DIY Scrap Fabric Craft Tutorial: Patriotic Table Runner Made With Repurposed Jeans

Claudia has been writing about crafts online for many years. She is an avid crafter who has been creating for most of her life.

Fun DIY Denim Holiday Table Runner

There's nothing like the warmer months to bring out a little red, white, and blue in all of us here in the United States. With the exception of Veteran's Day, our most patriotic holidays fall in May, June, and July. Wherever you travel, you see the stars and stripes on display, and if you are anything like me, you like to show some patriotism by decorating your home with a few festive items.

This table runner, made with a pair of old torn jeans and some fabric scraps, is an ideal addition to your collection of decor. It can be made in an afternoon if you need something in a pinch, and, best of all, you don't have to be an expert seamstress to make it.

Project Notes

• The finished runner measures 15 1/2" wide x 39 1/2" long.
• The Star cookie cutter template used measures 3".
• Fabrics used, including the blue jeans, were 100% cotton and prewashed.
• Washing instructions: Follow the washing directions provided on the fusible web packaging.

So don't throw out those torn jeans. Turn them into this charming and festive topper for your table. Enjoy!

Materials

• Assorted red, white, and blue fabrics cut into squares no less than 4". 19 stars total, 7 red, 6 white and 6 blue.
• One pair of men's jeans (these had a 32" length and no spandex in them)
• Fusible web such as Wonder Under or Heat N' Bond, but any brand will do as long as it can be washed
• Cutting mat
• Rotary cutter
• Quilter's ruler (if you don't have one, a yardstick will work)
• Good fabric scissors

1. Press and Cut the Fabrics

• Cut out 4" squares of the red, white and blue fabric. Press.
• Cut slightly smaller squares of the fusible web, just making sure that the star template you are using will fit.
• Following the directions of the fusible web, press it to the wrong side of the fabric squares.
• Set squares aside to cool completely.

2. Trace the Star

The fusible web has a paper backing which makes it easy to write on.

Once the squares have cooled, trace around the star shape with a pencil that is easy to see.

3. Cut Out the Star

• Following the traced line, cut out the star shape, using good fabric scissors if you have them.
• Set aside the cutout, leaving the paper backing on.

4. Cut Up the Jeans

The easiest way to get the large fabric pieces needed is as follows:

• Cut off the hems.
• Cut off the legs, cutting from right below the back pocket to the crotch.
• You will have two long tubes of fabric (the two pant legs).

• Take one of the legs of the jeans and cut alongside the seam, lengthwise, to open it up.
• Cut along the other side of the seam.
• Lay flat and repeat with the other long seam.
• Repeat with the second leg and press.
• You end up with four long pieces of denim.

5. Trim the Denim Fabric to Size

Depending on how you cut the legs, you'll end up with two wider pieces of denim and two thinner ones. Use the wider ones for the longer-size strips and the thinner ones for the shorter pieces. Because the pant legs aren't quite wide enough all the way down, you have to add the two shorter strips on the ends to get the length needed for the runner.

• Cut two strips 8" wide by 24 1/2" long
• Cut two strips 8" long by 15 1/2" wide
• Press

6. Sew the Table Runner Together

Place the two long denim pieces, the right sides together, and sew on the long side using a generous 1/4" seam allowance. Begin and end with a backstitch.

You will end up with a piece of fabric 15 1/2" wide by 24 1/2" long.

Press the seam open so the runner lays flat.

Then add the two end pieces, one on each end.

• Beginning on one end, add one of the 8" by 15 1/2" strips by laying it on top of the larger piece, matching up the 15 1/2" sides, right sides together.
• Sew along the 15 1/2" side.

Press the seams open, so they are flat. To press the double seam that is formed when the seam meets the center seam of the long pieces:

1. Place the runner on the ironing board.
2. Carefully snip the fabric on both sides of the seam that was previously formed when you sewed the two long sides together. Use caution, so you don't cut through the stitching.
3. Press open, and you'll have nice flat seams.
4. Repeat on the other end.

7. Sew Around the Border

Using the edge of the runner as a guideline, sew around the outside of the runner, about a scant 1/2" in from the edge. Backstitch at the beginning and end. I used red thread to add another dimension of interest to the piece.

However, this stitch line is not just for decoration. The runner has a raw edge, meaning it is not hemmed, and no border is added. Denim has a tendency to fray, and this stitching will ensure that the denim doesn't fray any further than that seam line (the red stitching line in the photo above).

8. Lay Out the Pattern

Now the fun really begins. Lay out the stars in the pattern, deciding which ones you like best and where you like them.

Use your imagination here. I like to take pictures of different layouts on my phone and then come back to the project later to decide which one I like the most.

If you have a big enough ironing surface, do this step on it, so you have everything right there when you are ready to start pressing.

9. Adhere the Stars to the Denim

Once you have your desired layout, start ironing on the stars.

• Peel off the paper backing.
• Following the manufacturer's directions, iron the stars onto the denim.

Let it cool, and voilà—you have a festive and fun table runner ready for your Fourth of July table.

Other Color Options You May Want to Try

Happy Crafting!

You can also change the template. For example, you could use an Easter egg shape for Easter or a clover for St. Patrick's Day.

© 2018 Claudia Porter

Comments

Claudia Porter (author) on July 01, 2018:

Thanks Peggy! I'm on a tear in my crafting space trying to get rid of fabrics. Over the years I've collected so much with dreams of projects never done so I'm trying to come up with quick and easy ideas. This is on my dining table right now and I'm really loving it. I appreciate the kind comments.

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on June 29, 2018:

What a clever use of old fabrics. Using a cookie cutter for the design of the stars is a good use of utilizing things you probably already had. I really liked the festive look of your table runner. Thanks for the instructions. Will pin to my craft board.

Claudia Porter (author) on June 27, 2018:

Thanks Susan. We are having people over on the fourth so this will make a nice addition to the decor.

Claudia Porter (author) on June 27, 2018:

Thank you Shasta. I agree that it's great for a casual party. It would be nice on a buffet table or drinks table.

Susan Hazelton from Northern New York on June 27, 2018:

I love the look of this table runner. It would be perfect for a July 4th barbeque.

Shasta Matova from USA on June 27, 2018:

That is really cute. Great for a nice casual Independence Day holiday picnic!

Claudia Porter (author) on June 27, 2018:

Thanks Donna. No stabilizer is needed with this project. The denim is heavy enough and it's just one layer of fabric so it's not quilted. The nice thing about denim is it lays nice and flat. If you made a runner with regular fabric I would suggest adding stabilizer or batting and add a back to it. This project is great for beginners as there isn't that much sewing involved.

Donna Herron from USA on June 27, 2018:

This is a great summer project, Claudia! I'm a novice when it comes to this type of sewing project, so I'm curious: you don't have to add some type of fabric stabilizer between your two pieces of denim to give your runner more structure or weight? Or do you only have to do that when using thinner fabrics?