Create a stylish and functional glasses case from old denim pockets with our free tutorial and pattern! This easy DIY project recycles denim and includes an extra pocket for your phone or credit cards. Perfect for keeping your essentials organized and handy!

The sun’s out, and so are my shades! To keep them scratch-free, I’ve made a chic sunglasses case out of an old pair of denim jeans.

It’s not just any case. Beyond shielding my sunglasses, it features a cleverly designed pocket for stashing essentials like cash and cards—perfect for skipping the bulky handbag. This crafty solution utilizes the front right pocket of the jeans, including that tiny fifth pocket once meant for pocket watches, now ideal for coins.

It’s a simple, fun project using parts of your jeans you might normally overlook. This case is all you need, whether heading to the park or just popping over to the café. Plus, it makes an awesome, practical gift—guys especially love the nifty pocket feature, perfect for those who prefer not to carry a bag.

More than just protection for your glasses, this DIY case acts like a mini handbag, with room for your phone, a bit of cash, and even your coffee loyalty card. Ready to make your own? Let’s stitch it up!

These glasses cases featured under the letter G in the A to Z of denim crafts.

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Materials Needed

• Old jeans – To be more precise, you want the front right pocket on a pair of jeans. The pocket with the inner coin pocket in it.T
• Lining Fabric – You will need no more than a quarter yard. You can choose the fabric to suit the recipient. Lining fabric is a great way to jazz up the sunglasses case by adding colour.
• Very thin wadding/batting
• Cotton Thread
• Sewing Machine with heavy-duty denim needle—however, if you don’t have a sewing machine, this project can be easily hand-sewn. It will just take a little longer.
• Scissors or rotary cutter, pins, pen, round cup/bowl.

How To Make A Denim Sunglasses Case

Step 1: First, cut out a 22cm square each of lining fabric, wadding, and jeans pocket. I made a 22cm square cardboard template. Cut the fabrics with a rotary cutter.

When placing the template over the jeans, make sure you get all of the front pocket, whilst moving the pocket lining out the way, so that it doesn’t get cut.

Step 2: Next, round off the bottom corners of all the pieces of fabric. To do this fold your fabric pieces in half, lengthways. Place a bowl/cup over the bottom right corner and draw around it.

Cut the fabric along your mark. Then, unfold the fabric pieces, you will now have 2 rounded corners on the bottom of each fabric piece.

Step 3: Next, put the jeans pocket and lining fabric right sides together. Place this on top of the wadding and pin together.

Leaving an edge of approximately 5mm, sew around the bottom curved edge and 2 sides of the fabric with a sewing machine (or by hand). The top should be left open.

Step 4: Trim excess fabric from the corners and turn the fabric sandwich right side out. You should have a rounded square of fabric.

One side denim and the other patterned with a wadded filling. Now carefully turn over a 5mm edge of the lining fabric pin and sew to close the top.

Step 5: Finally, fold the denim pocket pad in half lengthways, with the fabric lining on the inside. Pin and sew around the edge. Be careful as you will now be sewing through many layers of fabric.

This can be tricky, make sure you have a heavy-duty jeans needle in your sewing machine. You can even sew by hand if you want to.

The top waistband of the denim jeans can be particularly tricky. When this is the case, I leave this top 1 inch open.

This doesn’t affect the usefulness of the sunglasses case, I think it makes it more attractive as you can see more of the pretty colourful lining.

Conclusion and Other Related Crafts

I made four of these upcycled jeans cases so I had some spare for gifts.

If making the sunglasses case as a gift, you can make it even more personal by using the recipient’s old jeans. I love mine and use it all the time. The pocket is so handy.

I have also made a fun embroidered coffee pot cozy in a similar way to these denim glasses cases.
 

If you are wondering what to do with the remaining back pockets on the repurposed jeans. You can use them to make some cute hanging pocket storage for your craft room.

We are a jeans loving family with three growing boys, so I have a constant supply of old jeans to upcycle.

As I had so many denim pockets from this supply, I made my son a great denim pocket wall organizer and his very own iPhone pocket pillow for his bedroom.

Here are some of my other denim upcycles from old jeans you might want to look at.
Ikea Hack – Denim Chair Upcycle
Easy No Sew Denim Suitcase
Denim handmade dog toys

Also, check out all my other adult summer craft ideas.