Finalists

Checkered Woven Recycled Denim Saddle Bag

899 votes

Miranda Chance’s aim is to utilize old denim jeans and rework old leather coats into well-designed bags of both strength and style. Each of her bags adhere to her daily…

Recycled Denim Coasters and Table Setting Mat

777 votes

Heidi Clark believes there are no creative limitations when it comes to recycling old denim. Channeling a cool, country western aesthetitic Heidi created a set of coasters from the…

Classic Cut Recycled Denim and Tweed Bikini

460 votes

Rebecca Butler made an unlikely piece using locally produced tweed and recycled denim: a bikini! The classically cut number uses dark denim for the top and waistband, and is…

Woven Recycled Denim Charpai Cot

520 votes

A charpai is a commonly used Indian string cot, and while typically, nylon strings are to make them, Siddharth Hirwani’s version uses recycled strips of denim. First, 3-inch…

Beautiful Woven Recycled Denim Rug

527 votes

Terry Dewal made this rag rug was by cutting old jeans into strips, then weaving them on a floor loom. “The rug is long wearing, machine-washable and adds a flare of color and…

Striking Geometric Dress Made from Recycled Wide Leg Jeans

287 votes

Designer Hyun Gun Jang had a lot of wide leg jeans taking up space in his house and was also struggling financially and couldn’t afford to buy fabrics, so he decided to rip them…

Intricate Handwoven Recycled Denim Laptop Bag

144 votes

We were seriously wowed by reader Ann’s hand woven recycled denim bag that she uses to carry her laptop computer. Get this: She actually wove the cloth from recycled denim on a…

Recycled-Denim Doggie Vest

238 votes

Compai’s Justina Blakeney submitted this adorable doggie jacket made from an upcycled pair of old jeans. ‘Nuff said!+ Compai…

Recycled Denim Skull Baby Shoes

585 votes

Avast! Lisa Williams made these recycled denim mocs for pirates-in-training completely by hand. She cut the Jolly Roger motif from lush white felt, then hand-basted it onto the body of…

Recycled Denim Sneakers

220 votes

Julie Floersch is an artist who is interested in the transformative power of quilting. “I am interested in people who resist trends and overconsumption,” she says.…

Not Yo Mommas Recycled Denim Handbags

126 votes

Ellen Reed’s “Not Yo Mommas Handbags” are handmade, custom purses made from recycled jean rear-ends. Thes adorable purses are each named for a friend that played a…

Formfitting Flipped Recycled Denim Dress

176 votes

Agnes Somogyi’s recycled denim creation is an amazing dress made from a pair of jeans turned upside down! Agnes tried to employ as few cuts as possible in order to maintain the…

Stylish Recycled Denim Laptop Case Carryall

92 votes

Betty Mathers created this laptop case from a pair of recycled jeans, leaving ample room for plenty of accessories. The cool case maintains both the front and rear pockets providing…

Recycled Denim Tube Dress

187 votes

Tayler Worrell made a denim dress out of her old jeans, but she first bleached all the denim to unify the disparate washes. Worrell created her own pattern for the dress, which consists…

Makeshift Recycled Jean Shawl/Bolero Jacket

131 votes

In-jean-ius! By ripping open the crotch seam of a worn pair of loose-leg jeans, Inara Gauja turned them into a fashionable long-sleeve, cowl-neck bolero jacket…

Recycled Denim Insulating Wall System

222 votes

Shannon Wright and her partner Ryan Sisourath wanted to demonstrate how you could create an insulating wall system that prevented waste materials from being dumped, in this case, jeans.…

Recycled Denim Jacket

183 votes

Elina Priha constructed this recycled denim jacket made from three pairs of old jeans. It was presented as a part of the ‘Denim Reborn’ collection in Wetterhoff Blanco in…

Bondi Biker Jacket From The Sway Denim Collection

51 votes

This Bondi Biker jacket is from the Sway’s exclusive denim collection. Every piece in the collection is made from reclaimed denim patchwork fabrics, and every design is created…

Recycled-Denim Baby Bibs

225 votes

Made from recycled denim jeans, scrap material offcuts, and found buttons, Stephanie Robles’ baby bibs are prefect for absorbing spills and splats. (It’s also fully…

Adorable Recycled Denim Ballet Flats

94 votes

Isabelle Tan reused denim from a pair of old jeans to create the toe cap of these cute ballet flats, as well as denim scraps to adorn the rest of the shoe. She started with an old shoe…

Recycled Denim Beanbag Chair

86 votes

Carla Morai from Portugal turned 10 pairs of castoff jeans went into this beanbag pouf. “How many space we can spare from landfills?” she asked herself. Her son loved the…

Supple Recycled Denim and Leather Duffel Bag

251 votes

Can you believe this beautiful duffel bag is made from old denim jeans and reworked leather coats? Designed and made by Chance, it’s the perfect combination of the durability of…

Studded Recycled Denim Capelet

157 votes

Antoinette Perez deconstructed and reconstructed these three beautifully tailored garments using black denim. The first is a daring studded-denim capelet made from a pair of…

Recycled Denim Side Zipper Dress

86 votes

Antoinette Perez loves recycling denim. “It’s such a stable fabric, very warm for winter, and there’s so much to choose from in thrift stores and in our…

Recycled Denim Bracelet

98 votes

Another piece from Julie Floersch, this quilted bracelet gets its myriad shades of blue from different washes of discarded denim. + Julie Floersch…

Recycled Jeans Turned Into a Hip, Ready-to-Wear Belt

198 votes

Carolyn Edelstein did her best to think outside the box on this one. With her denim project, she didn’t just want to recycle her old jeans, but rather, to repurpose them…

Recycled Denim Ankle Warmers

207 votes

With her entry, Carolyn Edelstein decided to take a simple tack: A pair of extra cuffs she describes as the poor man’s boots, or a sister to “warm-ups.” The legs of…

Dressy Recycled Denim Baby Hat and Booties

117 votes

Inara Gauja created a gorgeous crocheted set, including an adorable hat and baby booties. Each piece has been fashioned from torn strips of worn denim trousers, sewn together to make…

Recycled Denim Baby Booties

104 votes

So your tot may not be ready to run a mile just yet, but what better way to show of their sporty side than with these denim baby booties? Betty Mathers made these adorable booties…

Handwoven Recycled Denim Area Rug

335 votes

Over the course of six months, Alison King converted more than 120 pairs of jeans into an 8.5×10.5- foot area rug. The jeans were sourced from her own closet, as well as from…

Recycled Denim Doggie Vest

117 votes

Comprising reclaimed denim with red plaid trim, Deborah Winters’ doggie vest is made with safety in mind, using heavy-duty hook-and-loop closures, a buckle on the neck, reflective…

Jeanius Recycled Denim Hats from Ivy Glass

106 votes

Having a bad hair day? Try one of Ivy Glass Ecouture’s cadet hats on for size. Made from upcycled dark, light, and acid-wash jeans—sourced from thrift stores and friends’…

Recycled Denim Seat Cushions

101 votes

Here’s a visually witty idea: Turn your old jeans into a seat cushion, so that you’re sitting on a faux “lap.” That’s exactly what Barbie Shukster did,…

Reversible Recycled Denim Handbag

63 votes

Nicola Mesham of Pouchbags made this eco-friendly tote using repurposed jeans and vintage fabric. It’s 100 percent recycled; even the straps are made from an upcycled denim…

Comfy Recycled Denim Mattress

150 votes

A DIY denim-filled mattress! Everyone’s focused on creating a natural sleeping environment these days, but many can’t afford an all-natural mattress. Open Your Eyes has…

Crafty Rug Made From Recycled Jeans and T-Shirts

80 votes

Julie Picken-Cooper had some perfectly good jeans that didn’t fit her anymore, and it seemed so wasteful to just throw them out. Instead, she got the idea this summer to reuse…

Laundry Maid Recycled Denim Bags

132 votes

Laundry Maid’s recycled accessories are creations made from old, unwanted stock lines of jeans. Each bag uses the top of a pair to create the body, with a base and straps…

Recycled Denim Laptop Case and Clever Computer Disguise

260 votes

Cas de Nîmes is a series of laptop cases made out of old jeans. The first one was originally created in 2006 by Adrian Jankowiak and is still in everyday use. Built to be practical…

Reco Jeans Made From Denim Factory Scraps

39 votes

Reco Jeans is a company focused on creative reuse. For a great new look, Reco takes all the unwanted scraps from denim factories, that would otherwise be sent to landfill, and turns…

Awwwww-Inducing Recycled Denim Baby Boots

187 votes

Audrey Hussey crafted these absolutely adorable denim baby boots from reclaimed denim. They have non-skid suede soles, hook-and-loop straps, and inner flaps to keep out the elements and…

Toddler Skinny Jeans From The Sway Denim Collection

22 votes

These super-cute jeans are made special for your favorite toddler, and are part of The Sway’s Fall Denim Collection. Every piece in the collection is made from reclaimed denim…

Striking Lace and Recycled Denim Necklaces

273 votes

These delicate and at the same time rugged necklaces by Love and Dream are the perfect combination of romantic lace and durable denim. Made of strips of denim that have been rolled up…

Recycled Blue Jean Corset

153 votes

Angela Friedman is a custom corsetmaker who has recently begun experimenting with recycled and upcycled materials. For this project, she cut up two-and-a-half pairs of old, ripped-up,…

Wide-Brimmed Denim Sun Hat

42 votes

Susan Morehead loves denim, loves recycling, and Ioves hats. This sun hat is an original design that uses jean details as accents and points of interest…