Turn your old denim into a waterproof picnic blanket

Few activities are as fun and relaxing as picnicking with friends or family. Having a dedicated picnic blanket takes some of the stress out of planning your outdoor fun. From your own from denim and a shower curtain make a heavy-duty blanket that's both easy to clean and waterproof. It's a great introduction to quilting.

To create the quilted top of the blanket, you'll need denim jeans. Fuse memories to your blanket with old denim from family and friends, and for even more meaning, have loved ones decorate a few squares. Use a shower curtain lining as the bottom of your blanket to keep it from absorbing moisture. Determine the size of the blanket you want to make,and start collecting those squares.

Materials
- Denim jeans
- Rotary cutter
- Cutting mat
- Ruler
- Fabric scissors
- Fabric chalk
- Straight pins
- Blue fabric (optional)
- Sharpie
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Iron
- Quilt batting
- Shower curtain

Instructions
1. Using fabric scissors, cut a leg off of an old pair of denim.

2. Cut along the side to open up the leg, and lay it flat. Trim the top part of the leg to square off the piece of denim.

3. Measure a 6-by-6-inch square of denim to use as a template for the rest of the denim squares. A rotary cutter and ruler will help you to keep the lines straight.

4. Cut out enough squares in enough variations to make the pattern of your choice. Add squares of other fabrics if you'd like a more complex pattern.

5. Pin the squares together in strips. Using a marker, number each pinned strip.

6. Sew the squares together along each strip. Thick denim might require a stronger needle than the one currently installed on your sewing machine.

7. Use an iron to press all the seams down for a clean, flat finish.

8. As you did with the squares, pin the finished strips together with front sides facing each other. Sew the strips together.

9. Again, press the underside seams down for a flat finish. Flip your finished denim piece over, and iron the top side.

10. Pin the denim piece to a slightly larger piece of quilt batting or interfacing. Sew along the edge of the denim piece. Trim off the extra edges of batting.

11. Pin a waterproof shower curtain along three sides of your piece with the denim side up so the interfacing is on the outside. Sew along the three pinned edges. Trim the excess shower curtain material.

12. Reach inside the opening you left and turn the piece inside out, so you have the denim side facing out and the shower curtain side down. This will keep the batting inside for insulation.

13. Reduce the heat on your iron to avoid melting the plastic shower curtain. Iron along the edges you just sewed.

14. Sew a final time around all four edges of the blanket.

Now, you're ready to pack a lunch and go enjoy a picnic at the park with a heavy-duty, waterproof picnic blanket.