Nicole Stevenson got into her beat-up Chevy station wagon, looked into her rearview mirror and cried. She had just spent an entire afternoon at a craft fair in a parking lot in Dana Point. The ...

Calling all crafters, quilters, and sewists—this one's for you. Sometimes the best DIY projects come from materials you would least expect—namely, the pile of leftover fabric from your other crafts.

Step 1: Cut different shapes from the swatches or iron-on patches. Step 2: Map out a design on the jeans. Consider repairing existing tears or threadbare areas. Experiment with overlapping patches and ...