will need:

  • Old denim jacket (check out thrift or second hand stores if you don’t have one)
  • Embroidery threads
  • Fabric pieces and Bondaweb (or similar)
  • Fabric paint
  • Old buttons

Obviously you don’t need all these, just the ones you want to incorporate.

Adding a Fabric Panel

denim jacket upcycle

You can add fabric panels anywhere you like to a denim jacket. Depending on the styling there may be obvious choices. I chose to cover the whole back with some fabric that I was given.

The best advice I can offer is to make a paper template of the area you want to cover or draw the shape you want to use. You could just as easily add hearts or letters if you want to. I added letters to a blanket for my mum which you can see here. Much easier than you think if you use Bondaweb.

Once you have your paper template cut out one in your chosen fabric and one in the Bondaweb. If you really hate frayed edges you could cut the fabric slightly larger and add a hem around it. Then, carefully iron the Bondaweb to the back of your fabric piece. Carefully position your fabric piece on the jacket where you want it and iron it in place.

I always sew the fabric in place. I recommend a zig-zag stitch around the edge of the fabric to make sure it stays in place. If your machine allows you could use a very fancy stitch too.

Repeat for as many pieces of fabric as you wish. Get creative!

Embroidery Detail

embroidery detail on denim jacket upcycle

A fabulous way to add your own character to a denim jacket and make it truly your own is to embroider something on it. Here creativity knows no bounds, especially if you are an artist! I, unfortunately, am not.

You could embroider lettering onto a jacket or indeed any picture that you like. It can be tricky to copy an image but worth persevering. You can buy pens for fabric that wash off so you can draw your design easily. If your jacket is black, like mine, then you can use a white pencil designed for drawing on fabric.

I was fortunate enough to find a transfer in my mum’s sewing supplies so I used that. You simply ironed it on – fabulous! There are modern versions available like this one.

You can also freestyle your embroidery. Here is a link to the playlist of embroidery videos on my YouTube channel. They focus on flowers, leaves and stems!

Then you can use whatever colours you like to get your design – I used colours that I already had which coordinated with my fabric panel on the back.

You can do this anywhere on the jacket but I will warn you that working on a pocket is tricky unless you are happy to sew the pocket shut (I wasn’t).

Drawing on your Jacket

painted flower on collar

A fabulous way of creating a unique jacket is to draw on it. Now hear me out even if you are not particularly artistic. Nowadays there are some fabulous paint pens and ordinary fabric paints that you can set in place so that you can wash your denim jacket.

I used Posca Pens to draw a flower on the collar of my jacket. I was tempted to do more but I had decided that my large panel was quite a statement and perhaps I should not add too much more detail. As they are pens they are very easy to use and get detail in a design.

Alternatively you can use fabric paints. I have not tried this on a denim jacket but I know someone who has. Julie from Sum of their Stories used fabric paints on her jacket to great effect. I recommend taking a look. She combined the painting with embroidery!

Embellishments

A great way to get a new look on a jacket is to change the buttons. Now, this can be difficult on a denim jacket but you could add buttons as an embellishment – perhaps in a pattern like I did here on jeans.

jeans rear pocket decorated with button flower yellow

You can also add pretty patches or statement patches that really say something about you. You could add these denim flowers made from old jeans and fabric scraps.

denim flowers

Fabulous Transformation Projects

As promised here are all the other great sustainable craft projects for you to make:

Take a look and continue your transformational journey!

sustainable challenge collage for september 24

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