Create a Recycle, Reuse and Renew Fashion Trend

I have some creative ways to recycle those old handbags, shoes and apparel and give them a new life. We are all feeling the strain of the economy, but that does not mean you have to sacrifice your look. The new term for this movement is trashionesta, I prefer budget baroness or recycle couture, well you get the idea. Take what you have at home and recycle, reuse and renew an old item with a new look. If you can not bare to cut up your favorite item ask a friend to donate to your project.

Your Closet is a valuable resource. I bet you have tons of old handbags, shoes, and other items sitting in your closet. Recycle some old purses and give them new life. Decorate them with some bling, an old costume jewelry pin, iron-on rhinestones, beaded trim, or a flap from another bag. Give bags new handles or a strap from another purse. Or make a strap from an old belt, a silky scarf, or a beaded necklace. Make some purse jewelry from an old key chain. Add a charm bracelet, beaded bracelet, ribbon or old jewelry and hang it from key chain and attach it to the handle or strap.

Make a new wardrobe from an exiting one. If you know how to sew or know someone who does there endless ideas. Take an old sweat shirt and cut it down the center and add a collar from another blouse or a fur collar from an old coat. Now you have an instant sweater. Or take a favorite t-shirt and make a purse out of it. You can use glue made for fabrics or fuse it together with an iron and heat bond, instead of sewing. All are available at a store that sells sewing supplies. Take an old sweater and cut the sleeves off, take a plastic bag or an old pair of panty hose and use the leg and fill it with sand or uncooked rice, insert into the sweater sleeve and sew or glue ends shut and use as a draft guard for your front door. Use the body of the sweater and make it into a pillow or a dog sweater, that is if you have a large dog. Use a kid's sweater and use it as a dog sweater for a small dog.

We cannot forget shoes. Take a pair of pumps and some small silk flowers, cut the stems off of the flowers, and glue the flower or flowers to the instep portion of the pump. Or take some old earrings and take the posts or ear wire off, and glue to the shoe. Bingo! You have a new look to those pumps. Take some satin pumps and dye them with a sponge brush or fabric paint and make your own designs.

Take some old jeans and decorate the bottoms with beaded trim or glue an applique. Decorate the back pockets too! Cut the legs off and make a pair of shorts, you decide how short to make them, or take a old broomstick skirt and remove the waist band and sew just below the zipper of the shorts, be careful not to sew the legs shut. You've made a new boho look.

There are endless possibilities waiting for you in your closet. You can make your own fashion statement with a little creativity and with little money spent. You can have great fashion on a budget. Your friends will be amazed. Have a recycle, reuse, and renew party with your friends. See what designs you and your friends come up with. The possibilities are endless.