Six Clever Green Ways to Recycle Old Clothes

When clothes become stained or slightly worn or are not the right size any more, many people may be tempted to throw them away. Rather than putting them into the trash and adding to the ever-increasing landfill, you can give your clothes a new "assignment." Here are some possible options for those gently worn articles of clothing:

Make tablecloths, purses, seat covers, quilts, blankets, totes, or even a modified version of clothing.

If you have the gift of knowing how to sew, the possibilities for your formerly loved duds are endless. You can make patchwork purses, quilts, blankets, totes, or seat covers from them. This author even had a friend who recovered his couch with denim from reclaimed jeans.

If you have old jeans, you can alter them to become a denim skirt or add a little extra fabric or other embellishments for extra flair. Instructions on how to create a repurposed jeans skirt are available online.

Tie dye them.

If you have some old t-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, or socks that may have some staining, you can always tie dye them to give them a beautiful new life. Tie-dyed articles of clothing are bright and happy and make wonderful additions to anyone's wardrobe. For instructions on how to make and utilize earth-friendly tie dyes, check out this article.

Donate them to a worthy organization or to a person in need.

Organization such as Goodwill and the DAV are great destinations for those clothes that you and your family have outgrown. Too, if you know someone who has a child or family member who could wear the clothing, you could pass those gently worn pieces to him or her. Make sure that the clothes that you are donating are clean and stain free, and are in a state in which you would want to receive them.

Use them as cleaning cloths around the house.

Old cotton t-shirts are especially good to use for this purpose. They provide a non-abrasive, absorbent surface that helps to soak up that spilled beverage or liquid or to scrub the sink, tub, or any other area.

Wear them when you or your other family members are painting, cooking, or partaking in any other potentially messy activity.

This author enjoys cooking but always seems to manage to have some sort of edible substance splotch onto her shirt. The solution to this problem is to wear those old clothes during those times that the situation could get messy.

Too, this author's children adorn their gently worn duds while painting, tie-dyeing, or taking part in any other type of art project where their clothes could become unintended works of art. Keep some of those old clothes handy for such occasions as these.

Lay them around the outskirts of your garden to keep would-be visitors away.

If you are growing a garden and have a problem with unwanted "visitors," laying your old clothes around the outskirts of your garden can help to deter this potential invaders. Your scent that remains on the clothing can at least help to deter a few unwelcome intruders, and this deterrent is safe and will not harm the animals or the environment.

Before you hurl those unwanted garments into the trash and ultimately into the landfill, you might want to consider these possible eco-friendly alternatives. You, your family, other people, and the environment will benefit from your decision to do so.

Sources:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5726824/green_homeschool_crafts_ecofriendly.html?cat=7

http://www.ebsqart.com/artMagazine/za_572.htm