Hello Friends!
Everyone knows that fast fashion (constantly buying new, cheap clothes) is bad for the environment and society too. For example, it takes 20,000 litres of water to make a single t-shirt and pair of jeans, and across the globe, we consume 80 billion pieces of clothing each year. If you’ve got clothes that are too old to donate, then upcycling is the way forward!
There are loads of creative ways you can reuse your old clothes. If you get it right, you could end up upgrading your clothes into things you love even more than you did previously.
Upcycling creatively transforms the products you already own in order to cut down on waste. It’s nothing new, but with global warming threatening the future, there’s no better time to start doing it yourself. Creating a more sustainable closet requires little more than a few pieces of clothing you already own. A cozy old sweater can quickly be updated with a little imagination. Those jeans you haven’t worn in years are just begging to be transformed into a cute pair of shorts or a denim skirt. A smattering of creativity can revive your tired wardrobe.
Upcycling your clothing benefits the Earth and your wallet. Just think about how much money you can save when you DIY your latest style obsessions.
Here are our top three easy upcycling ideas for inspiration!
Stretched t-shirts to headbands
Cute hair accessories are everywhere to be seen at the moment. And if you’re really clever, you don’t even have to purchase them new. There are a lot of different ways to turn worn out fabric into headbands. All you’ll need is an old t-shirt and a small amount of time to transform something you are not loving anymore into something that’s fun to wear again.
Tees to reusable grocery bags
Upcycle your old tees and turn them into grocery or produce bags for food shopping or harvesting. Why bother buying them in store when they are so easy to make at home? Pop your fruit and veggies in your homemade bags to save money and avoid single-use plastic bags at the same time. Who knows, they might even taste a little better coming out of such ecologically and sustainably made bags.
Old clothes to reusable food wraps
Any kind of old clothing can become your partner in crime when it comes to food wrapping and covering up leftovers. All you need is a piece of fabric of the desired size and shape.
What you don’t like anymore might be a treasure for someone close to you. So invite friends and family and even your neighbors for a little clothing swap, and let everyone bring what they can spare from their closet. It’s not only a super sustainable tip for upcycling clothes, it’ll also bring a smile to everyone’s faces as sharing, swapping, and exchanging is always loads of fun.
These are just a few of the endless ideas you can find out there on how to repurpose and upcycle old clothing. Take these tips as some inspiration, especially if you think that you don’t have the skills, time, or resources to turn your old clothing into something with a new purpose. Always keep in mind that small changes in daily life speak loud, and upcycling the clothing we once loved is a big part of sustainable living.
Team SFD
