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Patriotic Denim Bunting Tutorial

Patriotic Denim Bunting Tutorial

Jun 19, 2013 07:00 am | Jaime Costiglio

Summer is unofficially here and I'm back to share a patriotic sewing project that uses denim! Yes, another way to repurpose those old holey (or should we say too tight?) blue jeans.
Nothing says 4th of July better than red, white and blue and this denim bunting is just that. Blue denim combined with red and white gingham ruffle trim makes the perfect pairing and a great project to repurpose those worn out jeans.

I think you might just be able to use this idea at your next backyard party regardless of the holiday, it's chic, a little bit country, a little bit western and everyone loves denim.
I started with a pair of holey jeans that had seen the dryer one too many times and quickly made them into the cutest bunting decoration anyone with a little sewing skills could tackle.

I only wish we had a little white fence in the yard to hang the bunting, but alas the white mantel will work too:

Materials:

1 pair denim blue jeans
red gingham cotton fabric
sewing machine
thread
straight pins
scissors
rotary cutter, self-healing mat and ruler
6″ circle template (use a bowl or make a cardboard template)
dark marker
sisal string

Instructions:
Step 1: Open the side seam of blue jean leg and begin tracing 6″ circles on wrong side of denim.
Step 2: Cut out circles.
Step 3: Wash, dry and iron circles flat. (I choose to wash and dry in order to enhance the distressed look.)

Step 4: Fold red gingham at a 45 degree angle and cut 1″ bias strips.
Step 5: Each 6″ denim piece requires one 18″ long strip.

Step 6: Sew a long and loose zig zag stitch near one side of bias strip, DO NOT back stitch at ends. Gently tug one string to 'ruffle up' the bias strip. Stop tugging when ruffle bias strip is 9″ long.

Step 7: Fold the denim circle in half to create a center crease line, then unfold. Lie sisal string across center line. Pin ruffle in place along the bottom half of circle overlapping edges about 1/4″. Keep pins as close to edge of denim as possible in order to remove them as you sew along.
Step 8: Fold upper half of denim circle down over string and match up edges, pin together to hold in place. Straight stitch just inside the edge of the denim, making sure you catch the ruffle and other side of the denim in the seam.
Step 9: Trim any really rough edges of the denim.