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Recycle, Reuse, Renew: 11 Ways To Repurpose Old Clothing

So, there’s been a pile of clothes in the back of your closet for months now. They’re too old and worn to give to Goodwill or even sell on Ebay You feel guilty if you throw them in the trash but they are taking up much needed closet space. Well, we have 11 totally awesome ways for you to reuse those old clothes. We promise these tips will bring out your creative side and save you money.

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11 Creative Ways to Reuse Old Clothes

Make a tote bag

Take an old tank top and sew the bottom of the tank top closed. That’s it. For extra sturdiness you can cut out a rectangular piece of cardboard and place it at the bottom of the tank if you plan to carry heavier items. Ratty tatty tank top is now your brand new tote bag!

Make Cleaning Cloths

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Take your old t-shirts, tops, and socks and turn them into cleaning cloths. Socks make great dusters, and old t-shirts are perfect for wiping down tough surfaces and for cleaning wooden furniture. Just cut them up into medium size pieces. You will save on having to buy sponges or overpriced fancy labeled cleaning cloths.

Frame It

Sometimes when we love an article of clothing so much we literally wear it to death. Why not resurrect those pieces by framing it. Your old school 70’s rocker tees, your baby’s first outfit, or even old scarves. If you’re not into the whole framing your favorite dress, use the fabric of your old clothes to make a picture frame. You can buy a frame from the store, cut pieces of fabric from your old clothes, and line it over the picture frame.

Make a quilt

Sew pieces of your old duds into a quilt. People do this all the time, especially if you’re one of those people who likes memorabilia. Taking pieces of soft and smooth fabrics makes a great quilt. It will be something that you can pass down to your children and your children’s children.

Make a fabric headband

If you watched the 2012 Oscars red carpet, then you know that headbands are making a comeback. Take your old silk pieces and cut a wide strip that will be long enough to fit around your entire head. Leave a little extra room so you can tie it comfortably. Fold it in halves and tie around the crown of your head and voila you have a brand spanking new headband.

Make a sash or belt

Here’s another penny saver. Use your cotton or chiffon fabric pieces to make a belt or sash. You can cut a wide strip of fabric from the bottom of a solid colored skirt or dress. Make sure it’s long enough to fit around the narrowest part of your waist. Sew the ends so you will not be able to see the loose thread and instantly you created a belt. For a little extra pizazz go to a trimmings store and you can get you some fabric glue and bedazzle the belt with spikes or rhinestones for a unique look.

Dye your old clothes

If you have old clothes that look faded to the point where they look like a completely different color than when you bought it, we say dye it. You know when the LBD starts to look gray or your brown shirt is looking tan. All you need to revive it is to change the color. Dying fabric can be a fun process and a bit of a messy one but the results are well worth it. You can purchase clothing dye from a trimming store or from an arts and crafts store like Michaels.

Turn them into new pieces

Another great use of old clothes is to make them new again by turning a dress into a top or a top into a skirt. Turn a pair of long pants into capris or shorts. This is the ultimate way of getting the most of your wardrobe. You can take a few pieces to a tailor and have them fine tune your your new creations.

Make a book cover or bookmark

Mask a personal journal with your printed pieces. All you need to do is cut out a large square piece of cotton printed fabric from an old top. Place the book in the middle of the square, trim the extra fabric you don’t need and then use glue or double sided tape to cover the book. Take the excess fabric and drape it over a piece of cardboard; seal the fabric over the cardboard with glue or tape and and you have your very own personalized bookmark.

Make a fun pillow

Another super easy way to reuse old clothes is to cut the sleeves off of an old cotton shirt or sweater. Sew the sleeves and neck of the shirt together to close them. Stuff the shirt with cotton balls or feathers and sew the bottom of the shirt closed.

Make mittens for you kids

When the winter time rolls around cut off the sleeves of your child’s old wool sweaters, get a mitten paper template. Cut out the shape of a mitten along the template and sew the edges closed. This would be a great project to do with your children because they can add their own embellishments to personalize the mittens.