Learn how to make a denim bib out of the pant leg of an old pair of jeans. These homemade bibs are durable and spill-resistant and great for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Paired with a couple of these extra-large homemade receiving blankets, they make a great baby shower gift.
In addition to our awesome repurposed denim craft aprons, these homemade bibs are one of my favourite ways to use old jeans.
Making baby bibs from old jeans and tee shirts is fun and easy, and the quality is such that they’re the only bibs I use in my daycare anymore.
They wash up and hold up so well
The bibs in the photo below are almost 10 years old. They’ve been used daily by dozens of kids over the years, and there’s not a stain on them. I only ever wash them with my homemade laundry detergent. These bibs just get better and better with age.
They’re more durable and stain-resistant than any store-bought bib I’ve ever had, and they’re as comfortable as… a favourite old tee and a pair of jeans.
If you don’t have an old tee shirt to use for the back of the bib, a flannel shirt or the leg of some old flannel pjs work great. You just want the back to be made of something soft and supple so the bib won’t be too stiff.
Easy to make!
These bibs are very easy to make too, so, like our extra-large receiving blankets, they’re a great beginner sewing project.
If you can sew a straight line, you can make these bibs.
Great gift for baby!
These denim bibs also make great baby shower gifts!
For my daycare, I keep things plain and simple, but when I’m giving one of these bibs as a gift, I jazz the bibs up by using darker denim and adding strip across the front.
Whether you have one or two children, or a whole houseful of them, you’re going to love these bibs for so many reasons!
Why I love our repurposed denim bibs:
- easy to make
- give a new life to an old pair of jeans
- stain-resistant
- durable
- can be custom-sized to fit any age
- easy to clean
- comfortable
- reversible
- makes a great homemade baby gift
Durable and stain-resistant
Think about how durable denim is. It’s the work-horse of the fabric industry. And it’s actually very stain-resistant too.
Spaghetti sauce, ketchup, blueberries, raspberries… Believe me… these bibs have seen their share of spills over the years. All stains and spills wash right out, and I do not pre-soak or scrub. If the mess is really bad – like spaghetti, I’ll just run the bibs under the taps right after lunch, and then they get tossed in the hamper.
To make your denim bibs you’ll need:
- a pair of old jeans (one pant leg per bib)
- fabric for reverse (old tee shirt/flannel shirt/flannel pj pant leg)
- sewing machine
- scissors
- velcro
- store-bought bib to make template from
Make a simple template or pattern:
To make a template, use a bib that you already own and love (the bigger the better, in my opinion).
Trace that bib on a piece of newspaper (or waxed paper, wrapping paper etc), adding 1/4 inch seam allowance, and cut it out. Voila… instant pattern.
Making your bib:
- Cut off the bottom-half of a pant leg (from the knee down)
- Cut open the pant leg along the thickest inseam
- Cut your tee-shirt open as well (or your pjs or flannel shirt – whatever you’re using for the back of the bib)
- Lay your tee shirt over your denim (right sides together).
- Place your pattern on top, and pin in place.
- Cut around your pattern.
- Remove your paper pattern, but leave your bib pieces pinned together.
*Don’t worry if your denim piece has a seam running across it. That’s all part of the re-purposed look. (If you’re giving as a gift, there are tips below for making a less casual bib.)
- Sew your front and back pieces together, leaving a 1.5 inch hole along one side of the bib for turning right-side-out.
- Turn your bib right side out and iron it flat.
- Pin the hole shut, and stitch it closed.
- Top stitch all around the edge of the bib so that over time, the front and back layers don’t shift.
- Last step: sew a couple of squares of velcro to the ends of the bib for fastening, and you’re done.
How to dress your bib up to give as a gift:
If you’d like to fancy up your bibs a bit to give them as a gift, just top-stitch a piece of cotton or flannel across the good side of the denim piece before you sew the front and back together. Fold the top and bottom edge of the strip under and iron in place before sewing it to the bib, so your strip has finished edges.
Wasn’t that easy?
Aren’t they just the best?
I love that denim is somewhat water resistant, so these bibs don’t get all soppy if there are spills while eating.
They can take a ton of wear and tear, and they’re so easy to make.
More re-purposing projects for you to love:
- Repurposed Denim Aprons
- 50+ Ways to Re-Use Baby Food Jars
- 25 Ways to Re-Use Your Keurig K-Cups
- 22 Things to Make with Cardboard Rolls
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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
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Katie
OK, so you are awesome at teaching AND sewing! You are too much! 😉 LOVE THEM!
happyhooligans
And you are too kind, Katie! Thank you. 🙂
Kristie Lynn Pepsny
Love these! Made some for a baby shower and sewed a strip across with cute fabric. Everyone loved them! Someone even offered me their old jeans if I needed more! Definitely making the aprons too.
happyhooligans
Good for you, Kristie! I’m so glad you made them! Aren’t they fun and cute? That’s great that you were offered some old jeans too! I love that! Let me know how the aprons turn out! 🙂
Lidia
Great repurposing. Can’t wait to make them for my little granddaughter! Thank you!
Erica
This is a great idea! I have tons of old jeans that I just can’t get rid of, but they are definitely not wearable anymore. I’ll have to try this!
I have a love-hate relationship with velcro….well, it’s probably 90% hate (and it only gets any love because I don’t have to tie my son’s shoes all the time!)….so I may have to do snaps, or get over the intimidation factor and learn to use the button-hole foot on my sewing machine.
Susan
Thank you so much for sharing the bibs and aprons. I am going to mske them. I might ask for a room in the daycare to do my sewing in.
Rita
I just tried it – it was supposed to be a present for a baby-party…. but I wanted to keep it aaaall myself for later when having own children 🙂
Rob O'Neill
Oh, I love denim bibs so much and I could say that you really did a great job in making these awesome bibs of yours. I have tons of old jeans in my cabinet so I will try making these bibs too. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Fontaine Richardson
Absolutely Awesome
Judi McElmury
I would like to know how to make the aprons if you could please send back the steps on how to make them.
hanks Judi
happyhooligans
The link is right there at the bottom of the post, Judi. Just click on it, and it will take you to the step-by-step instructions for the aprons. 🙂
Rebekh
I have been a nurse for 40 odd years, I work with pedi & geri patients. I took you apron & bib projects, put them together to make larger bibs for my elderly “kids”. works Great, Thank you so much. Bekah
happyhooligans
Fantastic, Rebekh! It always makes me so happy when I hear that my ideas have been used with the elderly. Thank you for letting me know. Blessings to you and your patients. x
Kelly
I am new to sewing. You don’t explain how to sew the flannel across the front of the bib. How do you do that and not have the edges shown? I would really like to try this for my grandson, but I have no idea how you do it, since you did not provide those instructions
happyhooligans
Before you sew the back to the front, Kelly, take a strip of flannel. Press a hem on top and bottom edges (just fold a little bit of your flannel edges over to the back, and press in place with an iron. Lay your flannel right side facing on the good side of the front of the bib. Topstitch in place. Then sew the back and front of the bib together. 🙂 Hope this helps.
Amanda
I would of never thought of denim for a bib… But that is a brilliant idea. ! Thanks for the idea ! #willbetrying
Karen @ Raising Little Superheroes
What a clever idea! I’m definitely going to try and make these although I’m not sure about my sewing abilities. I have tried every brand of bibs but my son doesn’t like the feel of them. I bet he will like these. Thanks for the genius idea!
Carissa
Would fleece work well for the backing fabric? I have way too much fleece here in bright yellow and hot pink that I’d like to use up. Or would it attract stains? Thanks. 🙂
happyhooligans
I think it would likely be fine. It would be so soft and cushy too!
Sara
Great use for old denim, and pretty simple design. My only concern is with using Velcro instead of a button, have you tried it with a button? I will give these a try in the next week.
happyhooligans
I’ve never used buttons for the bibs, Sarah. The velcro is still holding strong, and we’ve been using our bibs for years.
Lacie
Just finished up a stack of these bibs for my sister who’s expecting. Used scraps of cloth from my other baby projects for the decorative strips and the backs. I had the legs from some snakeskin print jeans I cut into shorts and got 4 really cool ones from those. Great tutorial, very easy to follow.
C
If a person doesn’t like the seam showing, they could put the accent strip of cotton/flannel over the seam to cover it.
Thanks for a great tutorial!