We all have pieces of clothing we don’t use anymore either because they look wasted, they don’t fit us the way they used to or, simply, because we don’t like them anymore.
Getting rid of clothes is always a painful situation because we spent money on them and throwing them away makes us feel terrible. Why not recycle them then? There are countless options out there and I want to talk to you about one of them.
If you have a pair of old cargo pants you don’t use anymore, why not turn them into a satchel? This is very practical and can make a great inexpensive gift. If you like the idea, keep on reading to find out exactly what you must do.
1. First of all, I’m going to tell you what you are going to need to recycle your old cargo pants into a satchel. Apart from the cargo pants, of course, you should get hold of a belt that matches the pants or just a belt that you think would look good on your bag. You are also going to need scissors that are big enough to cut fabric, some chalk, measuring tape and, very importantly, a sewing machine.
2. Now that you have everything you need, you have to cut the pants into three different sections. The first is the top section, which is the part that goes from the waist to the inseam. Then you should cut the middle section, which starts right below the inseam and goes all the way down to the pockets on the legs of the pants. Finally, the third section, which is the bottom part of your cargo pants and starts right below the pockets on the legs.
3. It’s time to cut the fabric from the bottom of the pants to create the back of the bag and the flap that folds over. You decide how big you want the bag to be, so it really is up to you how much fabric you are going to need. If you want to add pockets to the back of the bag, you can cut out the back pockets from the upper part of your cargo pants and sew them onto the fabric that will become the back of the satchel. The more pockets your bag has, the better.
4. To make the front of the bag, cut out the area of the pockets that are placed on the legs of the cargo pants and sew them together. Make sure you cut enough fabric to match the back of the bag.
5. Joining the front and the back of the bag is extremely easy. All you have to do is sew them together with the sewing machine.
6. All that’s left to do is creating the strap. Simply cut out the loops of the belt of your cargo pants. Now grab the belt and make it go from the right extreme of the bag to the left. It’s time to sew the belt loops on top of the belt to make sure it doesn’t come off.
Your satchel is ready! Now you won’t have to feel bad about getting rid of your old cargo pants because you have managed to recycle them into something most people find useful. Satchels are great for carrying just about whatever, from laptops to books or even food. They are used by women, men and teenagers, which means you could literally make anyone happy by gifting them one of your homemade satchels.