Fashion Frankenstein: New Life for Old Clothes

In an earlier post, I discussed how unexpected things can be repurposed as storage. But that's not as far as repurposing goes. What happens when you get a stain on your favorite shirt or there's a rip in those jeans you now can't bear to wear in public? What about thrift shopping? Can a $2.50 sweatshirt really get a new life? I say yes!

Sometimes I grab something like a spent pair of my husband's jeans or a team sweatshirt from Goodwill and stare at it. I literally eye-ball the thing with a vengeance, trying to see what's 'inside' it. Just because something started as pants or a shirt, doesn't mean it can't be something else. After all, these things are simply pattern pieces cut from fabric just like anything else. 

Jeans, paired with sewing scraps, perhaps those from an old button-down shirt, can become a stuffed animal like these owls.

A sweatshirt, paired with another one for lining, can be deconstructed and given a new life as a shoulder bag. This purse had a material cost of under $10. I even used the left-over scraps and stretchy band from the bottom to make some fingerless mittens. They're toasty!

So what do you have lying around? Do you have some fabric that is currently living life as an old skirt with a bleach spot or a pullover with a tear. Is it secretly dreaming of being something more? Have some one-on-one time with your old clothes, ask them what they want to be, and make it happen! If you doubt your creativity at first, there are a number of sites and blogs with patterns and instructions. Do a search and go from there. But the next time you think of tossing out those clothes, don't; let them be reborn!