We need to take care of our environment, not just for ourselves but also for our children and other species with whom we share our planet. So it might be that you’ve got a pile of clothes you no longer wear or like and, instead of throwing them away like you normally would, you want to put them to good use. After all, some of them still have a bit of life left in them.
The thing is, what do you do? With just a bit of creative flair, some basic supplies and a spare hour or so, you can do some amazing things with your unwanted clothes. Here are some suggestions you can add to your to-do list.
Make a sweater into a dress
If you’ve found a big, chunky sweater that goes past your knees, then it has huge potential for style. If you get a belt and some leggings, you can turn this top into a statement piece. Cinch it in at your waist and wear the leggings to keep yourself warm when it’s feeling a bit cool. Now you have a stylish sweater dress that shows off your waistline.
Switch the buttons
It might be that your piece of clothing needs only a slight touch-up. If you have a cardigan that’s lost a bit of glory after years of use, for example, then just adding something simple could bring it back to its past splendor.
Go to a fabric or craft store to look for the perfect buttons for your top. Once you have them, cut off your old buttons – making sure that you cut only the thread connecting the buttons to the cardigan. Then sew on your new ones and you have a whole new top. You could even do this on other items with alternative fastenings, including poppers and grommets from a craft supply store such as Gold Star Tool.
Add lace for length
Many of us don’t like short t-shirts or tops – and lace is one way to add length to them. It’s easy to figure out what length you want and then get lace in the correct size and sew it into your top. You could add the seam on the side so it’s not as noticeable, too.
Make a onesie into a t-shirt
This adds an extension to the life of this piece of child’s clothing – you might like it still, or you’re trying to save money, or for another reason. If you have a toddler you’re trying to potty train it’s important that you don’t have to unbutton the snaps, so gives you a good reason to make a onesie into a top.
Turn old jumpers into cushion covers
You can make almost anything into a cushion cover – meaning this works just as well for your old t-shirts as it does for your fluffy jumpers.
You’ll need to get some fusible interfacing to make sure the jumper keeps its shape and won’t stretch. However, it’s easy to do and you can make covers in just a few minutes.
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