Upcycle progress

For my upcycle project, I’ve started transforming an old pair of jeans into a functional, yet stylish, denim toolbelt. I chose to work with denim because it’s durable, widely available, and the perfect material for a functional accessory like a toolbelt. Originally, I envisioned a reworked industrial aesthetic, but as the project progressed, I felt that a patchwork industrial look would better capture the creativity and sustainability I wanted to emphasize. This approach focuses on reusing what’s already available rather than creating new resources, and I’m excited to see how I can blend these elements together.

At the moment, I’ve gathered all the materials I need: a pair of jeans, a buckle, and some scrap plaid fabric I found. I’m still figuring out how to assemble everything, but I’ve already cut out a pattern for the main body of the belt and started working with the denim. One of the more challenging parts so far was cutting up the jeans, as I didn’t want to ruin the fabric. However, once I started, I realized it wasn’t as difficult as I expected, and I was able to repurpose the denim without much hassle.

I’m planning on adding at least two main pockets, one with a zipper closure, as well as smaller pockets for other tools. I want the toolbelt to be functional but also easy to wear, so it blends into my everyday outfits. The denim itself will be the central focus, with the plaid fabric and the buckle adding small touches of detail that reflect the industrial feel I’m going for.

So far, my main concern has been finding a good balance between making sure the toolbelt is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. I also want to make sure that the sewing machine doesn’t break on me again, as it has in past projects. I’m still working on perfecting my stitching, but the process is going smoother than I anticipated.

I’m excited to continue this project and push my skills further as I make more upcycled pieces in the future. I also plan to document more thoroughly as I go, which will help me with reflection and improvement in the next steps of my design process.

sources:

1. Pinterest,https://www.pinterest.com/pin/516014069818160006/