How to turn old clothes into new fashions
Too much old, broken clothes in the closet? No problem! We’ll show you clever upcycling ideas for clothes with which you can give your clothes a second life!
Often enough, worn-out, holey or discolored clothes eke out their bleak existence in our wardrobe … after all, it is difficult to part with what used to be your favorite items! But the keyword “sorting out” doesn’t have to be dropped – instead we focus on upcycling and give our old jeans, worn-out favorite sweater or holey shirt a make-over. Because basically (almost) every piece of clothing can be upcycled: Be it that it is upgraded or repurposed with a wide variety of textile techniques or that the fabric can simply be reused. And there is one thing you can be sure of when it comes to upcycling: Then you will hold completely individual clothing in your hands that you won’t find a second time. Let yourself be surprised what you can do with old clothes!
Make new from old: Why is upcycling so important?
Upcycling is made up of the terms “up” and “recycling”, which in German means something like Recycling means that at the same time there is an upgrade. Old things are transformed into new ones. In the clothing sector in particular, the most varied of materials can be put to new use with a little creativity: The whole thing is really fun and lets DIY fans run to their very best. And by the way, you’re also doing something good for the environment: By recycling, resources are conserved and materials are recycled instead of thrown away, in line with sustainability.
Upcycling Clothing Ideas: 8 Smart Ideas
Upcycling an old pair of jeans: A visit to the flea market revealed a pair of beautiful jeans – with the catch that they are way too big! Fortunately, there is a sewing machine: with a little effort, the jeans can be sewn into a skirt. Just note that thick denim requires a special denim needle (size 90 and 100). Universal needles are sufficient for thinner denim fabrics.
Denim is extremely robust and is therefore also ideal for upcycling bags:
Did the beautiful winter sweater accidentally get into the hot wash cycle? It’s a shame about the sweater, but this is by no means a reason for the garbage can – it is so wonderfully suitable as a template for cozy gloves!
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Papa’s shirts no longer correspond to the zeitgeist? But the daughter could still like it a lot! With this nice upcycling idea, the mademoiselle is guaranteed to be well dressed.
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You tried everything, but the shirt just can’t be saved ?! Then we come to an upcycling idea in top form: With a certain cutting technique you can make yarn from old or broken T-shirts. You can see how it works on the blog livelifegreen.de. And what you can do cool with the yarn, we’ll show you below!
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Indeed, to crochet such a large carpet out of T-shirt yarn, you really need a few more broken shirts. But just ask some friends and acquaintances … maybe a few loft finds will come to light.
These self-sewn cosmetic pads don’t even take a lot of fabric and time – and yet this DIY is a beautiful and sustainable upcycling idea. Here you can find the instructions for sewing cosmetic pads.
Sometimes it just takes a little imagination to reuse clothes that you no longer like. See for yourself how fashion can be changed:
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Upcycling Ideas for Clothes: Simple Techniques for a Make-Over
Batiks
With this dyeing technique, your clothes not only get a general refreshment of color, but also individual patterns and effects. These are created by masking or binding the fabric. The result is absolutely diverse and your old clothes will become an eye catcher! You can find out exactly how the technique works in our instructions: Batik.
Paint the fabric
A range of different textile colors are available in stores and online. From fabric paints that can be applied to clothing with a brush or stamp, to spray paint for a soft color gradient, to batik watercolors, clothing will soon shine in all possible rainbow colors.
Sashiko
The Japanese decorating technique is a handicraft technique in which motifs are embroidered with the so-called pre-stitch. This leads to artfully decorated fashion instead of worn-out clothing.
patchwork
The original material of the old clothes is cut into many individual parts, reassembled and sewn – that is upcycling de luxe!
Embroider
Different embroidery techniques can be used to decorate clothing with any pattern or motif. Not only does it look nice, it also makes everyday life a little more colorful!
Applications
Applications are particularly popular for children’s clothing. Patches or patches are sewn onto items of clothing to repair holes or for decoration.You can find custom patches for sale online which you can use for your upcycling ideas.
Insert the tip
The sewn-on tip corresponds entirely to the principle of upcycling. Alternatively, lace fabric can be sewn behind holes – looks classy!
Looking for more ideas and instructions in the field of DIY and upcycling? Here we have unusual upcycling ideas for furniture and upcycling ideas for the garden. And here you can find out how you can recycle leftovers.