Thrift Store Denim Apron
As an artist, I go through aprons rather quickly. There are a few that I will ask to be buried with I am sure, but working with acrylics and glue can wear an apron out so I had to figure out a way to find the type of apron I loved, without breaking the bank. Denim is my favorite material to wear in an apron, as long as it is soft. It holds up well to glue, paint, inks, and just about anything I can wipe on it and it washes up nicely. Back in the day, the denim “moo moo” dress or jumper was quite the trend, but not so much. That makes for great pickings at the local thrift store. The denim dress you see her is a Levi’s Jumper that I scored for three bucks!
There are pretty aprons, which I make as gifts, then there are working aprons that I make for myself. This is a working apron, requires no sewing, and I am not particular about seams etc.
Step One: Make a straight cut up the back of the dress/jumper. Depending on which type you get, you might want to leave a few inches to the left and right in case you wish to sew or fuse a seam. For this one, I noticed there was a thicker ‘band’ across the back, so I decided to cut up to it and use it as part of my tie back.
Step Two: Cut Around the Waist Band. I liked the sturdiness of this waist band so I cut around it.
Step Three: Cut the back panel out, but leave the neckline to go around your head. This part will need about of ‘trying’ out so that you get a pretty good fit around the neck. Great thing about jumpers/overalls is that the brackets give you the option to shorten or lengthen the apron as you need.
Step Four: Cut Tie Holes. I cut a small slit in each waist band for my tie strips. I use an old pair of pajamas that are soft. I don’t worry about whether or not the cut is straight, I simply cut a length of about two feet for each strip and tie them through the slit and knot them. Because they are not sewn in, I can change them as I need to.
Step Five: Try On and Adjust. Pretty much, the apron is ready to wear and use, but this stage is where I ‘tweak’ it. If it is too long, I can mark it and trim it. If there are a few pieces I need to cut back, I can do that now. The beauty of this working apron is that I am not worried about straight lines, setting stitches, or looking pretty. I spent $3.00, now have a sturdy denim apron, and am good to go until I wear it out.
If I chose to I could sew and hem this, sew some straps on, add ruffles etc, but the beauty of this apron is that it’s cheap, sturdy, requires no sewing, and serves its function well. In my busy life, those qualities are all I need in a working apron. These make great ‘class’ aprons as well if you teach art students and need aprons that are a bit more durable than the traditional canvas ones.
