The Upcycling Nanny: Upcycled Continuous Jean Yarn

jeans crafts, clothing crafts, denim crafts, jeans yarn

Blue Jean Yarn Ball

Want to keep those old jeans? Here is one way to do it.

Upcycled Continuous Jean Yarn

You will need a pair of jeans and scissors. You may also want to use a washer and dryer and a sewing needle and thread.

Start by cutting the pant legs away from the butt just under the pockets and cut the bottom hem away.

I use the continuous t-shirt yarn method to cut one pant leg at a time. I use rotary cutters but I find it easier on my hands to do one leg at a time.

The first few times I made jean yarn I cut the strips too small and my yarn did not come out in one continuous strand. I started with 1/4 inch strips because it was suggested to me that was a good knitting size for scarves. I have found 1/2 to 3/4 inch strips to be my preference.

With the good strong seam at the top lay your pant leg out flat on a work surface. I usually cut fabrics inside out. Cut your strips up to the good seam but do not cut through it. The good seam is your allowance.

I keep the good seam straight even at the wider side of the pant leg. It makes my bad seam move up in the fold line while the pant tube is laying on the work surface but allows me to keep my top allowance the same length throughout the pant leg.

Pick up the stripped pant leg and shake out all the loose pieces. You can try cutting the diagonal cuts on your arm but pants tend to be longer and heavier. I find it easier to put my small rotary cutting pad or cardboard inside the leg to prevent me from cutting the wrong strips.

The first diagonal cut is made from the inside of the bottom strip to the outside of the second top strip.

Continue cutting from the inside of the bottom strip to the outside of the top strip.

Cut the last strip from the inside of the bottom strip to the outside of the top last strip.

Go back to the first strip and cut it from the outside of the bottom first strip to the inside of the top first strip.

Put the fist pant leg in one pile and to the second pant leg. After stripping both pant legs take and end for each leg and sew them together. I like to use the same color thread that the pants use. Some people prefer clear thread.

I have seen people use jean yarn without the next step but I like the fuzzy look and feel. I put mine in the washer and dryer to get the look and feel. My washer does not have the middle agitator so I have to add a blanket or towels to help the washer out. If the jeans were washed before hand you can use the rinse/spin cycle and dry them.

The yarn will be tangled when you pull it out of the dryer. To untangle it find an end and gently pull. If it gets stuck find the spot and push the end through like untying knots. I roll mine into a ball as I untangle it so that I can more easily handle the yarn.