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Make Old Fabric New Again: Upcycling Your Old Clothing

Everybody loves saving money, and there are plenty of ways you can do it. It’s likely that you’ve heard of the recently-developed trend that is “upcycling,” and there are plenty of ways to employ this new idea to liven up your wardrobe for a seriously cheap amount of money. An amalgamation of the words “upward recycling,” upcycling is basically the process of taking something old, discarded, and/or unused, and turning it into something that you use or interact with on a daily basis. Upcycling is a great way to use things you already have (or that other people simply don’t want) to create new and interesting things for your house or your wardrobe, at a fraction of the cost, or (if you’re lucky) no cost at all.

Whether you’re making an old dress into a nice tote bag or simply cutting the bottoms off a ratty pair of jeans to make a hip new set of short shorts, there are a ton of ways to upcycle old clothes into something new and super wearable. What’s more is that the Internet is positively bursting with sites that can point you to tutorials, infograpics, and other helpful tips that will allow you to create some of the most interesting and eye-catching pieces of clothing from things you likely already have just sitting around, unused.

That sweater that’s way too big for you? Maybe you can use it as a scarf, or multiple beanies that will do a great job of keeping your head warm when it’s cold out. All you’d need is a little bit of elastic banding and some spare time, and a ratty old sweater can be turned into as many as four or five hip beanies.

Your old fabrics don’t even have to be repurposed to be something wearable. Things like jeans are made from material that’s sturdy and durable, making it great for all sorts of uses. If you’ve got an excess of old denim laying around, there’s no reason you can’t stitch it all together and make a great shoe holder that hangs on the back of your closet door. All you need is enough material for a long strip and then several pockets that will hold your shoe collection. Making new things out of old things is WAY easier than it seems!

You can also cut up old scraps of clothing or fabric to make adorable decorations or additions to your kids’ already-cute outfits! Cutting out a few pretty hearts, stars, or flowers, is as easy as can be and in just a few minutes you’ve added a couple of adorable touches that have your little ones looking cuter than ever. Whether you visit the vanity fair at Bare Necessities or just look around online, there are plenty of ways to figure out interesting things to do with the old clothes you just don’t use anymore. Upcycling is one of the most popular ideas around, and it’s easy to see why so many people are falling in love with the idea of creating new things out of old things.

Clay Miller
the authorClay Miller
I am the creator/writer of Ways2GoGreen.com and Ways2GoGreenBlog.com. I'm an advocate for oceans, beaches, state parks. I enjoy all things outdoors (e.g. running, golf, gardening, hiking, etc.) I am a graduate of the University of Kentucky (Go Wildcats!!). I'm also a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I was born and raised in the beautiful state of Kentucky.

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