Repurposing, Upcycling and Refashioning

[Sister_Wife]

I love taking something old or no longer used and making it into something useful or wearable.

[Claddagh]

Go you!

My grandma will do that. If it's something too worn she'll turn them into pot holders or something like that.

Great-great grandma used to make worn out clothes into quilts or braided rugs and sell them.

[Lulu]

those pants look so cute. I try to do it but atm my pile of saved things to reuse is threatening to take over the room I keep it in.

[Brittanicals6]

Great idea, Sister_Wife, I especially like the baby pants. :)

[Just Not Good]

I have whole bins (oops) of Fabric To Be Repurposed. In high school, I made a KILLER miniskirt out of old red and black 60s curtains that I swear was the best thing I've ever made. Now, I have no time, and so the fabric just piles up. Someday!

[snusmumriken]

Those projects are amazing, sister_wife. I especially like the stripy pants. They look very comfy.

I recently learned how to crochet a rag rug out of 2-inch-wide scraps of fabric, and I've made two of those so far. It led to me obsessively looking for bags of remnants at thrift shops. Partner and I have also been piecing together our second outdoor blanket made of recycled jeans (I think about 10 pairs went into the current one) with alternating squares covered in leftover fun fabrics. It's very satisfying to make something so useful out of something that was no longer useful! :)

[tenth muse]

So creative !

[Pixiedust1960]

I have two large totes of upholstery fabric swatches. What can I do with them. 

[AlysonRR]

Make pillows or tote bags.

[Pixiedust1960]

I have made a couple of wallets

[AlysonRR]

My mom made stationery kits for us kids one year using about that size fabric. Not that stationery kits are particularly relevant to most people these days, but they were pretty cool 40 years ago.

Or how about book covers? Those were really big a few years ago, when people read books ;-)

[Pixiedust1960]

Thanks for the ideas. Keep them coming. 

[Felloffthetree]

My mom made block quilts out of clothing that we'd grown out of. She also took my dad's Navy uniforms and made a quilt out of that. I've got a box I've been storing for a few years of our Air Force uniforms, hoping to one day either make a quilt or have my mom make one. And of course I have so many projects that have piled up, lots of mending, and tailoring that I "hope to get to".

[garciarodrigez]

I love repurposing things.  My favorite and so far only one I've seen is my Carhart purse.  I switch purses every now and then but I always come back to that thing.  So useful and versatile.

Sorry to be kind of long winded but I've also made purses out of Levi jeans, baby bib overalls, and mini skirts.  Lol.  My grandma always said someone else's junk is another man's treasure.  

[Chickenbutt]

I've been doing this lately with leftover fabric....Just measure the size of a pillowcase and go for it.

http://sewlikemymom.com/easiest-pillowcase-dress-ever/

I also went to the thrift stores and bought pillowcases for a quarter and made a bunch. I then donated them to the Womens and Childrens center.

I also crochet little blankets with leftover yarn and donate them to a pregnancy center here in town. That way I get rid of yarn, since DH tells me to quit buying more until I use up what I have, and babies get blankies.

 

ETA" Shirts that Daddy/Grandpa wore can easily be made to cover a pillowform or old pillow to give to a little boy or girl to cuddle with.

http://www.ducklingsinarow.com/2012/03/diy-pillows-made-from-daddys-shirts.html

[Chickenbutt]

Oh yeah...I also make rice hot/cold packs with leftover fabric. Sometimes all the pieces match, sometimes they just coordinate. All my family and friends have sets.

[FrumperSeamstress]

I recently bought a stunning tablecloth at my favourite local antique shop. It's this lovely lawn-weight cotton with embroidered dots throughout and a fabulous edging all around. The plan is to eventually make a blouse/top out of it, once I find/draft a pattern suited to it