Denim "Plush" - DIY Art Fabric

There are many ways to recycle old jeans. Today, I suggest making denim "plush" from the most scrap-like remnants - pieces from seams, waistbands, cuffs, and small narrow details. The idea comes from Natalia Zaidl; thanks to this wonderful artisan for sharing her experience with us 😍! So, what is special about art fabric made from denim scraps? It includes many shades from dark blue to soft light blue and white, resembling items made from fur scraps. The surface of the material is fluffy, soft, and pleasant to the touch. Furthermore, the finished item turns out lightweight - despite the significant "fluffiness" and volume, the weight of a women's handbag does not exceed 300g.

How to make fabric from old jeans?

First of all, select scraps with the greatest possible variety of shades. The more variations, the better. Strips from ripped seams, pockets, etc., are perfect.

Cut the scraps into strips 1.5 cm wide, STRICTLY horizontally, that is, along the cross-grain! This is easy to check - a thread or two should pull out without difficulty.

Mark the base you will be sewing on (dense fabric) into strips, also 1.5 cm wide. It is most convenient to do this using a transparent ruler.

Next, start sewing the strips on, slightly overlapping, one row after another. Start laying the second row in a staggered pattern relative to the first. When sewing on the scraps, try to take denim pieces of different shades (you can also sew them on with the wrong side facing up).

The main work is finished; now we move on to preparing the art fabric itself. Put your piece into a laundry bag and wash it without detergent for 30-40 minutes. After spinning, the fabric looks like this.

Dry the piece completely. Next, go over it with a stiff brush (reminiscent of processing fabric in the chenille technique). Finally, the most painstaking part of the work: arm yourself with a seam ripper and turn the edges of each piece into fringe.

As a result, you get a fluffy, soft surface.

In the final stage, use a steam iron, lightly treating the piece and smoothing out the curled strips. As always, I want to clarify - this work is not for the lazy. To make such a piece for a handbag, it will take about 6 hours, but the result is worth it. A lightweight, original, and very durable bag will be a great addition to a summer look.