We all have those clothes we outgrew or that are heavily worn out or that you otherwise think have no place in your closets anymore. The pandemic has caused many places including thrift shops to shut down, but that doesn’t mean that you have to throw your clothes out! You can repurpose them into other clothing pieces or other fashion items.
Skinny jeans are well out of fashion… way out! Not only will they date you but your legs will thank you for switching these out, however that doesn’t mean they have no place in your closet. With Spring weather almost here you will no doubt need shorts. Regardless if you like (or need) short shorts or those shorts that are slightly longer than regular shorts but not culottes (you know what I mean,) you can remake them out of skinny jeans or other jeans. For skinny jeans I recommend you cut them at the spot just above where they start to get tight. If you are worried about a straight line you can use a ruler and a pencil, pen or even sharpie. Or you can use Dreamfarms’ Scizza. While it is originally meant to be used on pizza I have noticed because of the straight edge it works great for clothes.
The remainder of the jeans well can be repurpose in the following ways:
1. Arm sleeves:Â Depending on the size of your skinny jean bottoms and your arm size you may be able to just slide them on and cut to size (or give them to a younger sibling) but they are washable and who doesn’t need protection against bare services nowadays.Â
2. A belt: Take all the bottom parts from all your jeans, turn them inside out and sew them together. Once you turn them right side out you may be able to use them as a belt!Â
3. A handle:  ..for a bag! Follow the instructions on #2 and the ones below.
4. A bag: This is one of the simplest things! Depending on how long you want the bag is where you would want to cut the piece. You can include the legs or not. Using the left over pieces you can even make a zippered pocket by sewing the extra material on the inside of the zipper (or button) of the jeans. If you don’t go that route I suggest you sew the zipper/button closed so it doesn’t open up unexpectedly. You can leave the top of your jean aka the top of your purse open or add a closer like a button or zipper. You just need to attach a handle and viola a new reusable bag!Â
Got a white or light gray item? Tye die it! It’ll make the item look like a brand new peice!
We all have that older shirt that we have worn to bits but we just love that picture or quote on it so we just can’t get rid of it. Cut a square or rectangle around the saying or picture. Lay it over another shirt and sew it on. It is that simple.Â
Holes in clothing are in. I don’t know why wearing clothing with holes in it is fashionable, but it is, so don’t worry too much about older ripped clothes. However, if you are still self conscious and don’t have a lot of money, use those clothes for around the house, laying outside in the spring/summer or chores. You won’t waste money on new clothes and you can get even more use out of them.
If you have shirts you have outgrown you can turn them into pillows just sew the neck holes and arm holes. You can use it as a pillow cover that is washable. It is great for outside pillows or if you want to turn it to a true pillow get some filler from a craft store, and sew the bottom up.
Repurposing old clothes can be easy and fun. Let your creative side run wild as you experiment with any of the above tips.