We all have used clothes that we can’t throw away . No matter how many times we washed them or how many sauce stains we “decorated” them (remember that stain you tried to make disappear for days without success?), These clothes manage to survive the seasons well planted on the bottom of the wardrobe .
For all of you who can’t separate yourself from the clothes you were fond of, or if you have some that you can’t take anymore and want to get rid of them, here is the solution . On the contrary, we offer you twelve, which will allow you to reuse your slightly dated clothes and more.
These tips will allow you to give new life to the clothes you no longer use . They are, as always, simple tricks to put into practice, eco-friendly and designed for those who don’t mind the idea of saving a little.
Let’s find out together how to give a second life to your used garments in the following pages:
1) Long dress made from old polo shirts
This trick is also really easy (and really useful!). How many sweaters do you have that you no longer use? Well, it’s time to take them out of the closet or drawer and give them a new life … You can make boot socks or simply comfortable leg warmers .
If desired, it is also possible to embellish the skirt obtained from the polo shirts with some details . To use even some edges of the fabric of the polo shirts that we have not used, you can in fact cut the part of the fabric in which the buttons are and sew it close to the waist. You can also create imaginative decorations to be inserted in some points of the skirt to make the final result even more original and creative.
2) The warm boot sock
Just cut the sleeves of your old wool sweater and sew the frayed edge (we’re talking about a 1cm hem) and you’ll get two trendy boot socks, not only beautiful but also able to keep your legs warm. In this way, you avoided throwing away a sweater that you might not be able to wear by enriching your look when you wear boots.
From sweater to leg warmers
Legwarmers were a must in the early 2000s : who didn’t have them then? In reality, however, they are always a pleasant garment to wear in winter, even just to stay at home, or when you go on a ski holiday. For those who practice dance, they are a truly must-have item. The process to make them starting from a sweater is always the same used for boot socks, just don’t sew them at the ends at the toes .
3) Old shirt + old sweater = super cool top
How to enhance an old shirt, maybe jeans , and a 90s sweater? It’s that easy. First you find them, then you choose which parts to use and which not. As you can see from the photo, I have chosen to use a thin piece of fabric for the collar , the rounded of the shirt and some fabric to make a fake pocket. Before you combine everything and make your fantastic romantic hipster sweater , remember to make a small hem on the parts of the sweater you cut (in this case the sleeves).
Old shirt + old sweater = pinafore
In addition to making a beautiful new sweater by combining an old shirt and an old sweater, it is also possible to create a pinafore including a shirt from these two elements . Again, stylistically the result will be a bit of a romantic hipster. To create it you need to make a top-like shape from the sweater, place the shirt underneath and sew so that the top is joined to the shirt. The fabric of the shirt that remains below the pinafore can be cut and used together with the “remains” of the sweater to make up the length of the pinafore (the part that from the waist can even reach the knee).
4) From clothing to furnishings, from shirt to cushion cover
To transform that shirt that you like small by now but whose design or fabric you like into a nice pillow, just a few simple steps are enough. You can create beautiful pillow cases or beautiful tote bags , environmentally friendly fabric bags.
From shirt to cushion cover
First of all, turn the shirt back, paying attention to having it closed first with its buttons. Then proceed to cut off the sleeves and turn the garment back to the front, replacing the buttons (perhaps larger and more colorful than the originals). For the stuffing she uses an old t-shirt and some wool.
From shirt to tote bag
To make a tote bag from a shirt , simply cut the fabric of the shirt under the armpits. In this way, we will have eliminated the sleeves and the collar. Then, you need to sew the bottom part of the shirt together, where the last button is. In this way we will create the phono of our cloth bag. The top part will not need a hem if you have done the cut well. Obtain two strips of fabric from the sleeves for the entire length of the sleeves, fold them in half and sew them. Now divide the shirt in 2 in your head and sew the two handles in the central part of the 2 sides: that’s it!
5) Old sweater + old shirt = beautiful DIY project
The ingredients to achieve this magnificent result are only 2: a shirt and a shirt that have “aged badly” or that you simply don’t like anymore. Giving new life to these 2 garments by creating another one and truly child’s play .
How to join the sweater and the shirt
Also in this case the result is much more amazing than difficult to achieve. Just take a tight-fitting shirt , which you may no longer be able to wear because time and washing have made it shrink, or you simply don’t like anymore, and a shirt, possibly oversized, that you haven’t worn for (too) a long time .
Then, it is necessary to cut the fabric of the shirt, from mid-bust up, in order to remove the collar, the sleeves and all the part that we are going to replace with the shirt.
The result will not disappoint you
The oversized shirt will be sewn starting from the bottom of the shirt. In this way the result will be perfect: you will have recovered a shirt that you no longer liked and a shirt that maybe you were tired of wearing. The result will be this eclectic top with an extremely feminine silhouette.
6) From collar to accessory
But do we want to throw away the shirt collar? May it never be! The collar can also be reused , especially if it has a decoration that we particularly like. Use it as a special accessory for the evenings or to stand out from all the others!
7) From sloppy to wow
How is it possible that this very sad skirt has become a fantastic retro style dress? How did we do it? We worked a little on the sleeves , getting them from the sides of the skirt, which in the meantime has become a dress. The effect of the fabric on the side was obtained thanks to the skilful use of a safety pin.
8) When a t-shirt becomes a bag
T-shirts are usually short-lived. We wear them one summer and then we don’t like them anymore, they too remain like many other garments at the back of the wardrobe. Yet, it happens to get tired maybe of the t-shirt model but not of the fantasy . What to do in such cases? Just making something else, in this case, a bag is ideal .
How to cut the t-shirt
To carry out this transformation you need much less time and much less effort than you think: you just need to cut the sleeves of your shirt and the collar, make an additional piece of fabric from the bottom of the t-shirt that will be used to create the handle of the bag.
Sew up the flaps and that’s it
Look at the whole: simple isn’t it? Just sew the t-shirt at the bottom joining the two sides and we will have thus created the bottom of the bag , the flaps will be sewn close to the “straps” of the bag in order to create a comfortable handle. With little time and a little manual skills (but not too much!) You will get a comfortable and roomy bag to go shopping, a walk, to the gym. Come on, wear it!
9) Grandson!
Here the wow effect is all the more secure the less effort you will make to obtain it. The only complex thing is to find a stencil that you like and that adapts to the shape of your shirt. Cut the fabric you want to fill with lace, apply the lace to the inside of the shirt and secure everything with a thermal olar ribbon. No seams, easy easy.
10) Fabric necklaces
Forget jewels and costume jewelery, the most beautiful and fashionable necklaces are precisely those made from fabric . In fact, of all the necklaces, these are the ones that also have the most interesting stories! First they were a t-shirt, or they were leggings that were no longer worn, then they are transformed into a “jewel” . Building a necklace from fabric is really simple.
Recycling recycling
The necklace you see was made with a small piece of fabric left over from a recycling job. Practically it’s the recycling of the recycling! How to do? Cut the piece of canvas you have chosen into thin strips , decide which design your necklace should have, thread the beads in the right place , stop everything with vigorous knots and that’s it. You just have to wear your necklace.
11) Turn a scarf into a chic shawl
Take an over-sized scarf (preferably in a country style even if all patterns are fine) and at the height of the shoulders make two holes : you will go to put your arms there. If you want you can make a small hem , otherwise even letting the fabric fray is a good idea, very much in line with the tone of your new shawl. But who said it just has to be a shawl? You can also interpret it as a mini-dress by adding a belt at the waist.
12) From old t-shirt to protagonist of your hairstyles
Making these hats (or, as you want to call them: headbands ?) Is also very easy. Just cut the shirt of your choice into two regular strips. Then arrange them in the shape of an X and sew the lower ends together (you know the paper chains you made at school?) And that’s it: you just have to wear them and feel beautiful.
