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May 22, 2003 -- A campfire denim storage bag. (SHNS photo by Debbie Stapley/DIY - Do It Yourself.)
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By Debbie Stapley
Do It Yourself Network Keeping camping goodies and gadgets together can be fixed with this easy-to-make denim bag. Skewers, long matches, graham crackers and chocolate inside could also make a great summer gift.
Materials Needed: One pair of old, men's size denim jeans
Sewing machine Step 1 Cut one leg of the blue jean to fit your campfire skewers with extra for a 2-inch overlap on the top edge and fringe at the top and bottom of the bag. If you want your bag to be 30 inches long (finished) and you want 2 inches of fringe at the bottom and 10 inches of fringe at the top, you'll need to cut the leg to a 44-inch length. Step 2 Using a very sturdy stitch, sew across the bottom of the leg, 2 inches up from the bottom edge. If you don't have an extra sturdy stitch on your machine, just plan to straight-stitch across the edge several times, remembering to back stitch at the beginning and end. Step 3 Cut the bottom edge of your pant leg, creating fringe -- you decide how wide to make it. Step 4 Turn over the top edge of your pant leg to the outside -- 12 inches for a 2-inch overlap and 10-inch-long fringe. Using a very sturdy stitch, stitch all around the top of the leg, 2 inches from the top edge, and cut the excess into fringe using your scissors. Step 5 Using a decorative stitch on your machine, stitch around the top edge of your pant leg. If you don't have a decorative stitch on your machine, try stitching on some cute buttons or appliques. Step 6 Create a handle for your bag by cutting another long piece of denim from the other leg of the pants. Cut it about 36 inches long and 5 inches wide. Fold in half lengthwise, with right sides together, and stitch along the long side, leaving the short ends open. Turn right side out. Step 7 Attach to the bag by sewing each end to the inside of the bag on opposite sides of the bag. Be sure you use a sturdy stitch here too. Place at least 2 inches of the strap inside the bag and sew in place in four places: Along the top edge, about 1 inch down from the edge, and then also connecting those two lines of stitching, creating a rectangle of stitching lines. Step 8 Cut the excess denim on each end of the strap into short fringe. Step 9 Fill the bag with a box of graham crackers, a box of chocolate bars, a bag of marshmallows and your campfire skewers. This also makes a great gift for summertime adventurers. (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.shns.com.)
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