Sometimes the joy of upcycling or getting rid of old clothes is purchasing new ones! If you’re lacking creative ways to re-use clothes, we’ve got you covered.
In an eco-conscious world, it’s tough to throw anything away.
We generate more than 15 million tons of textile waste every year. But clothing will run its course eventually, whether it’s your style and size moving on or your clothes giving out. So what can we do?
Let’s take a look at 5 creative ways you can get rid of old clothes.
Ragtime Gal
Let’s start simple: all you’ll need is a pair of scissors.
You can recycle clothes in your home without any need for advanced DIY. Cut old clothes into rags and use them as cloths for cleaning the bathroom or wiping down a windscreen.
As an added bonus, this means you’ll need to buy fewer rags, saving you money and saving the environment.
The Soft Approach
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If you’re feeling a little more crafty, you can turn old textiles into pillows and cushions. You can find many guides for this online that will help you transform your clothes into household accessories.
Our favorite part about this is that in an age of IKEA, this gives you unique pillow designs you can sure no one else will have. Nice patterns or fun graphic t-shirts can find a second life as interesting highlights on your couch.
Exclude Me, Coming Through
Draft excluders are easy to make, and you can make them out of almost any textiles you have lying around the home. Choose a fabric with an interesting pattern for the outside, and stuff the inside with either some store bought-stuffing or yet more old clothes.
The Swap Shop
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Are you from a big family or have a large circle of friends, where you’re always comparing things like the best down jackets for women? For clothes fanatics, a clothes swap could help you get rid of your old clothes and get some new ones.
Clothes swaps are a fun way to hand off pieces that no longer fit or aren’t your style to younger siblings or friends who wear a different size or have different tastes. While this won’t work for pieces that are beyond their use by date, it’s a great way to cycle others that you’ve simply moved on from.
A Fixer-Upper
What bold new strategy is this? Let’s face it, repairing clothes has fallen by the wayside as disposable culture has reached its peak. Who visits a cobbler or a tailor now?
It’s time to bring it back. Make small repairs at home instead of consigning clothes to the garbage, or take them to the professionals when it’s a job too big for you. Someone who knows what they’re doing can breathe new life into old clothes.
Old Clothes Aren’t Old News
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These are just a few ways you can give new life to old clothes. And once you’re in the mindset, you’ll start to see that there are plenty of opportunities for recycling clothes out there, if you’re willing to find them.
Looking for more ways to turn old clothes into something better? Check out our upcycling guide.
