Re-Purpose Jeans into a Handy Apron

Has this ever happened to you? I was out pulling some weeds and ripped my jeans...ahhh! I knew my ol' friend (the jeans) were thread bear but they were still wearable and useful. As well as, extremely comfortable. These jeans had been well broken in; all stretched in just the right places, and my favorite jeans to wear when working in the yard. I was so disappointed that they had ripped because that meant I would have to throw these jeans away. They were like a part of the family...they'd been around so long. *boo-hoo*

I'm not a huge re-purposing person. You know the Martha Stewart type.  I just don't usually have the time to think up some cleaver way to turn my old shoes into a flower vase. Anyway, I don't have an issue with re-purposing, if I have the time and supplies.

I am, however, a huge advocate of donating gently used and in good condition, clothes. Not the ones that are not worn out, but some that are of quality and still look very nice. The kind of clothes that are still fashion stylish for the current times. It is a pet peeve of mine to see the way some people donate torn, tattered, or even paint laden clothes to charity...that is not charitable. It's just rude to donate worn out clothes that you wouldn't wear because they are too old and beat up. Why would a less fortunate person what to wear that either? (Sorry, I'm off my soapbox now.)

Usually, I donate gently worn clothes or shoes to my local resale or thrift shop. I have even put them in the bins for the local women's shelter.  Now, this particular pair of jeans...they are not worthy candidates for charity; they are entirely too old and worn for resale or donations.

I was about to toss these out when I remembered that I had seen, on Pinterest, where someone had cut up a pair of jeans, turned them backward, and made an apron. Genius.

I dug around in my closet for my dust covered sewing kit and shoe box of scrap material. I got out a pair of pinking shears and cut off the sides and front of the jeans; careful not to cut off the waist band or seams. I cut just below the back pockets, sort of a slight rounded edge, like the bottom of an apron.  I took some thread and needle, and then hand sewed on a ruffle; that I had extra in my scrap box. The results are pretty impressive.
I have enjoyed wearing this salvaged and re-purposed apron around the house cleaning...stuffing rags and such in the pockets. So handy those pockets!!!!

I think my old blue jeans have re-purposed themselves, nicely! Let me know what you think?

 Pict-o-gram of steps.

FRONT, after cutting. Cut just below the waistband seam.

View of the back looking to the front of the cut front of jeans.

The right side edge cut on the front side of the seam. Do NOT cut off the seams. This holds the jeans intact.

Here is the left side of the jeans, cut the front off just on the other side of the seam.

Here you can see where I sewed on the ruffle around the bottom (no pun intended) edge.

Although I was wearing my sweat pants (for comfort) I posed for a picture wearing the new apron!