Repurposed Denim

Have your worn-out jeans seen better days? Would that acid-washed denim jacket be better off in the 80’s? Luckily, America’s favorite wardrobe item has long had a second life; 51% of consumers report to the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle MonitorTM survey that they donate old denim to charity. Those faded 70’s bell-bottoms often become a hot vintage find. And that denim jacket? The perfect accessory for an 80’s costume party.

But for the 6% of consumers who re-purpose denim as rags for cleaning projects or in sewing projects, according to Monitor data, there are all sorts of creative ideas for breathing new life into your jeans. Cut off the legs to make shorts or a denim skirt, sew patches together to make a quilt, piece several pairs together for a stylish denim jacket, create a fun, fashionable tote bag, or even a pot holder! Click here for more instructions on how to put your creative stamp on an old pair of jeans.

On the other hand, donating denim to the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.^® denim drive gives your jeans new life in another way: as natural cotton fiber insulation. The multi-stage process involves removing buttons, zippers and studs before converting it back into its natural fiber state, as cotton. To date, the natural cotton fiber insulation produced has been used in building new homes for more than 100 families in the Gulf Coast region. For more information, visit the website