When you have children, you constantly need new clothes. After all, kids are always growing up and growing out of the clothes that they own. However, it isn’t easy to be frugal when you constantly buy clothes.
So, instead, try to upcycle clothes whenever you can. This means revamping the clothes your kids own to work for them as they grow. In other words, you will get more use out of every item you buy. You can upcycle in little ways such as using labels and tags by Wunderlabel.co.uk or you can completely turn an item into something new and unique.
Turn Shirts into a Dress
If a t-shirt is too small, that doesn’t mean you should get rid of it. In fact, with a few old t-shirts, you can make your child a cute maxi dress that is perfect for spring or summer.
To do this, you will need, of course, a few old t-shirts. For the t-shirt that you want to be the neckline, you will cut the shirt to cover the child’s chest from about the ribcage up. This is a great chance to use a t-shirt that has started to degrade at the bottom.
Then, you will want to find a few more t-shirts and cut them to make wide rings of color in the skirt. Usually, you will want t-shirts that generally correspond in color but don’t match up completely. You can use as many t-shirts or as thick of bands as it takes until the dress fits your child and falls at about their ankles.
Make a Quilt
When you are looking for something to do with old t-shirts, you could always consider making a quilt out of them. This can use up a lot of t-shirts, so it’s a great project when your child grows out of a lot of clothes at once.
For this project, you will want to cut even squares out of several t-shirts to work as squares for your quilt. A great idea is to cut the designed area off the front of the t-shirts but if you are using solid color t-shirt, that’s fine too. Then, you will want to sew each piece to the next until you have a full blanket.
Pillow Cases
Another idea similar to the one we just looked at is to use old t-shirts to make pillow cases. For this, you will generally need two rectangles of old shirt, slightly bigger than the pillow you are trying to cover. You will want to sew these up on three sides, leaving the fourth side open to insert and take out the pillow as needed.
Adult Clothes into Children’s
If you have a man’s shirt that you aren’t using anymore, you can turn this into a child’s dress as well. To put the process simply, you will need to do a few things. The first steps will probably be to even the hem at the bottom of the shirt and shorten the sleeves to fit your child – short, flared sleeves are usually the easiest. Finally, you will want to add a waistline to the dress.
Turn a T-Shirt into a Tote Bag
Another idea is to turn a t-shirt into a tote bag. When you have kids, there is a lot you need to carry around from craft supplies to and from a classroom to carrying diaper supplies. An easy way to get further use out of your children’s clothes into a tote bag. You can use a single shirt or you can make a patchwork tote bag.
Make Mittens
When the winter months come around, you can make mittens in a cinch out of an old sweater. All you have to do is cut a mitten shape out of a sweater – two copies of the same shape – and sew them together, leaving them open on the bottom.
Make Teddy Bear Clothes
If your child’s clothes are really worn out or very small, that doesn’t mean you have to give up on them. They can be fashioned into clothes for dolls and teddy bears for a unique and personalized touch.
This is a collaborative post.
