Giving old and unwanted clothes away has been the go-to mode for many. What if we stopped for a moment to think about how we can save money and get something refreshing in our closet? Before tossing, think about upcycling it to get the most out of your clothes.
When we give our clothes a second chance to thrive with a touch of expression from our own self knitted in, it can boost our creativity and help the environment. It prevents more clothes from ending up in our landfills. But how do we give our clothes a new edge worthy of walking out our front door?
You don’t need to be an expert—just let your imagination run wild. Here are some tips on how to turn your old clothes into the latest trend.
BUST OUT THE TIE DYE
It is a famous creative technique that’s been successful in almost every decade, but was very prominent during the ’60s and ’70s “Flower Power” era. It is a process of hand-dyeing cotton or polyester-cotton garments.
Materials:
Tie dye solution
Water
Rubber bands
Gloves
Plastic bottle or container
Steps:
Dampen the garment so that it absorbs the color quickly.
Roll the garment according to the pattern and effect you want.
Use the rubber bands to secure and form different sections. For example, to get a spiral effect you must stretch the garment tightly and twist from the center to form a circle.
It’s tie dye time! Wear gloves to avoid stained hands.
Apply warm water to the dye and mix well.
You can dye it in two ways, using an applicator or by dipping section-by-section into containers with different dyes.
Follow the instructions on your dye packaging to get desired color pigmentation and outcome.
EMBRACE THE BIKER SHORT
Biker shorts are not just for biking! Once again, fashion confirms that anything can be turned into a casual but trendy outfit. You can cut your old leggings to the length you want for a more comfortable look. This trend showed up a lot in the ’90s, and even Diana, Princess of Wales, was an icon for using them.
Materials:
Long leggings
Fabric scissors
Fabric marker chalk
Needle and thread
Steps:
Use the fabric marker chalk to mark where you will cut the leggings. It should be about an inch longer than the length you want them.
Cut carefully on that line.
Turn them inside out and fold the hem up 1 inch.
Sew all the way around to create a new hem that will keep your new shorts from curling up.
UPSCALE YOUR UGGS
The popular brand Uggs has become well known for its mini model. If you have a pair of tall Uggs that you no longer wear, give them an upgrade to make them fresh and a cute touch to any comfy outfit.
Materials:
Fabric scissors
Seam ripper
Fabric marker chalk
Measuring tape
Thread and needle
Steps:
Measure and mark how low you will cut your boots.
As you begin to cut, carefully follow the line you have marked.
After cutting, use the seam ripper to remove the strip that is at the top of the boots.
Sew that strip around the cut top edge of your boots.
