How To: Make Denim Yarn From Old Jeans

Fancy turning your old jeans into a continuous strand of chunky denim yarn? Watch this video, to make your own sustainable yarn to knit or crochet with.

Fancy turning your old jeans into a continuous strand of chunky denim yarn? Watch this video, to make your own sustainable yarn to knit or crochet with.

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Fancy turning your old jeans into a continuous strand of chunky denim yarn? Watch this video, to make your own sustainable yarn to knit or crochet with.

See the step by step guide here
Level: Beginner
Type: Technique

Step by Step

How To: Make Denim Yarn From Old Jeans - Step 1

Step 1

This how-to will show you how to take an old pair of jeans and turn them into a continuos strand of denim yarn! All you need is an old pair of jeans and a pair of sharp scissors. Let’s get started!

How To: Make Denim Yarn From Old Jeans - Step 2

Step 2

Grab your old pair of jeans and lay them out. To start, we are going to cut straight across the jean leg, just below the back pocket. Do the same for both sides. The top part of the jeans where the waist is will not be used for this how-to.

How To: Make Denim Yarn From Old Jeans - Step 3

Step 3

To begin with, go to the bottom of your jean leg where the hem is, and cut the hem off, as it is too bulky to knit or crochet with!

How To: Make Denim Yarn From Old Jeans - Step 4

Step 4

To maximise the yarn that you can get out of your jean legs, you are going to cut lengths that are 90 degrees to the length of the jean leg. But you do not cut right across! Stop approximately 2 fingers width from the inside leg seam. You can cut the strips to whatever width you want! Here, we have cut them between 1-1.5cm. The strips can be cut by eye, as it doesn’t have to be very accurate.

How To: Make Denim Yarn From Old Jeans - Step 5

Step 5

Keep repeating this cut along the leg! Here is an image of this stage completed. Here you can see that it looks like a fun fringed piece!

How To: Make Denim Yarn From Old Jeans - Step 6

Step 6

We will now show you how you make these fringes into a continuos length of yarn. Pick up one end of the trouser leg. You can see that you have lots of loops. Start on the first loop.

How To: Make Denim Yarn From Old Jeans - Step 7

Step 7

Cut one end of the loop so that it turns the loop into a length of denim yarn.

How To: Make Denim Yarn From Old Jeans - Step 8

Step 8

Here is the start of the continuous denim yarn.

How To: Make Denim Yarn From Old Jeans - Step 9

Step 9

Turn your trouser leg around so that the the new tail that you created is closest to you. Here you can see the cuts you have made on each side, and the part in the middle that is uncut!

How To: Make Denim Yarn From Old Jeans - Step 10

Step 10

What you will do now is make a series of diagonal cuts that will join the strips together, turning the fringes into continuos yarn.

How To: Make Denim Yarn From Old Jeans - Step 11

Step 11

Here is how it looks when the first strip has been cut fully. And by magic, you have a continuos strand! Repeat this diagonal cut all the way along the jean leg.

How To: Make Denim Yarn From Old Jeans - Step 12

Step 12

Once you are done, you can roll it up into a lovely ball to stop it getting knotted! Now it’s time to get crafty! Have fun with your DIY ball of denim yarn!