Spotting these seemingly still-good jeans being discarded brought up a question: what can you do with old jeans that you just can’t wear any longer? Actually, a lot of things. Denim is a sturdy and long-lasting material. Most of the suggestions below require some level of craftiness, but with a little time and effort you can give those old jeans new life. Bonus: recycling jeans to make stuff is a fantastic way to save money and increase your green factor. Next time we see some old jeans going to waste, we’re snagging ‘em.
1. Make draft stoppers for your doors. Use a leg of the jeans, fill it with stuffing or old rags, and sew up both ends.
2. Make heating pads for your aches and pains or cold winter beds. Cut off one half of a jeans leg, sew up one end, and fill it with rice or dry corn. Sew up the other end of the leg, then microwave whenever you need a quick dose of heat therapy.
3. Cut the material into strips and use the strips to weave, knit, or crochet a sturdy throw rug.
4. Sew lots of rear jeans pockets to a large sheet of fabric. Hang it on the wall to make a handy hanging organizer.
