It’s time for you to go clothing shopping again. Your wallet cries as you prepare to head to the mall. Before you max out that credit card, we ask you to give your closet one last look over.
Upcycling Clothing
While it doesn’t seem like you’ve got anything special going on right now, consider how you can transform your old pieces into something amazing. Upcycling clothing is so easy that anyone can do it. Check out this beginner’s guide to upcycling to learn how it’s done.
Why Upcycle Your Clothes?
Before we get into upcycling clothes, let’s address the elephant in the room. You’re probably wondering why you should bother breaking out the sewing machine when you can simply head to the mall and buy all the latest fashion.
There is a reason behind the madness, and that reason is the environment. When you toss your old jeans into the garbage, they’ll end up in a landfill somewhere. As they sit and break down, they’ll release a ton of harmful dyes and chemicals into the planet.
If you can reduce the number of toxins seeping into the earth, even a tiny bit, that’s a win in our books. Transforming your old clothes into gorgeous new creations is also cheaper than heading to the mall, and you’ll learn an awesome new skill!
Upcycling Clothing Advice
Now that you know why you should upcycle old clothes, that begs a second question. How do you do it? It’s not as simple as breaking out a sewing machine and going wild with your ideas.
It can be easy to mess up. You’ll either have to toss your creations then or use them as scrap cloth for a different project.
It’s Okay to Go Slow
You’re not going to be pulling off amazing feats of sewing right away. It takes time and practice. The best way to get that practice is to start with a few smaller projects and work your way up.
If you have an old shirt wasting away in your closet, turn it into a snazzy crop top. It’s super easy to make, and it’s the perfect thing to keep you cool when the hot weather rolls around.
Do Your Research
The next item on the agenda is research. You never want to simply shrug your shoulders and wing a project. That’s a good way to mess up and get discouraged.
You should always go in with some kind of game plan. If you don’t know how to make that crop top listed above, do a quick Google search. Chances are, there are tons of tutorials online that can help you out.
Hoard Your Scraps
DIY upcycling involves tons of cutting. That means you’re going to have scrap cloth laying around all over the place. Select a container that you can use to hold these scraps.
You might be able to use them later on as a patch. You could even make something cool out of the remains. If you don’t want to bother with keeping up with small scraps of cloth, at least recycle them.
Pick Out Quality Tools
Your creations are only going to be as amazing as the tools that you use to make them. You’ve got to invest in good ones. For example, don’t use kitchen scissors to cut cloth to save a buck.
They are nowhere near as effective as a good pair of shears. Since most DIY upcycling projects involve taking old clothes apart, you want to invest in a good seam ripper too. Trust us when we say that it will save a ton of time.
Awesome Project Ideas
It’s one thing to give you advice on how to upcycle, and another to actually tell you how to do it. Here are a few project ideas that should be simple enough for a beginner to tackle.
Side-Stripe Pants
Side-stripe pants are in popular demand, making them expensive to buy. Why empty your bank account when they’re so easy to make yourself?
Grab a pair of straight-legged jeans, a velvet ribbon, straight pins, iron-on adhesive tape, an iron, and a thin scrap of any cloth. First things first, use the iron to straighten out the jeans. You don’t want there to be any wrinkles.
Next, use the pins to attach the ribbon and adhesive tape to the pants. Make sure that the ribbon is on top of the tape. Once everything is attached, place the thin cloth over the ribbon and start ironing.
It may take a few tries for everything to stick, but when you’re done, it will look just like the designer jeans that you can get in the store.
Refurbished Sneakers
Shoes are notoriously pricy in the store. Instead of buying a new pair, use this easy hack to transform the sneakers that you already have.
First, you’ll have to clean your shoes. Don’t put them in the washing machine. You can pick up a sneaker cleaner from pretty much any store.
With a little elbow grease, you’ll have them back to their original colour. Once that’s done, re-lace the shoes and fix up the sole that’s falling apart.
To replace the sole, you’ll have to grind the bottom of the sneaker, trace out a new template on material, cut it out, adhere it to the bottom of the shoe, and trim the edges. It can be a lot of work.
Take These Upcycling Clothing Tips to Heart
Have you been searching through your closet for hours trying to find something good to wear? Instead of tossing everything out to create a new wardrobe, transform the pieces that you already have.
Upcycling clothing is easy with enough practice. Are you looking for more how-tos that will make your life easier? Check out our blog daily for all the latest guides and advice.