10-20-30 Minutes to Recycle Jeans, Part One
Sewing is a creative outlet and a favorite therapy for many of us. The NZP team enjoys making time for sewing each day. Some days it’s 10 minutes in the morning, or 20 minutes in the afternoon. This is how Nancy Zieman accomplished most sewing tasks, regardless of the project. If you’ve tuned in to watch Sewing With Nancy, you likely know that the “10-20-30 minutes to sew, quilt, create” method was developed by Nancy in the ’80s. Now we’ve applied this concept to recycling jeans. Curious? Learn how in the new Sewing With Nancy TV mini-series, 10-20-30 Minutes to Recycle Jeans and in thebook of the same title.
60-Minute Jeans Pot Holders
In about an hour, create a pair of durable recycled jeans pot holders that are pliable and easy to use, while giving protection from the heat of hot dishes. Watch online to learn the basics of taking apart cast-off jeans, and making something creative.
Bunkhouse Bib
When it’s chow time at the ranch or most likely lunchtime at home, make adorable bibs for your little buckaroos. The durable yet colorful bib features parts of a cast-off pair of jeans and a bright bandana. Sewing time for this recycling project is again approximately an hour.
BBQ Placemat
Team up your casual meals with upcycled jeans placemats. These BBQ Placemats are durable, and add a down-home flair to a meal with family or friends. Two placemats can easily be made from a no longer worn pair of jeans. Plus, there will be extra “fabric” left over to use in other recycling projects.
Tailgate Casserole Carrier
Durable and eclectic in style with a novel utensil holder, this casserole carrier will become your favorite hot or cold food carrier. Combined with insulated fabrics, the carrier can be made from an adult pair of jeans in approximately two-hours of time.
The Book: 10-20-30 Minutes to Recycle Jeans
- Walk through denim deconstruction before jumping right in with projects you’ll love. Discover new and novel finishing techniques as you sew up a variety of gifts in minutes.
- The 10-20-30 Minutes to Recycle Jeans book is perfect for the beginning sewist, or anyone who wants to refresh their sewing skills. It walks you through a variety of techniques, with full-color, step-by-step instructions in an easy-to-understand manner. Build your skill set and confidence from one project to the next.
- Follow along with the 50-minute DVD, as Nancy guides you from deconstruction to lovely gifts in no time flat.
Watch 10-20-20 Minutes to Recycle Jeans on Sewing With Nancy online.
Have you thought about your next recycled sewing project for 2018? Leave a comment in the comment section below for a chance to win 10-20-30 Minutes to Recycle Jeans book from Nancy’s Notions.
The randomly selected winner of a Carefree Curves Template Set, from the May 24 post, is Bonnye.
Her comment was: Presently, I am working on 2 wall hangings and 1 queen-sized quilt. The wall hangings are signed blocks from each of my son’s weddings. A little late!
Happy Sewing,
Team Nancy Zieman
Nancy Zieman Productions, LLC.
Patti Serenko
Love to recycle and reuse. Am working on an old wooden ironing board for my sewing room. What could be better?
Susan Spiers
Yes, I am working on a patchwork Jean scrappy quilt! Wonderful ideas! Thank you, Susan
Donna Fecteau
I have lots of tins of old buttons and my mother hankerchiefs I’d like to do something with those. I also have a large stack of old jeans that we out grew years ago but I haven’t parted with them yet so this book would be great for using them up.
Carol
The tailgate casserole cover is such a great idea. I want this for all of the potluck casseroles I take places. Also, this is a wonderful, unusual gift idea.
Betty Tolan
This book will come in handy since I have at least 2 trash bags of old jeans – in all sizes. I have been going to rummage sales to add to my stash to make bags of all kinds. I am in need of some new fun projects
Susan
Have saved old jeans with the hopes of doing a quilt some day, but these recycling jeans ideas make doing a quick project realistic.
Nancy B
I always hate to throw out those old jeans. It would be wonderful to make sets of the placemats for gifts.
Max
I am using neckties to make a table mat and table runner.
I haven’t collected enough old jeans to finish the table mat set.
Great ideas!!!
Patty Effingham
Have a box full of jeans & flannel shirts that were my Dad’s waiting to make something. There are so many things I could make!
Becky Canuteson
The casserole carrier is such a great idea !! I have recently made pincushions to top some small milk glass pieces my mother had. I have given them to relatives as mementos.
Clovis
I recently cut my sweater down the middle and put a zipper down the middle. Thanks for the chance to win.
Brenda Nance
I am using my son’s old jeans to make a quilt. I had just enough jeans for the quilt and it is a lot of fun to make.
Charlotte Brown
I have saved many jeans to make something, but haven’t had the inspiration yet to make a quilt. Maybe this book is what I need.
Julie Kill
Daughter wants to take old Singer treadle sewing machine that we bought and make an embroidered giraffe stuffed animal ( from an old pattern that my mom had ordered before she was married ( ~60 yrs ago)) out of some old table cloths from my Grandma (from the 1930s-1950s) for 4-H.
So we are “recycling” the found sewing machine and learning to use it, recycling the pattern, and reusing old table cloths to make it. Cool project!
adeline
My whole sewing room is a stash of recycle! My son calls it the store. I have plastic tubs full of everything. Much closer than the store So yes, recycle and reuse it is what I learned from Mom, who lied through two wars and the depression My stash is bigger than hers though for sure !!!!
Anna Little
Over the past 20 some years I have made a number of jackets from recycled jeans. Some have squares that are machine embroidered pictures/emblems, etc in the centres, others I have kind of crazy quilted parts of the front, sleeves, etc. Always get great comments.
Cindy K
I save old jeans for recycling and so far have made 7 raggedy quilts that I’ve gave away for gifts. I’d like to have my next project be the casserole cover. It would be handy during harvest for meals to the field.
beth d.
I recycle sometimes jeans into storage containers in my sewing room. I would love this book.
Gail Terrell
These are great ideas!!
MoeWest
Just last week I cut up a pile of jeans into usable fabric pieces. I will make a rag quilt with some denim squares.
Margaret J Cherry
I made new seat covers for my dining room chairs. I reused the old covers to make a “lay and Go” makeup bag. That fabric had been an an Indian sarong that I bought at the Anjuna flea market in Goa over 40 years ago.
Kathe Mayer
I’ve made 3 picnic table covers. Two of them had Jean pockets arranged to hold tableware and napkins after that was missing from the first one
Need some ideas for the rest of my stash. Your book sounds great.
Gwen
I have a stash of old jeans, need some new ideas on what to make w/them. Have done a patchwork shoulder bag & was able to incorporate one of the coin pockets into the bag which was perfect to stash your keys/grocery list/etc.
Debbie E.
The BBQ place mats are a great idea and the belt loop napkin holder is a smart idea.
Beverly
Those bibs and placemats look like such a fun way to recycle old jeans. Very cute.
Rosie
I’m in need of a casserole cover and pot holders for those many times I need to carry a dish with me. Those would be my first recycles.
Bonnye
I made a workshop apron for my hubby. I made it out of bib overalls. He loves it.
Jackie Lorenz
I love working with jean fabric….I used old jeans from my family. I have made one lapquilt so far
Juanita Decquir
I love to recycle denim and am always looking for new ideas.
Joanne T
I have collected a lot of old jeans, I have made braided hot pads from jeans. I would like to do the potholders.
Emma Carpenter
Love recycing, especially jean material. Thanks lots. Patterns are cute and unique..
Diana G
I love to recycle as much as I can … The jeans are the best for recycling as one can make so many awesome things out of them.
Thanks for the chance to win the book with some new ideas.
Jennifer Mead
I have been using my old jeans to make bags and blankets. I would like to incorporate baby bibs and placemats into my recycling.
Peggy S
I have collected a lot of jeans & have a picnic quilt started, Also made my husband a shop apron for his woodshop. I want to make the casserole carrier to go with the picnic quilt and use as a gift. I love Nancy’s ideas, she was an inspiration and still is to those of us who sew.
Jan C
I love re-using jeans. I just finished a jeans redo of a zippered tote for my grandchildren to carry their music in. And in the process of making my oldest grand a jeans rag quilt with each square embroidered with a family member’s name, date of birth and their relationship to him. Blanks for his future wife and children, of course!
Karen
I use the pockets and the fly of jeans to use in fidget quilts for the local nursing home…the clients love them! Recently I saw a quilt that used jean pockets in each block, along with other jean fabric and bandanna prints.
Karen Tucker
I love to use recycled jeans in everything! I collect jeans from yard sales,thrift stores, and rummage sales!
Sonja Henschen
I buy large size jeans at secondhand stores specifically for the fabric to use to make tote bags!
Cheri Bornhoft
I have huge tubs of old jeans that I couldn’t throw away. Now this could be the book to show me what to do with all them!!
Pat Davis
Hi, Patti Davis here, I have 2 bins of old jeans downstairs from my 4 Grandchildren. They are all expecting a quilt BEFORE Grandma passes on to the Happy Quilting Ground! I do not plan to disappoint any of those Precious Kids
Noreen
When we moved a couple of years ago I had to let a lot of my old jeans go, and only have a few pairs now. I love recycled jeans crafts, and I’ve wanted to make some teddy bears from a pair of jeans that belonged to my Dad.
Janet johnson
I have started saving jeans. I thought it would be fun to make aprons from them but I don’t have a pattern.
Judy Brown
I am cutting squares and rectangles from old jeans and creating sashiko blocks with them for a quilt. Love the idea of recycling.
Robin Hessefort
I recently repaired my worn out knee area on my gardening pants buy removing the back pockets on another pair of jeans. Attached the pockets to the knee area of my garden pants . This will take years to wear out because the pockets are like brand new. Brilliant
Suzan
I’ve saved some jeans but haven’t done anything with them yet. This book may get me more motivated. Great ideas!
Susan Bryant
Jeans are iconic, timeless, and durable so it’s a wonderful asset to have so many creative ways to reuse that favorite pair.
Colleen
I have a huge pile of jeans ready for recycle projects!
Jean Tomey
I have a few pairs of jeans I want to make some purses with but never thought about the other small items in Nancy’s book. Would love to have it! I’m a visual learner and need inspiration. And a FYI…..did you know a pair of 125 year old jeans just sold at auction for $100,000. here in Arizona? Keep your eyes open ladies! LOL!!
Maryk
We all know Nancy died.. Right? A lovely person who left this earth too soon.
November of 2017.
Carmela Gonzalez-Shalaby
At the age of 61 I’m trying to lose weight and be healthier. I’m going to have a lot of oversized jeans to work with LOL!
Lynn F
I’d like to make a cover for my Kindle!
Helen Heise
I would be able to apply many of the techniques and ideas to recycle old and washed out denim jeans. Many times the fabrics are just faded and would make very useful recycled items.
L Watson
I have used pockets off of jeans to make “holders” for toys in Christmas Care Boxes. My daughters just made bean bags for a yard game for Memorial Day from our old jean stash. And I have jean material all cut out to make a sewing machine cover. It’s is so nice to have old jeans to grab for little projects like these! I really like the jeans bib project and hot pads featured.
E. Watson
My sewing machine desperately needs a cover! I’m planning on making a cover using material from old jeans! 🙂
Gretchen
I have used a worn out pair of LL Bean Jeans to make an over the shoulder bag. I only used the back from side seam to side seam. That gives me the back pockets on each side of the bag – one for my phone and the other for a note pad. And I left 1 belt loop to hand my keys on a Carabiner. I have had many compliments.
Barb
Recycling jeans has taken on a whole new meaning!
Joanne
Love all the recycled jeans patterns!
Lee Ann Wagner
I think I would like to make placemats. I have saved a lot of old jeans my boys have outgrown and wore out, could do a lot of projects with them.
Mary Hutto
I’m planning on making a pair of baby bibs for my new niece and nephew born back in May. Your bib from jeans and bandana print is just what I’ll make. Your book looks like a treasure trove of ideas. Nancy always knew what we liked to sew!