10 Ways You Can Repurpose Your Old Clothes

You can give new life to your old clothes in many ways. You can give them away to charity shops, swap clothes with friends, give them to a younger sibling if you’ve outgrown them or pass them on in any other way. If your old clothes are not necessarily wearable quality, you can either recycle them or repurpose them. Before putting all your old clothes in the recycling bin though, see if you can use them for something useful. Check out this list of ten ways you can repurpose your old clothes. 

1. Shorts

If you are thinking of recycling you old jeans or trousers, take a look and see if you can make them into shorts. You can make them yourself or ask for someone to do the seams for you. An old pair of trousers can make a fresh new pair of shorts. Usually the wear on our jeans and trousers is mostly around the knee and bellow, so chances are – your favourite old pair of jeans and trousers can become your new favourite pair of shorts. 

See how to recreate it here. 

2. Vests

If you have an old jacket that you are looking to retire, you could give it new life by making it into a vest. This doesn’t go only for denim jackets as well (though they will be the easiest to work with). And you add pockets from different fabrics, or do an interesting seem. The best part is that you don’t need to throw your favourite jacket if it’s a bit small for you (if the sleeves are a bit short for example). 

See how to recreate it here. 

3. Baby Hat From Sweater

What’s cuter than a baby in a sweater? A baby in a hat made out of a sweater. Babies grow too quickly and they need a constant stream of new clothes. But you don’t always need to throw away the old clothes, you can just turn them into something else. For example, you can use a baby’s old sweaters to make hats. Babies lose a lot of heat from their heads and hats are basically mandatory for the first few months of their lives (though they’ll rock them for longer). This is an easy, yet useful way to repurpose old clothes.

You can also try to make a hat for yourself from one of your old sweaters. 

See how to recreate it here

4. DIY T-shirt Quilt

If you hoard old T-shirts because you are too sentimental to get rid of them. Firstly, same. Secondly, I’ve got just the project for you. You can repurpose old T-shirts in different ways (frame them, make a scarf), but one of the best ways to do that is by sewing them into a blanket. Especially if you have many! It will be a tiny blanket if you only have a few, but if you have been part of many clubs, or been to too many concerts – this is a great way to give them new life and have them forever. Let’s face it, you are probably not wearing that T-shirt from camp, you got when you were 11. 

See how to recreate it here

5. Frame your T-shirt Artwork

If you don’t have many T-shirts you want to keep, why not frame them and turn them into an artwork. Your favourite old T-shirts may be the perfect way to decorate your room. Not only can you get a beautiful framed artwork for free, but you also have a story behind it. This is a really great way to keep the sentimental (and artistic/creative) value of your old clothes alive. Take them out of the closet and show them off in a new and creative way. 

See how to recreate it here 

6. Coin Purse

Your old clothes can be made into many things and shirts specifically, can be made into pillowcases, aprons and even a coin purse. You can also make it into a card wallet if that’s that you use more often. Whatever the case, a shirt makes for a very beautiful and compact purse.

See how to recreate it here 

7. T-shirt Produce Bag

If you are looking to go zero waste, reduce your packaging or start buying vegetables from a market/local store which sales mostly loose vegetables, a produce bag will definitely come in handy. Produce bags are probably the most popular items you are recommended when you start your journey to zero waste, however, you don’t need to buy expensive produce bags. You can turn your old clothes into a produce bag. All you need is an old T-shirt, basic sewing skills and you are all set. And they are also more colourful and you can organise your vegetables by colour. 

See how to recreate it here 

See Also

10 Crafty Techniques For At-Home Sculpting

8. Make Your Own Lunch Bag

Lunch bags can be really over-priced when in reality, they are usually nothing special. If you want to switch from single use lunch bags to something more reliable, but you don’t like how bulky lunch boxes can be, then you can make your own lunch bag from your old clothes. They are not only practical and fun to make, but they are also beautiful and customisable. 

See how to recreate it here 

9. Wax Food Wraps

Wax food wraps are becoming increasingly popular and you can get lots of versions online. But if you have old clothes laying around (only ones that are 100% cotton will work with this one), which you aren’t going to use for anything else, you can make a wax food wraps. And this is suitable for vegans, because it uses soy wax rather that beeswax! 

See how to recreate it here

10. Dust Rags

Old clothes can be the perfect dust rags. They can also be used instead of paper towels around the kitchen. Some clothes fabrics, such as cotton and wool are really absorbent and they can be really useful around the house. 

See how to recreate it here

Have you repurposed old clothes? Share in the comments.

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