Upcycled Denim Diary Cover Tutorial

Challenge number 2 in our 12 Days of Christmas DIY Challenges is to make a Christmas gift from an old pair of jeans.

I cheated a little on this challenge and used small scraps from several pairs of jeans. I do a lot of jeans upcycling projects and rather than cut up another pair of jeans this time, I thought it would be good to use up some of the many denim scraps I have left over from previous upcycles! I used the scraps to make a larger patchwork piece for the diary cover - but you could just cut a larger piece direct from a pair of jeans for a slightly plainer cover.

Every year I buy myself a cheap diary. I still like to write things down rather than just use a computer schedule or diary!  I never spend the extra few dollars to get a fancy cover on my diary - just getting the plain boring versions like this on on the left:

But it cost me nothing to make myself a fancy cover - that I can reuse every year!

This would make a great Christmas gift - simply buy a cheap diary or notebook to slip inside!

Doesn't that look better than plain black?

And with a pocket in front to keep a pen or small notes in, and a small fastening at the side, it's not just pretty but functional too!

So here's how to make an upcycled denim diary cover - perfect for a Christmas gift!

You will need:

Denim fabric scraps from jeans

A jeans back pocket

Co-ordinating fabric

A button and the buttonhole end of the jeans waistband.

This cover is made for a thick A5 size diary. I measured around the width of the diary and the length from top to bottom, adding 2.5 cm (1") to each measurement to allow for seam allowances. These were the measurements I used for the main pieces of fabric. If you have a different sized diary - just measure your diary in the same place as shown in the picture below and add your seam allowances.

So all the cut pieces you need are:

2 rectangles of fabric, one denim, one co-ordinating fabric

34 x 24 cm (13.5 x 9.5").

2 side panels of co-ordinating fabric

(for the ends of the diary to slide into)

24 x 10 cm (9.5 x 4")

To make the main patchwork denim cover.

You can choose to use a single piece of denim cut from the leg of a pair of jeans - or use scraps to create a patchwork cover like this:

Cut about 20 rectangles from scraps 6 x 12 cm (2.5 x 4.75")

Arrange these to form a rough rectangle that will look much bigger than the finished size you need for the diary cover.

Join your pieces together first in strips - with right sides together.

And iron the seams open.

Then join each strip - right sides together one by one - lining up the seams. Continue adding strips until you have formed one large rectangle. Then once again press the seams open.

Now lay your main inner fabric rectangle at an angle on top of your patchwork denim piece, and cut around to make the same size piece.

Now to add your denim pocket. You can either unpick the pocket from the jeans, or simply cut carefully around the pocket and leave the backing fabric on. I did this and so have a 'double' pocket on my cover!

Pin your jeans pocket to the middle of the right half of your main denim patchwork piece. Then stitch around the sides and bottom over both lines of stitching.

Now you need to add your waistband fastening.

Lay the end of your waistband on the left hand side of the main denim piece - face down so that right sides of the fabric are facing. 

The waistband piece should reach 7.5 cm (3") into the main rectangle. Stitch into place.

Add the button

Take your button and place this just to the right of the middle of the jeans pocket.

Stitch into place securely.

Your outer piece is now ready.

Preparing the inner piece

Take your main inner fabric rectangle and the two side panels.

First double turn a long edge and stitch on the left of one and the right of the other side panel. 

(where I am pointing in the picture below!)

 This is to hide the raw edges as these will be the exposed parts of the panels.

Now place these two panels on top of your main rectangle on either side, lining up your raw edges. 

Pin and stitch all around the edges to hold these panels in place.

Your outer and inner pieces are now ready to join together!

Joining the front and back

Place your two rectangles one on top of the other, right sides together. Pin around all four edges, but leave a gap of about 10 cm (4") on one side - where the waistband fastening is.

Tuck the waistband piece in so the fabric lies flat - and stitch around all four edges with a generous 5/8" seam.

Turn your cover right sides out.

Trim the seams and corners.

Push the corners out and iron around the edges. Make sure your waistband fastening is pulled out - then fold the raw edges in at the gap and pin closed.

Top-stitch along this edge to close the gap.

Your diary cover is now finished!

Slip in your diary.

And your gift is ready!

For the free downloadable PDF version of this tutorial, click here.

 

This is just one idea of a gift you can make using an old pair of jeans.

For plenty more ideas and tutorials for gifts you can make from jeans, take a look at the challenge post here - and feel free to link up any of your own ideas to the linky party there too!

And do come back tomorrow for Challenge number 3 in our

12 Days of Christmas DIY Challenges!

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For 12 days starting on November 2nd we will set a challenge a day to create something for Christmas using just the resources you have on hand. 
The idea is to show that Christmas Shouldn't Cost the Earth. If you're reading this, chances are you love to craft, but why not craft with the resources we have on hand - let's get creative!

Each day a challenge will be set by means of a video and blog posts giving some suggested ideas and crafts. These posts will also contain a linky party for anyone and everyone who wants to join in to link up their projects - both past and present, that answer the challenge.  The linky party can be found on all our blogs and we'll  try and come up with different ideas and tutorials for the challenges too. So please to visit us all, and then share your ideas with us as well! We're looking forward to seeing how these challenge are met!

Ready, Steady....Let's Christmas Craft!


The 12 Days of Christmas DIY Challenges is brought to you by

Jill @ Creating my way to Success
Vicky @ Vicky Myers Creations
Anna @ Tea and a Sewing Machine
Pam @ Threading My Way
Anne @ Domesblissity

Previous Challenges
Challenge 1 - Upcycle old clothes to Christmas Decoration

Upcycled Denim Triangle Shoulder Bag - a tutorial

Here's how to make a bag similar to this. This is a very 'flexible' tutorial in that I didn't make it to measure - I used the materials I had and made the bag around the sizes of those. I also added a zip pocket on the inside.

You will need - denim scraps of various shades, lining fabric, a couple of zips and the waistband from a pair of jeans!

Cut two outer and two inner panels the same size. Then 2 smaller rectangles of the inner fabric and a zip for the inner pocket, and scraps the length of your top bag zip in both inner and outer fabric.

Outer bag panels

I don't have paper piecing instructions for the impossible triangle - but you can see pictures of how I made it here. You can use any outer panels you like - made from scraps, or just whole pieces of fabric.

For the other outside panel, I cut several equilateral triangles from various denim scraps. I made my triangle template using these instructions folding a rectangle of paper! 

Then I pieced and stitched them together randomly in rows, 

and separated each row with a strip of black denim.

 This hides the fact that the triangles don't all quite match up!

Then I cut the whole thing into a rectangle the same size as my impossible triangle panel to give me my two outer bag pieces.

You can make this bag whatever size you want. I made my impossible triangle panel first before I decided to make it into a bag - so I just worked with the size of that, which was about 28 x 30 cm (11 x 11.75"). 

So now to constructing the bag.

The inner zipped pocket.

Take one of your inner bag panels and the smaller inner fabric rectangles with the small zip.

Place the smaller rectangle face down where you would like your pocket to sit on your inner bag panel as above.
Then using a ruler and pencil, draw a thin rectangle that is the size of your zip teeth.

Stitch around this line (through both layers of fabric)

Then cut through both pieces of fabric in the middle of this line.

Snip right up to the corners like this.

Then push your front pocket piece through the hole.

Now you need to press your zip opening flat, and pin your zip behind this hole with the zip teeth showing through.

Then stitch around to hold the zip in place.

Now turn over your panel and pin the other pocket piece face down onto your first one.

Pin then stitch around all four edges to enclose your pocket.

That's your inner zipped pocket finished!

Putting your bag together

Take your two outer panels and two inner panels and lay them right sides facing together like this.

Pin then stitch around the side and bottoms of the inner and outer bags. Leave a gap in one side of your inner bag part so you can turn it all right sides out when you're done.

Box out the corners

To make your bag have a 'boxy' bottom, push your hand up inside one of your bag pieces - this shows the inner piece.

Now pinch the corner so the side and bottom seams are in line with each other.

Pin across this 'triangle' you have created, around 2.5cm (1") from the point.

Repeat with the other bottom corner.

Then stitch a straight line across where you pinned.

And snip off the corner past your stitching.

So the base of your inner bag should look like this now.

Repeat with your outer bag so both have boxy bases.

The main zip

Take your main zip and the scraps of fabric for the sides.
Lay your zip face up on your inner fabric with a strip of your outer fabric face down on top. The edges of the fabrics and zip should be lined up as in the photo.

 Pin then stitch using your zipper foot.

Then pull both fabrics back from the zip and topstitch to prevent the fabrics catching in the zip when you open and close it.

Repeat this with the other side of the zip, then with more scraps of fabric at either end of the zip.

You can place these scraps where you like to shorten the zip to the width of your bag.

Then trim all the way around your zip to create a rectangle like this.

The strap

I find waistbands of jeans to be great used as bag straps. They are sturdy and just the right width.  Of course it depends on the size of the jeans as to the length of your waistband. I have a lot in my stash to choose from!

You could unpick the belt loops, but I choose to leave mine on and just stitch along the cut edge to secure them and the waistband.

Then it's a simple matter of placing the strap on either side of the bag, pinning then stitching securely in place.

Putting it all together.
Now you just have to join the zip part to the top of the bag and stitch it all together!
First take your zip section and pin to the top of the outside of your bag - right sides together.  Since I didn't take measurements, my zip section was larger than the bag so it kind of sits down into the bag a little. I also rounded the edges and trimmed after stitching.

Next, turn the outer bag right sides out and push inside the inner bag so that the right sides of both fabrics are facing each other.

Pin then stitch the top of the inner bag to the outer bag and zip edges where you just stitched.

Turn your bag right sides out through the gap you left in the stitching of your inner bag.

Stitch the gap closed - either by hand or machine.

And your bag is finished!

Fill it up, use it and admire!

For the free downloadable PDF version of this tutorial, click here

If you like this tutorial, then please take a look at my other free tutorials. There are well over 100 to choose from for all levels of sewing ability and for making all kinds of things!

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