DIY Trending Ways to Upcycle Your Old Clothes In 2022

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Cutting and Sewing

A pair of scissors, a needle, and a thread can easily transform a piece of clothing into something new entirely. Perhaps you’ve thrifted a t-shirt several sizes too large, or you own a pair of jeans that have always been too long on you.  Similarly, cutting up the fabric of old clothes and sewing them together can create brand-new pieces. Though sewing fabrics can be a little bit complicated, it’s relatively easy to learn.

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Embroidery

With just a needle, thread, and embroidery hoop, you can embroider any design you’d like onto your old clothing―a flower on a pair of jeans, the name of your hometown on a hoodie, the silhouette of your cat on an old bucket hat.  Adding embroidery to your clothes will give them a personal touch of originality. It also transforms an unworn piece into something you’ll be excited to begin incorporating into your outfits again.

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Painting

This one’s pretty self-explanatory. Unleash your artistic side by painting graphics and designs of your choice onto old clothes. Just like embroidery, this allows you to personalize your clothes and give something a brand-new look. Painting is also a great way to cover up old spills and stains, or simply to brighten things up by adding a pop of color to your wardrobe. This works best when using acrylic paint on clothing of a thicker material, such as denim and canvas.

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DIY Hair Materials

Do you have leftover fabric from cutting up an old t-shirt? Instead of letting it go to waste, turn it into a matching hairpiece. These pieces of fabric can easily be used to create a new scrunchie (with the help of an elastic and some sewing) or can even be turned into a headband.  If you’re looking for a simpler means of creating a hair accessory, you can also use extra fabric as a bow.

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DIY Reusable Towels

If you have clothes you don’t want to wear and can’t fix, a great alternative is to turn them into a reusable kitchen towel. Cut your clothing into square or rectangular pieces―based on your preference―and fold them up for storage in the kitchen. The kitchen is where you’re probably most likely to use single-use paper towels. Use these reusable towels in place of unsustainable paper options to clean up spills and wipe things clean.

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DIY  Plant Holder

If you have a plant in need of a pretty fabric plant holder, grab an old t-shirt.  This no-sew method simply requires you to cut your tee into strips then use some knotting skills to tie them together.

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DIY Reusable Food Wraps

Similarly to making reusable towels, you can also turn your old clothes into reusable food wraps―specifically, beeswax food wraps. To make them, simply iron shreds of beeswax onto your desired fabric, wait for it to dry, and then they’re ready for use. Over time, using these food wraps will save lots of plastic waste, both reducing your carbon footprint and giving your old clothes a new purpose.

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