Lately because of my new closet situation and my renewed interest in being a grown-ass lady about personal finance [sidenote: did y'all see my tweet this morning about paying off an old debt? I feel amazing. Really.], coupled with my disdain for waste of any kind, I’m getting more interested in the clothing cycle – buy, use, use up or throw away – and how we can get more out of the clothing we’re using. I’ve been doing some repurposing-type crafts for awhile now. Here are my very favorites.

  • Make a new piece of clothing from an old piece. Cut a pair of tights ights into knee-highs or shredded leggins. Make a dress into a skirt by cutting off the top and adding a waistband or a sash. Crop the sleeves on a long-sleeved blouse into a sleeveless one. Be creative. The single best resource I can think of for make-new-from-old inspiration is the inimitable and adorable Marisa of New Dress a Day. If you haven’t been by to see her yet, get your ass over there. You’re missing out.

  • Cut up an old piece of clothing and make some accessories. Here’s a roundup of my favorite tutorials online:

    Tiny fabric flowers from DesignSponge. I made a modified version of this that you all saw me wear with my Peggy Olson outfit last week. You can also put it on a pin, a headband, a bracelet, or a piece of ribbon tied around your neck.

    Scrunchies. If it’s good enough for American Apparel, it’s good enough for you.

    Hair bows. Put ‘em on a headband or a ponytail holder [like Anthropologie is doing this year], or on a headband like we all used to wear in grade school.

  • Make it into something for your home. One of my favorite bloggers, Erin Doland, writes about simple living over at Unclutterer. The t-shirt quilt is a perennial topic for discussion over there, and I think it’s a great idea for people who want to keep their old tees around – functional and fun, while retaining the sentimentality. Right now I’m working on a crotcheted rag rug for the kitchen out of some old yardage that I’ll never use up. And finally, you can use old clothing to stuff throw pillows and cushions around your house. They’ll end up heavier than pillows stuffed with poly fiber stuffing, for sure, but if you like a firmer pillow, you’re all set. In fact, this might be a perfect way to stuff your dog’s bed.

  • Make it into a stuffed animal or plush toy for your pet. I haven’t done this since I was a kid, but at that point, I did it all the time. Learn how here.

  • Make a laptop sleeve out of an old sweater or coat. You can even repurpose the sleeve from the sweater you use and make a matching sleeve for your iPod, phone, or camera. You know you’d love it. Matchy-matchy!

  • Cut them up and clean your house with them. I try to make my kitchen as paper towel-free as possible. To do it, I’ve got a bin in the linen closet where I keep all my old cut-up tees [most of which came from my last roommate in New York - when he quit his job at the Apple store, he wasn't allowed to sell his company t-shirts, and he didn't want them, so he gave 'em to me to clean with]. They get too dirty to use forever, even if I throw ‘em in the wash, but I figure that even if I use each little piece three times before I toss it, that’s saving me about twenty paper towels per scrap. That makes decent environmental sense, right?

Tomorrow I’ve scheduled a post about how and where to get rid of clothes you don’t want to repurpose. Should be fun! Check back!

Do you all repurpose your clothing? Do you have any great projects you’d like to share?

Related posts:

  1. Clothing to Get Rid Of Right Now
  2. Clothing I Remember Owning
  3. Do It! 11 Ways to Keep Boredom at Bay…Without Buying Anything
  4. Things To Ask Before You Buy A Piece Of Clothing, Part 2: Aesthetic
  5. The Cost Per Wear: How Much is Your Clothing Worth to You? [Or: Are You Getting Your Money's Worth?]