Reusing is Better Than Recycling: Tips for Reusing Old Clothing

Reusing trash and recyclables is great for the environment, and frugal as well, but it can be difficult to know where to begin. In this series of articles, I will be examining the possibilities of reuse available for a number a different items, including crafts and other options.

Clothing is continually being discarded in most households. It is very easily stained or torn and then it doesn't seem to be any use. Children outgrow it, and styles change very quickly. Donating nice clothing that is still good quality and can be worn to homeless shelters or women's shelters is the best choice. But sometimes clothes just have already had there more useful days, and they can't be used as they are any more. This doesn't mean they are trash!

These projects are ideal for those who are new to sewing. Making new clothes out of old is the perfect start for beginners. Beginner sewing projects like these are great because they are free, and if they work out well, they're something for nothing, and if they're not quite as successful, there are still options for getting use from the fabric. There are so many things that can be done with stained or worn out clothing that reuse is always an option.

-Put two or more outgrown or worn items together! A denim skirt can be made from a couple of pairs of jeans with holes in the knees, or a new shirt can be made from two outgrown ones with a layered look to extend the sleeves and bottom.

-Use parts of some worn out things to patch holes in others. Jeans wear out easily at the knee, but the shin and calf area are usually still sound and serviceable fabric. Use these sections to patch holes in other pairs of jeans. This does not have to look dorky. If the patch is edged with another decorative fabric, embroidered, cut into a fun shape, or stitched in place with decorative stitching, it can look like a design feature.

-Patching is not just for holes! Stains can be covered with many different techniques. Appliqué and embroidery are ideal for stains and spots on blouses. The area that most stain fall, the upper chest, is generally a common place for embellishment on shirts and blouses. If the spot is in a more awkward location, consider an all over design, or one that naturally sweeps and curves to a number of places, like vines or branches.

-Adult clothing can often be cut down for making children's' clothing. The places that are usually the first to wear out or become unpreventable, such as the collar tips, cuffs and armpits can easily be worked around and discarded, leaving the sleeves, back and front for the new child-sized outfit.

-Make an apron. When the front of a shirt or blouse is too ragged or stained to salvage, very often the back is still good material. This is especially true for dress shirts that are generally worn under a suit jacket. It is very easy to turn the shirt around, cut to shape, and add ties and tucks to form a great new flirty apron.

-Cut patches for quilts or other patchwork projects. Catch the pioneer spirit, and examine worn out clothing for areas of fabric that are still good and would make nice additions to blankets, bib, or other patchwork items.

-Don't forget to cut off and save all the buttons and other useful parts if they aren't being used on the new project. These are great for projects of their own.

-Clothing that is just too worn for making anything new to wear can still be reused! Tear t-shirts and other clothes into rags that can be used for cleaning, shoe polishing, rags for the wiping greasy mechanic hands or hankies. Holey socks are great for polishing silver and shoes, or using for dog chew toys.

Clothing that is past its prime can easily be made into something fun and new to wear, or be given a new and serviceable life as a rag or wiping cloth. Make sure to check those bags of clothes that are headed for the trash with a creative eye before throwing them away.