DIY denim skirt: turn old into new

Buy, wear a few times and then discard - after all, the top is already out of fashion and a new item is just a click away. The throwaway culture has reached the clothing industry, to the detriment of the environment. However, it is worth giving one or two items a second chance: Upcycling is the keyword. A seemingly useless item can be turned into a completely new fashion piece with a few skillful touches. You can easily upcycle many of these items yourself - for example, you can turn an old pair of jeans into a chic DIY denim skirt with a used look using scissors and a needle or sewing machine.

What you need for a DIY denim skirt:

• an old pair of jeans that should still fit, especially at the waistband
• sharp craft scissors
• possibly a piece of fabric
• needle and thread or sewing machine

First of all, you should decide how high you want your new DIY denim skirt to end: Can it be a mini skirt or do you prefer knee length? To determine the ideal length, you should try the jeans on again and mark the spot where you will use the scissors. It's better to cut a little too little than too much at first - you can always shorten them if necessary. To ensure that the result is nice and even, lay the trouser legs on top of each other and cut them off at the same time. Be sure to keep the cut pieces of fabric - they will be used later to fill the gaps.

Now separate the trouser legs on the inside at the front and back. If you want to make it easy, you can also use scissors for this. However, make sure that the seam remains intact and points to the front. Cut the jeans at the front to just below the zipper and at the back to about where the back pockets end.

You can now shape the skirt: Triangular holes are now created in the middle of the front and back, which are now patched with the cut-off trouser legs. To do this, first cut the legs open at the seam to create a wider piece of fabric. Then turn the skirt inside out and place a piece of fabric on each of the gaps in the front and back. Make sure that there is enough fabric overlap to sew it in place. The cut-off section should also be facing downwards to create a uniformly frayed hem. Pin the loose pieces of fabric in place.

Choose a thread in a matching color and sew the loose pieces of fabric onto or along the jeans seams. Of course, the quickest and easiest way to do this is with a sewing machine, but the fabric can also be secured well with a needle and a little patience.

Now you can trim the overlapping pieces of fabric on the inside of the skirt. Leave about half a centimeter to one centimeter of slack up to the seam. You can then fray the open hem as desired to enhance the used effect. Otherwise, you can easily wash the denim skirt in the washing machine - this will automatically loosen a few threads.

Tip: Jeans that are made from slightly thinner denim and have a certain amount of stretch are particularly suitable. To give your DIY denim skirt an even more individual touch, you can also sew in white lace or patterned fabric instead of the cut-off trouser legs. If you don't like wearing skirts: Denim shorts are also very easy to make yourself.