Cute Ruffled Denim Apron From Recycled Jeans

I was inspired to create this apron after seeing a pattern for a similar one for sale online. It's not at all hard to make and it only takes simple sewing techniques that anyone can follow. If you would like to see how I made this in video format, watch the video I created! It contains a more detailed and hands-on approach to making the apron.

• 1 pair of jeans that are within 2-3 sizes of the intended wearer
• 3/4 yard of cotton fabric (light cotton is the easiest to work with)
• Basic sewing supplies (i.e., sewing machine, thread, safety pins, scissors, seam ripper, straight pins, measuring tape, iron and ironing board, patience)

Cut out the area right behind the side seams of the jeans and just above the knee. If you want your apron shorter, cut higher up.

Cut as close as possible to the inner seams of the crotch, and avoid cutting too close to the heavy seams on the sides of the jeans or you may have trouble later when you go to add the ruffle! Also, remember that everywhere you sew will make the apron about a half inch smaller!

Save the remainder of your pair of jeans as you will need this in a later step.

Take a leg from your pair of jeans and cut out a triangle that is 1/2 inch larger than the gap in your jeans. (picture 1) Try to match the color of the denim surrounding it so it doesn't look too off.

Place one of the edges of the triangle along one of the edges of the gap and sew, right sides of the denim together.

The apron should look like this (pictures 3 & 4).

Trim around the apron to even everything up - but remember to stay at least a half inch away from those heavy side seams! When you fold the apron in half, it should look even.

Yay! Now for the fun part! Remember that if you want to see this explained hands-on you can watch the video at the top of this Instructable!

Measure along the edge of the apron (don't measure the waistline). Take this measurement x 1 and 1/2. That will be how long you need to cut your ruffle.

Take your cotton fabric and cut out the measurement you just determined, giving it a width of 4 inches. If your fabric isn't long enough, sew two shorter pieces together.

Fold the piece in half (right sides of the fabric together) and sew along the edge (Do NOT sew the ends closed!).

Pull the fabric through so that the right side of the fabric is on the outside. Press.

Along the edge, sew a long gathering stitch down the length of the fabric.

Grip one of the threads on one side of the fabric and pull. This will bunch the fabric together and create the ruffle!

Take the ruffle and pin the gathered edge onto the edge of the apron. Make sure it lies evenly and that it will stay in place (use straight pins!). Then sew it right on.

With the ruffle sewed on the jeans, take the raw ends of the ruffle individually and fold them into themselves. Sew them shut. This will keep them from fraying.

Take the remaining leg from your pair of jeans and cut it across about 18 inches from the hem.

Trim the leg of the jeans so that it is about 12 inches across with the inner seam dead in the center.

Hem the sides and the top. To do this, just fold over the raw edge 1/4 inch and then fold that over again and sew on top of it 1/4 inch from the edge.

Take the pair of jeans and take off one of the pockets from the back by tearing out the stitches with a seam ripper. Make sure you do NOT rip the denim.

Place the pocket on top of the apron body about 4 inches below the neckline. Sew the pocket one by stitching wherever the seams originally were when the pocket was connected to the jeans.

Cut another ruffle from your cotton fabric. The width of this ruffle should be 4 inches and the length should be 18 inches.

Just like in Step 4, fold the fabric (right-sides-together) and sew. Then pull it through itself so that the right sides of the fabric are on the outside. Press and then sew a long gathering stitch along one edge. Pull on the top thread to create the ruffle.

Before you sew it onto the apron, close off the ends of the ruffle by pushing the ends under into themselves and sewing it shut.

Sew the ruffle onto the apron so that it peaks up from behind the top of the neckline. It's okay to leave an inch or so on either side of the ruffle where the strap will cover it up anyway.

To make the strap, cut a 24 inch long by 4 inch wide piece of denim. At this point, you probably won't have enough jeans to make it with just one piece, but you can sew two together and it works just fine.

Fold the strap so that the right sides are together and sew along the raw edges. Then pull the denim through itself so that the right sides are on the outside.

Push the ends into themselves and sew shut.

Place the straps on the apron front (see photo) and sew. Make sure there are no twists in the straps or you'll have to tear it off and resew it!

Make the ties for the apron in the same manner as you made the apron strap (see Step 9). The measurements are even the same, only there will be two ties instead of one.

Sew the completed ties onto the apron (see photo above).

Lay the bottom of the apron onto the body (top) and stitch along the top edge. It may be a good idea to sew it a second time as this seam will take a lot of pressure.

And that's it! Congratulations on a job well done!

I would love to see photos/hear comments on how your apron project went!