I confess, I love clothes! I love shoes and handbags, costume jewelry, and art. As a creative individual with limited funds, I have scoured thrift shops for years on the hunt for bargains. When my sons were young I clothed them in second hand, like-new clothes that saved us so much money and they looked great! I would look for interesting things, like t-shirts with cool graphics that could be cut and appliqued onto jeans, etc. to create entirely new and original looks.
As the oldest of six children, times were tight when I was a child. We often received boxes of hand-me-downs from others and were happy to get them. My grandmothers sewed clothing as well. It is no wonder that I learned to be frugal and yet use my own creativity to imbue freshness into older, no longer fashionable articles of clothing.
Today, as an empty nester, in addition to many other creative outlets, I continue to re-purpose outdated clothing. This also helps saves hundreds of pounds of fabric from ending up in waste sites. It is sometimes a slow process to find things that will work in a refashion project, but the results are worth it! I often find great items for as little $.50 that others overlook.
I encourage anyone who might never have considered it to give it a try! Get those creative juices flowing and strut your shine!
Source: ReFashionista
This page contains the following solutions.
I've just changed the buttons on an old coat and it looks just like a new one. I buy buttons in thrift stores (where you can find horn, mother-of-pearl, or brass ones) or take them off other pieces of clothing.
Each time I donate bags of clothes to Good Will, there is a lingering pile of items that didn't make the cut. It consists of frayed jeans and torn t-shirts that can't be donated and are destined for the trash can. After talking with someone about her scrap crafts,
When my daughter was in grade school, I couldn't afford new school clothes every year, so I purchased an A-line (no waistline) dress pattern with the option of cap or long sleeves and three neckline options.
I have made shorts and blouses from a large bed sheet, also curtains, pillow cases, etc. It's often cheaper than fabric from fabric store.
Look what mamma made! I made these outfits for my two daughters. The older one is from my dad's old shirt with some denim curtains that were given to me, then I appliquéd a heart on an old t shirt.
I've been looking for tops for my white skirt and ivory skirt and looking for print skirts. One day, I found a dress with a print I liked and thought, "I wish this were a skirt." That's when I realized I could cut it in half and make a skirt.
Re-use clothing parts to renovate clothes in trouble. For instance, if sleeves on a shirt are too short, cut them off just above the cuff and sew on some cut-off sweatshirt sleeves from a too-small or stained garment.
You don't have to throw away your favorite sheath-style dress just because you outgrow it. All things old can become new again with a bit of imagination.
My daughters like to "design" some of their own clothes, which often means they will be either cutting or adding something to their clothing.
When my children were growing up I used to take all my husband's, and my old jeans and shirts and make simple shorts with elastic bands for my kids. Then for my girls and myself I would make little sun tops out of strips of material here is how that is done. Here's how...
Recently, I saw a lovely blouse on a lady. I complimented her on it. She replied, "Thank You, I bought this along with several other blouses, at a sale, all having long sleeves, I took them home, cut the sleeves off and made me all summer time blouses." She most likely saved a lot of money by doing this.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
How can long wider strait leg women's slacks be updated to look contemporary?
There are so many cute things kids are doing these days to style their clothes and make them look more contemporary. One way to get a lot of ideas on this is to go to life hacks for clothes and take a look at how simple and easy this one could be. Furthermore, a lot of the older styles in clothes are coming back.
I wear those now! It's how you pair them up. With wide straight leg, I use a thick belt and solid coloured top, and accessorize. It's fun to be a blast from the past :)
What can I do with a t-shirt that is two sizes too small? I really like it and would like to turn it into something I can wear.
By neo from Raleigh, NC
I would cut out the sleeves also wet it then put it over the back of a chair to stretch it. Let it dry on the chair, if it's still not large enough when you put it on pull & stretch it more, good luck.
Back in the late '80s, when I was a super skinny teenager, I turned some t-shirts into skirts. I'd use the neck hole as a waistband, and then tie the sleeves together. It's been so long, I don't even remember if I tied them in the front or back.
If I wanted to do something like this today, I'd have to cut the neck hole drastically to be able to use it around my waist, and I don't know how well the sleeves would tie together. I'm sure it'd look a lot less cool/cute today than it did 20+ years ago (at least on me!).
Good luck. Hope you find some great ideas!
If the tee is large enough to fit around your hips, it can become a skirt. If the neck does not stretch enough, cut it on both sides along the shoulder seams until it does. Reinforce both ends of the cut with hand stitching so it won't rip. If short sleeved, sew the sleeve openings shut with hand stitches. Pull the tee skirt on, and tuck in the sleeves as pockets.
You can cut the tee open along the side seams if the neck and shoulders fit. You can cut strips of material similar in type(another tee maybe) and sew to both halves of the cut open tee, hemming at the sleeve edges and bottom. You can use matching, blending or contrasting material. I once used a print which matched a skirt I had made when the only tee I could find that went with it was a medium, and I wear XL/1X. Expanded it by about 2" on each side. Still wearing it years later.
If the tee has a graphic on it, you can applique it onto a shirt that fits you.
Make a tote/green grocery bag. 1. Lay it flat on a hard surface. Measure down 8" from the center of the neck. Mark a "U" shape and cut out. Sew across the bottom of the t. Cut off the sleeves (the openings make the handles)
I have been asked to help adjust a dance recital dress for a toddler. She is three years old and the size 6 dress ordered for her was the largest size available. It is too small particularly in the torso and sleeves. The skirt I think will be OK.
Here is what it looks like. The top is pink satin with a Peter Pan collar. It buttons in the back to the waist. It has short puffy sleeves with elastic edging. The skirt sits at the natural waist and has multilayers of underskirts. The main outer layer is cotton. I measured the child in the dress and we need additional inches across the back and in the sleeves.
I would love to make these adjustments without too much cutting. I was thinking I may be able to add a piece of satin (maybe with some spandex?) to the back between the buttons and the buttonholes and then open the seams of the puffy sleeves and add some extra fabric to enlarge the area around the arm and armpit. Or maybe opening the sides of the top and inserting stretchy fabric all the way from the sleeve to the waist and leaving the back area as is; that is, leaving the buttons alone. Any other ideas out there? Thank you so much for any help!
By Joanieb from NY
I need help altering clothes due to weight loss. Any suggestions to help would be appreciated.
By Karen from Winona, WV
The most obvious way of altering clothing is to take in the side seams. Put on the garment inside out & then pin the cloth to the desired fit, you then sew along the pins on a sewing machine (although I have done it by hand occasionally). My mother took in all of her old knit slacks that way when she lost weight. (If you want to take in more at the front, say, you might have to take off the waistband.) You can also make any darts larger. Of course, then, trim off the excess fabric & press down the new seams. (Here's where loosely fitting clothing shows how practical those pieces are, as you can just belt them in tighter, this even works for some pants, or you can simply shorten any elastic in a casing along the waist.)
Here's an easy way to put some elastic in pants that are just a little too big that you aren't ready to give away yet. On the inside only of the back waistband cut a slit over near each side seam. Thread elastic (about 1 inch wide works fine) through along the back with a big safety pin. Use smaller safety pins to anchor the elastic at each end. Voila! One size smaller!
I put the pins on the outside since I never tuck in any of my tops, but you can put the pins on the inside if you tuck in your tops. Also, I use old suspender elastic sometimes. My husband gave me a bunch of them when he retired and quit dressing up in suits.
As I get older my waistline expands and I find that my skirts get tighter! I don't want to throw them away, does anyone know of a way to make them larger by "taking them up" at the waistband, and make them elasticated instead of button and zip?
If you haven't grown too much you can loop a rubberband through the button hole and then back through itself and secure the button with the rubberband. Don't know what to do about the zippers, though.
I read a letter from a woman who sews clothing for many of her (long-distance) relatives. She says that instead of finishing the waistbands of these garments, she sews a buttonhole on the inside of the waistband, pulls both ends of the elastic through it, and secures it with a safety pin. This way her relatives simply try the garment on and sew one line of stitching or just re-pin where they need it! I would leave a little extra elastic on the inside. The buttonhole can be used to add new elastic as needed without cutting your seams. As for your zipper, why not sew it closed using a ladder-stitch by hand or a zig-zag by machine. How about making it into a pocket or adding applique?
I recently purchased a couple of really nice t-shirts, only to find they are too large. Nice problem, huh? I want to alter them to fit me better. The shoulders are much too wide as well, so will need to do something about that. Does anyone have directions for altering t-shirts that are too large? I have been sewing for years. Thank you.
I'm a seamstress (by trade, originally) and I don't have any "pattern" per se, but short of completely opening up the entire shirt and re-cutting and re-sewing, I've simply sewn new allowances where I need the closer fitting. I've done them as a baste-in 1st, checked the fit, made any adjustments necessary and then sewn them in permanent, afterwards cutting off the excess "old" seam allowance.
Use an old sweatshirt to repurpose into a jacket. Here is a great design for how to turn a sweatshirt into a jacket.
This page is about shortening men's shirt sleeves. Altering the length of sleeves can add extended wear and save you money.
Some clothing can be repurposed into other articles of clothing with a little alteration. Here is a neat idea about how to turn a blouse and skirt into a dress.
Sweaters can be used in a variety of recycled crafts. This page has ideas for making new and creative crafts using sweaters as material.
This is a page about altering pants into capris. Give an older or unused pair of long pants a new lease on fashion life by cutting them down into capris.
