How Do You Re-purpose Clothes?

Discussion in Fashion & Apparel started by Denis Hard • Sep 14, 2014.

  1. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    An easy way to save cash on clothes is by re-purposing your clothes. I just heard of this one and think it's great for ladies. Jeans last long. Really long. Eventually though they'll get holes in the knees. First step is to make a pair of shorts which can wear for a while. When the shorts age or you are just fed up with them, you can then re-purpose the shorts into a mini-skirt or a slightly longer skirt depending on your preferences.

    Any other ways you re-purpose your clothes?
     
  2. sthrngypsy

    sthrngypsyActive Member

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    Turn them into cleaning rags. Unfortunately I'm extremely hard on my clothes. Also I have cats which sometimes put holes in the clothes with their claws. So usually they aren't good for anything once I have worn them for a while, not even donating them.

    There is a huge market for used clothing in good shape on Ebay depending on the size. There are also local consignment shops which sell clothing, if one is just tired of it and wanting some quick cash.
     
  3. Amanda K

    Amanda KActive Member

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    This isn't very creative, but I cut old clothes into squares. They are handy for cleaning. I also use the squares as burp cloths for my son. I am saving his baby clothes and not turning them into squares, though. I have seen a number of quilts online made from baby clothes, and I plan to undertake that project. I've asked for help from his grandmother to keep me dedicated to the idea.
     
  4. prettycolors

    prettycolorsActive Member

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    If some of my 'city' clothes get too worn out I start wearing them in the house only (for work or exercise). After a while, when they get in an even worse shape I cut them into rags. This way I get both clothes to wear indoors and save on cleaning rags. Obviously, I don't do this with all my clothes, cause what would I do with all those rags? So some of them I donate when the time comes.
     
  5. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

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    Mine get turned into rags or get donated, but I'd much rather just donate them as much as possible. The only ones I turn into rags are the ones that I think wouldn't be too good to give anyone anymore even if they are free because I think it would be insulting to even those who need it to receive such ruined clothing.
     
  6. chiofthenorns

    chiofthenornsActive Member

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    Well, I just turn them into rags. I don't really have the talent in making new clothes out of old ones. I just let tailors do that. Anyway, when I don't see myself wearing one of my clothes anymore, I donate them, too. Sometimes, I give them to charity. Other times, I just give them to my neighbors.
     
  7. Parker

    ParkerWell-Known Member

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    I donate the clothes that are still in good shape. There are a couple of homeless women shelters in the area. If they are faded with small holes, I will just wear them around the house until I get tired of them. At that point, I will either throw them out or turn them into rags.
     
  8. H.C. Heartland

    H.C. HeartlandActive Member

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    I have some children that are from needy families and have had several pieces of clothing tailored down to fit them. One of my dresses for example, was very frayed at the ends due to over-use and washing, but when I trimmed it to fit a young girl about 12, it looked like a brand new dress. My husband has also had some frayed long sleeved dress shirts that were turned into short sleeved dress shirts. This worked out good for at least one more season and then he uses the shirt for a work shirt. I have just seen a site that showed you how to recover women's hand bags with old clothes that looked neat, but I haven't tried it yet to see if it works. Also, there was a quilted blanket made from squares of old fabric; that is an old idea but for some reason I never thought of using old clothes to make my squares before.
     
  9. ExpertAdvice

    ExpertAdviceActive Member

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    Very nice post! I have often thought of ways to re-purpose my clothing, and honestly, I've made attempts, but I'm just not sure if it is that the ability to do so just stops with "guy clothes" or what! Because, on the other hand, I've observed my wife engage in this "re-purposing" over and over, and I've really admired it, but haven't been able to do so successfully for myself. However, it's not that I mind all that much; I just wonder what her secret is! lol.
    I've seen my wife get outfits that were actually meant to be dresses from people like close relatives, or even close friends who didn't quite get her height right. So, what she did was to simply...wear it as a blouse! And MY! Did she look awesome! I mean, you would never had been able to guess that the outfit was originally intended to be a dress. She really pulled it off! She just added a pair of jeans underneath, and in other instances, she'd even wear a pair of black leothards, which serve as both giving a "spunky" look, as well as looking casually elegant!
    Man, when it comes to re-purposing clothing, I think my wife has it down to a science...I'm gonna ask her if I can copy her notes and then re-purpose them, so that they can apply to my wardrobe now!
     
  10. Athenagdlyt

    AthenagdlytActive Member

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    I have 2 boys who benefit from extended life of clothes. The younger son gets hand-me-downs from his older brother aside from some occasional new clothes. He eventually gets more clothes because of these garments passed on to him. When their legs have grown too long for the pants, I just cut these, sew hems, and turn these into shorts.

    Old men's shirts can be repurposed into aprons. Old cotton t-shirts may be repurposed into braided rags. Fabric of old clothes can also be repurposed into quilts.

    The most common repurposing that I do is turning long-sleeved shirts into sleeveless blouses.
     
  11. dizzykitsune

    dizzykitsuneActive Member

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    I typically re-purpose my shirts the most. I look for tutorials on youtube and ideas on pinterest to snip shirts that are too big or are ripped. Sometimes I'll cut out a pattern in the back and sew lace into the openings. Cute ideas like that keep my closet lively and my hands spinning while I'm at home.