Introduction: Recycled Denim Cell Phone Pocket

I needed a cloth pocket for my new cell phone to protect it in my purse and did not want to spend a lot of money on a manufactured one when I have fabric and craft stuff laying around the house. I did use a bit of needle and thread, but realized at the end that this entire project can be done with just craft glue.

This project is easy enough for a child to do, but I highly recommend adult supervision with the scissors and the glue.

I used a pair of toddler child's blue jeans (size 4T) that all 3 of my kids had worn but the poor jeans had outlived its usefulness. This pocket is not only useful, it's sentimental as well. I decorated this with an iron-on patch (that I glued down with fabric glue) but you could leave it plain, paint it with fabric paint, etc.

Since I had all of the materials already, this didn't cost me a dime, but all the items I used are very inexpensive at a store like Wal-mart and can also be found at any craft or fabric store. If you don't have a pair of blue jeans that have pockets that will fit your cell phone or are not to your liking, you can pick up a pair inexpensively at a thrift store or even free from your local Freecycle.org group.

Step 1: Items Needed

Items Needed:

  • Blue Jeans with two intact rear pockets
  • Heavy duty scissors
  • Fabric glue (I used Aleene's Fabric Fusion)
  • Fray glue (I used Tailor's Fray Block)
  • Hook and loop closure (I used Velcro brand) (Note, do not use magnetic closure or a snap, both can damage the cell phone.)
  • Needle and thread (optional, not pictured)

Step 2: Cutting the Denim

As you can see in the picture and in the final product, the cell phone pocket takes TWO rear blue jean pockets.

Find a donor pair of blue jeans that you can cut up - if they don't belong to you, ask first! (LOL)

If you plan on decorating the case afterwards (as I did), choose the prettiest pocket for the piece that will be exposed most. If the pockets already have nice embroidery, you might not even want to decorate it.

See diagram for how to cut. The top flap (outlined in red) is cut right around the pocket, the bottom flap (outlined in pink) is cut around the bottom and sides but give it more material at the top to be used in fastening the top to the bottom.

Step 3: Fasten the Two Pockets Together

Turn the bottom pocket (the pocket with the extra material) over so the "inside" is up.

Turn the top flap upside down and butt the two together, leaving a little flap on the bottom side (see picture in next step).

I used needle and thread and whip-stitched the two together, but that is optional since fabric glue will work fine.

Please follow the instructions on the fabric glue bottle and work in a well-ventilated room.

Step 4: Seal the Edges

Flip the pocket over and now glue the flap down, following the instructions on the bottle of fabric glue.

When that is dry, use the fray glue and run a bead around all the edges so they will not unravel.

Please follow the instructions on the fray glue bottle and work in a well-ventilated room.

Step 5: Place the Fasteners On

Now, when the fray glue is dry, slip your cell phone inside the pocket and fold the top flap down. That will show you where to place the hook and loop closure (also known as Velcro) on the inside of the pocket.

Place the hook closure (the scratchy half) on the bottom and the loop closure (the soft half) on the top. The soft part is better on top because there is less of a chance of it possibly scratching your cell phone.

Hook and loop closures are typically found with sticky glue backs, but if yours doesn't have that, feel free to use fabric glue to fasten them down with. I would not recommend sewing them because the threads on the bottom half would rub against your phone.

Step 6: Final Thoughts

There you go, it's done!

Now it does take more than a few minutes for the glues to totally dry, I would recommend giving it a few hours or overnight, so don't attempt to make this if you are going to need it immediately.

I really enjoyed making this because it was easy and fast.

Some other ideas:

  • Sew a small "rock climbing clip" to a corner and fasten this to your belt loop or pocket book strap.
  • Sew a key ring to a corner and attach your keys to it.
  • Sew or glue a large piece of hook & loop to the back side of this and the other piece to the inside of your pocketbook to always keep your cell phone where you can reach it easily.
  • Make one to fit your MP3 player.
  • Make one to fit your digital camera.