Are you decluttering your closet and have old clothing to get rid of? Why not upcycle it instead of tossing it? Here are some great ways to upcycle your old clothing and get more use out of it.
Since we’ve been cleaning out and organizing our bedrooms for the past two months, I’m sure there are clothes you have that you need to get rid of.
Do you have a bunch of clothes that no longer fit? Or are way out of style?
Or maybe you have clothes you’re hanging onto for sentimental reasons; like grandma’s shirt because it was her favorite.
Sometimes it’s hard to get rid of old clothes. For me, I hang on to a lot of clothes because I just can’t bring myself to spend so much money on a new wardrobe. Or because I keep telling myself I’ll actually fit into those jeans again one day.
Of course, some clothes aren’t donation-worthy and who knows where they’ll end up if you send them to Goodwill.
By now I’m sure you’re thinking, “Well, what should I do with all these old clothes, then? Just throw them away?”
No! Upcycle your old clothing instead!
*Click the links to go to the page with the DIY.
Make a rag wreath. Just rip the t-shirt into strips and tie them onto a metal wreath form.
Make a rag rug. Rip the t-shirt into 1/2″ strips and tie them onto a non-slip rug pad.
Make t-shirt pom poms. I think these are so cute! Just rip the t-shirt into strips, wrap them around cardboard, cut and tie to make pom poms!
Make a t-shirt pillow. This is a great way to use a t-shirt that is sentimental to you. It’s also a lot of fun for kids to make, too because it’s really easy! I still have some of my daughter’s favorite t-shirts that she wore when she was little. She would love making a pillow out of them!
Make a dog’s toy. Rip a t-shirt into strips, braid the strips together, and tie off both ends.
Make some pretty bracelets. These are so easy to make, too. Just rip a t-shirt into strips, braid the strips together, and wrap around a metal bangle.
Make coasters. These cute coasters would also make great gifts! They look easy to put together, too.
Make a pillow cover. This pillow cover is beautiful! For some reason, it reminds me of sitting by the beach. And it makes me want to learn to sew ASAP!
Make potholders. Protect your hands while getting those hot pans out of the oven with these cute potholders made from jean pockets!
Make a wine bag. Can you believe these wine bags are made from pants legs? They’re so cute! And perfect for gift-giving.
Make a planter. How cute is this planter made from old jeans? I searched and searched, but I cannot find how to make these, which is sad because I want to make some! Any suggestions? I’m thinking maybe fill the legs with dirt? Here’s the funny thing – imagine what they’ll look like when you water your plants!
Which of these is your favorite? How do you upcycle your old clothing?
Before you go, make sure you check out these great home hacks:
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you changed your blog but I think it looks great.
Thank you! I'm so bad at changing my mind all the time. :D
How extremely innovative and aesthetic.
Thank you!
These are such cute ideas! Those bracelets take me right back to childhood! I can't get over those jean-planters - oh my gosh ??
Thank you! I thought the same thing about the bracelets. :) Aren't those jeans planters hilarious? ??
Hilarious and also a little creepy!
?? I agree!
The dog toy idea might be just the thing!
I think that's a pretty great idea, too! Especially when dog toys can be expensive and dogs just destroy them. :)
My favs are the dog's toy and the pillows that make you want to learn to sew. I particularly love the pillow. That's funny though that you recently wrote about this topic because it's been at the back of my mind lately as I'm customizing and re-organizing my home office space to help me craft a bit more in the future. Because I won't go out shopping for fabric right now and I've been loving all the upcycling projects I see online, I thought I'd re-use clothes that don't belong to my wardrobe any more in the future and turn them into things I can use for storage ...somehow. Not sure yet what I'll do and how I'll do it but I'm equipped: I know how to sew by hand - basic - and I have a sewing machine that I have never used :-)
The pillow is a really neat idea. Using an old t-shirt with a picture on it that you love would be great for this. I'm glad you found this helpful! I hope you get to make the pillow and if you do I'd love to see what you come up with. I have my grandma's old sewing machine and it has been stored away for years. I haven't used a sewing machine since I was in school, so I'm sure I have no idea how to use it! :D
Thanks for the tip! I'll bear that in mind. I've been re-organizing my craft supply lately to encourage me to craft more in the future, so I'm going to start a craft project list so I know what to get and what to do as soon as my hands become operatable again so to speak (stuck with a bad tendinitis at the moment). I will post each of my craft projects on the blog in the future :-) Oh that sounds so lovely that your sewing machine is your grandma's. A little piece of something to cherish. Mine is a brand new basic one. It's not that I need sewing but seeing others doing pretty things online just keep making me want to do my own too..I guess creativity must be contagious!
Having an organized craft room definitely inspires me to craft more. If it's cluttered I don't want to be near it. :D I'm sorry to hear about the tendinitis. I hope you feel better soon. I look forward to your craft projects!
Thanks for your kind words Michelle! Fingers crossed it won't last too long!
Cute ideas Michelle! I love love the wine bags, but don't think I'd like looking at those jean planters...especially after they were watered, ewww!! ?
Jenna
Thank you! The wine bags are a cute idea. My aunt would love them! Haha!! I have to agree with you on the jeans planters!!
These ideas are incredible Michelle. I don't think I ever would have thought to try such a creative project.
The rag rug is definitely one of the first to catch my eye. I'm a huge sucker for soft, super cushy rugs under my feet. I'm betting you could make that one to feel luxurious between the toes!
The bookmarks and pillow covers are brilliant too. We are always in need of more bookmarks around this house! You really have gotten the ol' wheels spinning for creative ideas. Thanks my friend!
Love everything about this post. Sending my love & BIG hugs your way! ?
Thank you so much! I love the rag rug idea, too. And you can make it any size you want! :) I know what you mean about the bookmarks. I'm always losing mine. Glad I could inspire your creativity!
I hope you're doing well!! Love and hugs right back!! :D
I want to try the planters. I am in the process of scrolling down all these comment to thank Michelle for sharing my photo and craft project with everyone, The bookmarks I designed are so easy to make you all are going to have a lot of fun gifts to give out with those ones.
What fun ideas for repurposing clothes, Michelle! My favorite is of course, the pillows! But thank you for all the inspiration! Now I'm going to have to sort through some clothes and make something!
Thank you! I love the pillow, too. It's such a great way to display a favorite shirt or one that belonged to a loved one. Have fun crafting with old clothes!
I absolutely LOVE this idea and how cute all your ideas are!!!!
Thank you so much!!
Hehe lovely ideas, everything looks really great! Regards??
Thank you so much! :)