There was a time not too long ago when cargo pants could be found on everyone from college students and fashionistas to grandpas, aunts and toddlers. "So handy!" we thought to ourselves..."Just look at all those pockets!" We gamely purchased multiple pairs from Old Navy or Target and slipped them on at every chance we could get, but as with most garments manufactured in third world countries by mega-corporations using the cheapest quality materials they could pass off, our formerly nifty pants began to look a little worse for the wear. Still, we soldiered on, sporting them exclusively on the weekends while running errands...but not surprisingly, they ended up becoming a bit threadbare in areas and generally kind of sloppy-looking all around.
Uh-oh...time for a repurposing intervention. Donating your tattered cargo pants to the thrift store may do nothing more than get them a one-way-trip to the rag pile, whereas with any of the following project ideas, you will ensure that your once-treasured multi-pocked wonders become reincarnated into all sorts of wonderfully practical, one-of-a-kind items that can add a certain, how shall we say...eco-panache to your wardrobe. This is no time to become intimidated by needle and thread (or sewing machine, for that matter). Where there's a will, there's a way, so don't shy away from recruiting a crafty cousin to help you make your cargo repurposing dreams a reality. You'll be glad you did once you feast your eyes on the wonderful project ideas that are featured below.
The first one out of the gates was conjured up by green crafter and all around design whiz, Betz White, who has almost as enthusiastic a following as Martha Stewart. She is notorious for cooking up perpetually brilliant repurposing ideas, each one better than the next -- her cargo pants-turned reversible bucket hat design is, in a word, divine. As she suggests, applying a little strategic placement of pocket details can kick your cargo hat up a few notches - line it with an old dress shirt for yet another dimension of eco-wow. If you aren't able to use her photo as a springboard for your crafty inspirations, the etsy crafter has made her actual pattern/instructions for this design available for purchase in her online shop.
Next up is Little Orange Monkeys' adorably handmade baby shower gift -- a bib and matching booties utilizing a combination of seen-better-days denim, an old button-down shirt and cargo maternity pants. Put 'em all together and what do you have? A dynamic combo that puts anything you could purchase at Baby Gap to utter shame.
Studio 23 Art sells this beach bag -- made out of 100% repurposed cargo-pants-meet-floral-skort -- for the tidy sum of $60. Making a bunch of these puppies and selling them to game repurposing enthusiasts (who happen to be terrified of engaging in craft projects on their own) wouldn't be too shabby at all.
While all the above are undoubtedly cool, Noodlehead's cargo pants messenger bag (pictured above and below) takes the cake in my humble opinion. Not only is it perfectly utilitarian and unisex (as long as you use the appropriate fabric color/pattern), it looks great and she even went to great pains to post a comprehensive photo tutorial on her blog which I've taken the liberty of reposting in its entirety below. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I hope that in the next several weeks, people from all walks of life begin sporting handmade Noodlehead-inspired repurposed cargo bags while out and about -- I feel a DIY revolution coming on.
Materials:
1 pair cargo pants (from the going to Goodwill pile, of course)
1/2 yard lining material
bias tape (store bought or make your own)
thread
{1/4" seam allowances throughout}
Getting started...
Take your pair of cargo pants and cut the inseam of each leg of the pants up to the crotch area. Cut straight across the leg of the pants in either direction. This should give you enough fabric to work with, you'll have two large pieces to cut your exterior bag pieces from.
Cut the bag exterior pieces:
Front flap (this is where the cargo pocket comes in handy - cool pockets you don't have to sew!) 10" wide x 13" tall, round the corners by tracing the edge of a small bowl (or roll of tape in my case)
Front and back of bag 10.5"wide by 11.5" tall
Side gusset (cut 2) 12" x 2.5"
Bottom gusset 11" x 2.5"
Strap 44-52" long by 2.5" wide (*Leaving this measurement up to you on the length, whatever you feel comfortable with.*) I ended up piecing my strap together because I didn't end up with a piece long enough.
Cut the same size pieces from the lining material. I used a fat quarter to make the bias tape and part of the lining (gusset) on my tan cargo pant bag.
Make the strap by placing the long pieces right sides together, sew down each side. Turn tube of fabric right side out with a safety pin. Press. Topstitch down both sides about an 1/8" from each side. Set strap aside.
Now make the front flap. Put the exterior flap piece and lining flap piece WRONG sides together. Take the bias tape and attach it along the sides and bottom of the flap. Set aside.
Assembling the lining: Take gusset pieces (2 sides and a bottom) and sew the short ends together. Sew one side piece to the bottom piece and then the remaining side piece to the other side of the bottom piece. Sorry, I guess a picture is worth 1,000 words here.
Lay your connected gusset pieces right sides together on top of the front of the bag piece, pin, sew. The tricky part is the corners. Stitch down the right side until you get about 1/4" from the bottom of the bag, lift your presser foot and tuck the gusset fabric to the left side, then turn the fabric 90 degrees and continue stitching the bottom part of the bag.
Lay the back of the bag down and set the front/gusset piece on top, pin in place. Stitch the gusset to the back of the bag just like you did to the front.
Make the exterior just like you did the lining of the bag.
Assembling the bag: Turn the exterior of the bag right side out. Place the exterior of the bag into the lining so that they are facing RIGHT sides together. Place the strap with RIGHT sides facing the exterior {making sure not to get the strap twisted} onto each side of the gusset. And finally, place the front flap RIGHT sides together with the exterior of the bag. Pin all in place.
Stitch all around the opening leaving a 5-6" opening for turning. Pull bag through the opening. Push lining into bag exterior, press around the top edge making sure to tuck in the raw edged from the opening.
Topstitch around the entire opening of the bag. You're done! Now stick some books and your wallet in the bag and you're ready to go!
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If you are inclined simply just to spruce up a pair of cargo pants that look like they've been around the block one time too many, than you might want to follow the instructions laid out in the following video, which are mighty cool if you're a fan of personalized duds:
Many thanks to Noodlehead and HedgeTV!
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