Gorgeous Upcycled Old Blue Jeans Necklace

Denim and pearls is a classic combination and now you can create a beautiful and unique version. This old blue jeans necklace is made from upcycled a pair of worn denim pants and creates a stunning necklace that is a great pairing of classy with comfortable fashion so it works well with anything you happen to wear from the little black dress to your favorite t-shirt and shorts.

Old Blue Jeans Necklace

We all know that feeling when we can’t find our favorite pair of jeans. They are your favorite but they have gotten so worn that you can’t even wear them anymore. When that happens, it’s time to turn them into this beautiful upcycled denim necklace!

This one-of-a-kind necklace is made from recycled blue jeans. The rosette style is both unique and chic, making it the perfect accessory for any outfit. Whether you’re dressing up for a night out or just running errands, this necklace will add a touch of personality to your look. With a few pearl accents, you have your denim and pearls and you are going to look stunning.

If you want something a bit more simple, check out this finger-knitted necklace instead. It’s so easy to make and fits with almost any outfit.

What Glue is Best to Hold the Demin Together?

To make your own denim rosette necklace, you will need strong glue. My go-to glue is almost always going to be hot glue because it is convenient, holds well, and is affordable.

If I am unsure if the glue will hold well, then I prefer to use E-6000 because it holds the denim together well and dries clear. Gorilla glue is another option that is convenient. Super glue might work as long as you are using a good brand and not a knock-off version, like the ones from the dollar store.

Another alternative when making this necklace is to sew the individual rosettes onto the denim base. This is much more time-consuming, but would be secure and may result in a way to add more color with gold thread or similar when sewing.

What All Can I Use for the Base/Necklace Part?

You can use just about anything for the base of the necklace. I used the same denim cut into the shape I wanted, but you could use any fabric, felt, leather, or even no base and just glue the rosettes together in the shape that you want.

For the necklace part that ties around your neck, I chose a lightweight piece of lace ribbon. I love the way it plays off the look of the old blue jeans necklace. You can use another type of fabric, ribbon, or even leather rope if you want to have a different look. If desired, you could even use a traditional chain or jewelry wire.

Mostly, you need to make sure what you use is soft enough and comfortable enough to wear, but also strong enough to hold the denim flours and pearls in place around your neck without tearing or breaking.

How Else Can I Decorate My Denim Necklace?

After you have made your denim flowers, you can decorate them any way you like. The necklace itself has tons of options to customize from the shape to color or style. Below are some ideas that I think could work well with this necklace design.

• Wrap ribbon around the denim or interweave it with the spirals of denim to create rosettes with more color.
• Use paint pens or fabric paint to add hints of color on just the tops or edges of the flowers.
• Mix and match the denim with different washes and colors so it has a pattern instead of just one color.
• Sew beads or sequins onto the denim rosettes around the edges or over the top alongside the pearl beads.
• Replace the pearls with rhinestones or beads for a bit more sparkle.
• Spray with glitter spray or glitter fabric paint to make it pick up more sparkle in the light.
• Add a few fake leaves between the rosettes or some green ribbon woven around them to look more realistic.

Supplies Needed

How to Make a Blue Jeans Necklace

Start by cutting your denim to make the different-sized rosettes. I used just the hems, strips around the pockets, and the seam inside the legs on the denim. These are stiff enough to hold their shape, and often go unused in crafting.

Once you have cut off the seam pieces, then you will measure and cut a piece of denim to create the base of the necklace. I cut mine 3″ wide and 6″ long, with a curve in the center. You can make yours any shape and size you prefer.

To do this, I cut the basic rectangle, then folded it in half and cut off the corner of one side at an angle.

Then, I unfolded it to create the base of the necklace.

Now, go back to the seams you cut off earlier, and begin rolling them and gluing them to themselves. You will continue this rolling all the different lengths into various-sized rosettes.

Now, arrange these rolls on top of the base you cut earlier. Mix and match the different sizes to cover the entire denim base. Then, glue those into place.

Once the base is covered, go back over the rosettes and glue pearl beads around the top, in between the rolls, and in random places.

Next, glue the lace ribbon around the edge of the base of the necklace. Then, make sure it is long enough on both ends to tie around your neck.

The total length of the ribbon I used was around 18″, but you can make it shorter or longer to suit your preferences.

More Easy Denim Craft Ideas

I love the idea of upcycling as much of the pair of blue jeans as possible. So, with leftover items from this project, you can easily make one or all of the ideas below. Make sure you bookmark the ideas, print out the tutorials, or pin them to Pinterest to make soon!

Finished Project Gallery

Add different colored lace or ribbon around the edges to make it even more unique or to fit your wardrobe better.