Everyone that owns a closet, a chest of drawers or a floordrobe has too many clothes. We just do. We don’t like to admit it, but it is the truth. And every so often we get slapped with this reality when: we stumble across clothes we haven’t seen since our student days, our clothes still have the labels in them, we find ones we have never seen before or items barely fit us anymore! This is when upcycling your clothes can be a major help.
Well, instead of throwing them out, why not try and give your old duds a sprinkling of new life? A little bit of revitalization. Think of it as upcycling your clothes. Here are five ways to update your clothes and make them feel like new again!
5 Ways of Upcycling Your Clothes to Give Them a New Look
From a laid-back t-shirt to… cushions?
Seeing your favourite bands live in action is one of the best experiences out there, which is why always buy overpriced band t-shirts; we want to enjoy those memories forever. The problem is, most festival and gig tees end up being wasted as pajamas (if they are lucky!). That is why you should consider turning them into cool as hell cushion covers. Of course, it doesn’t have to be band tees; it could be Harry Potter merchandise or that tee from your team-building exercise.
Add a lovely splash of lace—or leopard
You’ll be amazed at what you can do with an old top, some scissors, lace and iron-on hem tape. And one of the best things is giving a whole new edge to your forgotten favourites. All you need to do is carefully cut whatever shape you want into your top—a moon crescent, a flower, a letter, anything—and then stick in that lace or leopard print to fill the void. Cute, stylish, cool, genius. This is a really fresh way of upcycling your clothes.
Alter your clothes to fit you better
Losing weight is one of the greatest self-confidence boosters out there. However, there is one niggling downside. And that is knowing your favorite clothes no longer fit you properly. Well, instead of letting them hang in your closet as a gorgeous reminder of how far you’ve come, try seeking out some sewing and alteration services that can stitch your clothes so that they fit you perfectly and look better than they ever did. What could be better than that?
Try pencil eraser polka dots
Trends come and go like politicians, we all know that. But one of the trends that seem to be able to withstand the sands of time is polka dots. It is one of those preppy looks that can lift anyone’s closet into the realm of chic, and all you need to is a pencil eraser and some fabric paint to do it. You could put white polka dots on those boring blue shorts you bought a few summers back or you could use navy spots to liven up a gray shirt that never gets to see the light of day. Whatever takes your fancy.
Turn your jeans into denim handbags
One of the most collected items of clothing any of us own is jeans. They just seem to multiply without us knowing, before spending their sorry existence at the back of your drawers. Well, when your once favourite denims have been pushed into the forgotten lands, what you should try doing is turning them into something new and stylish, like a handbag. Just get a pair of fabric scissors and try your hand at stitching and, voila, you’re good to go.
This ‘Upcycling Your Clothes’ post was contributed to The Lady-like Leopard.