Plenty of us has a heap of clothing sitting at the back of the closet that never sees the light of day. Often, these are items we’ve outgrown or simply fallen out of love with as the trends and seasons change over the years. However, those old clothes don’t need to sit there gathering mothballs for all eternity – with a little creativity, you can give them a new lease of life. Read on for some fun ideas to inspire you.
Turn favorite t-shirts into a comforting blanket
If you’ve collected t-shirts over the years from your favorite vacations, sports teams, or other past events, you probably have a whole pile of them in your collection. When you have so many, it can feel like you never get around to wearing them – or maybe you’ve simply fallen out of love with them.
Rather than throwing them out, you can treasure your past memories by turning your t-shirts into something new and practical, and blankets made from shirts are often a great solution. Not only can an extra blanket on the couch or bed be a lovely, comforting addition, it’s also a great way to revisit your memories or create a fun talking point in your home.
Get crafty and create something new
If your old clothes are made with unique or well-crafted textiles and fabrics, then a great way to repurpose them is by getting crafty with a needle or sewing machine and turning them into something new. There are infinite ways you can repurpose a piece of clothing, and the great advantage is that you’re preventing adding to an ever-growing pile of landfill, saving from contributing to even more environmental damage.
If you’re not sure where to get started, try turning a shirt you no longer wear into a cushion cover or simple tote. Sturdier fabrics like denim or tweed are ideal for making small coin purses, while oversized men’s shirts can be turned into a cute dress or top. For a very simple hack, try turning old jeans into a pair of cut-off shorts with an easy snip of the scissors.
Use them as practical cloths
For clothes that have really passed their expiration date and are beginning to fall apart or look worse for wear, another simple creative fix is to turn them into practical cloths that you can use around the home for cleaning surfaces. It’s a straight-forward way of turning a ratty old t-shirt that is riddled with holes into something new – simply cut up along the seams to make it into a well-sized cloth, that can be used for everything from wiping up spills to cleaning windows.
As well as using old fabrics for cleaning, they can also have many other practical uses, such as keeping out cold air or even providing cushioning for pet beds and containers. To get inspired, simply look around your home and think about what needs a little extra comfort or improvement.