Learn how to create your own stuffed animal owl using an old pair of jeans. This fun upcycle blue jean craft uses glue to make an adorable no sew denim owl.
We all have that pair of jeans we love. It’s a sad day when we have to say good-bye to them when they wear out. Or when your kids’ jeans have one simple hole in the knee but are otherwise good. There is no where for them to go but the trash. That’s why we love these denim owls. They are a great way make a recycled craft with old jeans.
This no sew craft is great to make with kids and especially a scout troop. Just have an adult handle the hot glue. But the rest can be done quite easily by smaller hands. It’d also be fun to make these using colored denim.
No Sew Denim Owls from Old Jeans
Materials:
Old denim jeans (without holes or rips)
Rice, beans or small aquarium stones
Felt
Baker’s twine/jute/yarn
Scissors
Directions:
Cut the denim pant leg from a pair of old jeans so that it is 12″ in length. We used tapered leg pants for these, but they will work with straight or boot or any leg pants! If you use tapered leg pants (skinny jeans) the wider part is the bottom of the owl.
Turn the pant leg inside out and seal bottom seam with hot glue. Be careful to seal it well so that there are no openings in the seal.
For the top, fold the fabric so you have a 1/2″ hem and seal with hot glue. Leave the top of the fabric open. You are NOT sealing the leg yet. Just creating a hem. Once the hem is completed, turn the pant leg around so it’s right side out. You will have an opening still to fill the owl.
Fill the owl with 1 cup of rice or beans. Shake to the bottom to evenly distribute.
Fill the remaining owl cavity with fiber fill, leaving about 1″ of denim at the top.
Spread hot glue across the top and seal shut.
Cut a piece of baker’s twine and tie both of the corners to create 2 ears.
Double knot the twine and trim the tails of the twine.
Set aside the owl body. It’s time to make some eyes. Use a bottle cap that measures about 1 3/4″ in diameter. Trace the shape onto felt and cut out two circles. This is the outer circle of the eyes.
Snip around the felt circle, about 1/4″ into the circle spaced about 1/2″ apart.
For the inner circle of the eye, use a bottle cap as a guide to cut a circle about 1″ in diameter. Cut on the outside of the circle just like you did on the larger circle. Attach to the center of the outer circle. Glue the two circles together with hot glue.
Attach the googly eyes to the felt eye circles using Fabric Fusion. Then hot glue the full eyes to the front of the denim owl body.
Next embellish the body of the owl. Start with the belly. Cut out a belly by folding a piece of felt in half and cutting the shape shown. It’s a long oval with a flat bottom.
Open the felt and you should have a belly to fit your owl. Attach to the body with hot glue.
Cut out two wings from black felt. The wings are a tear drop shape.
Attach the wings to the sides of the body with hot glue.
Cut a small triangle beak and attach with hot glue to the front of the owl between the eyes.
Stand the owls up and pat them on a flat surface to stand on their own and display.
For a small owl:
To make a small owl, cut the denim pant leg 9″ in length and fill the owl with 3/4 cup of rice or beans. All other directions are the same.
Yield: 1 Owl
No Sew Denim Owls from Old Jeans
Make old jeans into a cute owl! This fun upcycle blue jean craft uses glue to make an adorable no sew denim owl.
Materials
- Old denim jeans (without holes or rips)
- Rice, beans or small aquarium stones
- Hot glue and hot glue gun
- Felt
- Fabric fusion
- 1" diameter google eyes
- Fiber fill
- Baker's twine/jute/yarn
- Scissors
Instructions
- Cut the denim pant leg from a pair of old jeans so that it is 12" in length. We used tapered leg pants for these, but they will work with straight or boot or any leg pants! If you use tapered leg pants (skinny jeans) the wider part is the bottom of the owl.
- To make a small owl, cut the denim pant leg 9" in length and fill the owl with 3/4 cup of rice or beans. All other directions are the same.
- For the top, fold the fabric so you have a 1/2" hem and seal with hot glue. Leave the top of the fabric open. You are NOT sealing the leg yet. Just creating a hem. Once the hem is completed, turn the pant leg around so it's right side out. You will have an opening still to fill the owl.
- Fill the remaining owl cavity with fiber fill, leaving about 1″ of denim at the top.
- Spread hot glue across the top and seal shut.
- Cut a piece of baker's twine and tie both of the corners to create 2 ears.
- Double knot the twine and trim the tails of the twine.
- Set aside the owl body. It's time to make some eyes. Use a bottle cap that measures about 1 3/4″ in diameter. Trace the shape onto felt and cut out two circles. This is the outer circle of the eyes.
- Snip around the felt circle, about 1/4″ into the circle spaced about 1/2″ apart.
- For the inner circle of the eye, use a bottle cap as a guide to cut a circle about 1″ in diameter. Cut on the outside of the circle just like you did on the larger circle. Attach to the center of the outer circle. Glue the two circles together with hot glue.
- Attach the googly eyes to the felt eye circles using Fabric Fusion. Then hot glue the full eyes to the front of the denim owl body.
- Next embellish the body of the owl. Start with the belly. Cut out a belly by folding a piece of felt in half and cutting the shape shown. It's a long oval with a flat bottom.
- Open the felt and you should have a belly to fit your owl. Attach to the body with hot glue.
- Cut out two wings from black felt. The wings are a tear drop shape.
- Attach the wings to the sides of the body with hot glue.
- Cut a small triangle beak and attach with hot glue to the front of the owl between the eyes.
- Stand the owls up and pat them on a flat surface to stand on their own and display.
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