PaperArtsy Blog Challenge No. 5 - Deconstruction

The new challenge on the PaperArtsy blog is 'Deconstruction' -

I've taken that literally as you can see from my photo above,

but there are lots of other interpretations - 

all the details may be found here.

So, why have I cut my jeans up?

Firstly, they no longer fit me (yay, the diet's working!!)

and for sometime I've been wanting to turn jeans

into a bag and I recently found a link to some video tutorials

which explains just how to do that.

When I saw the 'deconstruction' theme and watched Leandra's

YouTube video and she mentioned using fabric - that was my

nudge to get on and do it! 

I won't describe in too many words step by step how I turned

my jeans into a bag, but have taken a few photos

along the way - and here are the links to the YouTube videos,

by the very talented Izzy MEIMsaab -

DIY Fashion Jeans Bag 

Recycled Jeans Bag 

DIY Jeans Bag (with zip)

Once the jeans were cut up and stitched along the bottom

I needed to find some lining fabric.

In amongst my fabric stash, I found this actual bag

 which I'd bought on holiday a few years ago and decided I'd never use

 - it's a silky soft fabric and perfect for the lining -

 and it already has a zip in - result!

I cut the handles off the holiday bag, cut into strips

and then stitched onto some of the denim (from the legs of the jeans).

In the videos the handles were left unfinished - for a trendy look,

but I couldn't bring myself to leave them so messy -

I just folded them in half - they're still a bit scruffy, but that's ok for me.

(How lucky the colours in the holiday bag match the 

embroidery on the pockets of the jeans)

I used more of the fabric from the holiday bag to thread

through the belt loops.

 

I made the handles quite long as I like to

wear my bags over my shoulder.

So that was the bag finished, but I hadn't used any

PaperArtsy products - I know that isn't a requirement of the

challenge, but still it didn't seem right not to.

Here's what I used - Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics

Lilac and Sherbet

...and from another holiday, a couple of old drink coasters

and some of the left over fabric 

I used a Sizzix Bigz Die - 'Artist Trading Card' to

change the shape of the coasters.

Painted and rubber stamped the inside of what

had become a little post in note holder

with some paperArtsy products

 

For the outside covers, I stitched more of the fabric

directly onto the coasters - the denim heart is another

Sizzix die cut shape.

(I overlooked the fact the top of the covers were rounded

so when I punched holes with the Bind it All machine,

the holes only partially punched out - doh!)

Ta-da!!

I think I'll try the bag out tomorrow

when I go shopping :)

 

Thanks for looking.