I was looking back through my photos tonight and thought I would share my top 10 ways to re-purpose clothing items into other items. I have been working with recycled fabrics more and more, and I love the process of changing something into something else. I find it much more creative and challenging because each piece has different elements to work with, and each piece is a different process of designing and creating. Here are my ten favourite transformation processes.
1. Adult Sweaters into Baby Pants
I make a LOT of these and they all come out so differently depending on the type of sweater. I have used all kinds of sweaters, all sizes, colours, textures and the one thing in common is how cute they look on those little baby legs. I love to put them under dresses and skirts, but they are really adorable on their own too.
2. Adult Sweater into Baby Romper
This project needs a very specific type of sweater, but when it works, it doesn’t get much cuter. Total seams: 3 plus sewing on the straps.
3. Adult shirt into Baby Dress
I have found this process works well with lots of women’s button up shirts. Basically, you just make everything smaller and take out the collar. Easy peasy.
4. Adult Skirt into Toddler Dress
For this dress, I used a light cotton skirt that had a lining. I added in pleats across the front and back until it was the right size, cut in arm holes and added shoulder ties.
5. Kid’s Skirt into Baby Dress
For this dress I used a kid’s skirt and just added a yoke to the top. Sometimes you need to take the skirt in at the sides, or shorten it, but this is a super easy project and works well with lots of different kinds of skirts.
6. Mini Skirt into Handbag
This is also a really easy upcycle. Take out any zippers, sew the bottom closed, and add in a lining and handles. I especially like to use skirts with pockets and pleats.
7. Skirt into Half Apron
The options for these are ENDLESS. Basic process involves cutting up the back, adding ties, adding pockets and embellishing. I have had a lot of fun with these.
8. Sundress into Full Apron
This is also an easy flip with lots of room to add creative touches. Sundresses with pockets in them are my favourites!
9. Skirt into Smock
This is a really fun process as well. I just add ties in the back and a halter tie at the neckline and then whatever embellishments I feel led to. These are my go to style of apron for everyday.
10. Skirt into Full Apron
This works really well with a fuller poufy skirt. I just made the bodice and added it to the skirt, cut the skirt up the back and added ties.
I hope this list inspires you to experiment with some recycling projects of your own! It was fun to look back over some of the things I have made. Now I need to start working on ten more ideas!
I adore the skirts made into handbags and half aprons. I am already thinking of what is in my closet that I don’t wear. I think I have my next knitting travel bag! Thanks for the great post.
awesome……. what great work you do. very inspriational.
That is so. cool. I lack the ability to see things as potential other things. My mom had to explain to me, for example, that if I didn’t like the way a coffee cup I loved felt to drink out of, I could use it as a pen holder rather than getting rid of it.
[...] Quarry dropped us an email this week with a link to her blog post on ten ways to repurposing old clothes, reusing as much of the original structure/shape as possible to save [...]
Fabulous! I especially love the sweater pants, they rock!
[...] skirts or sweaters sitting around and are not sure what you want to do with them check out this site for some great [...]
Hi
im a guider in sussex and we are having a weekend about changing our old clothes to new clothes. We have done it before and the girls loved it.
Do you have any other resources we could look at please
Thanks Rosie
Wow. You’re so creative and inspirational. I’m doing textiles at GCSE and i was wondering if i could use your work as an example in my recycling project. We get a certain amount of the marks from researching inspiring artists.
Please email me at amy_rob@hotmail.co.uk as soon as possible. Thanks
Hi Amy-
I came across your blog while looking for ways to repurpose sweaters into leggings. Bingo! But for some reason I am not able to figure out how you’ve pieced the pants together. Do you have a tutorial or do you just wing it? I’m just getting back into sewing after a looong hiatus and am a bit nervous about just cutting and going. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for the inspiration!
[...] Check it out here [...]
I love these ideas! I have looked at other web sites to get more ideas on how to be more green, but alas none of them had any good ideas that were actually pretty. I love the mini skirt bag and the pink little girl’s dress, they are wonderful. You give me inspiration, thank you.
Hey … I stumbled on your site by mistake. I was looking in Google for Accounting software that I had already purchased when I found your site, I have to say your website is really informative, I just love the theme, its amazing!. I don’t have the time this minute to fully read your entire site but I have bookmarked it and also signed up for your RSS feed. I will be back in a day or two. thanks for a awesome site.
Hello there I am so happy I found your blog, I really found
you by accident, while I was looking on Yahoo for something else,
Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say thanks a lot for a fantastic post and a
all round thrilling blog (I also love the theme/design), I
don’t have time to look over it all at the minute but I have book-marked it
and also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to
read a great deal more, Please do keep up the excellent jo.