I’ve been a fan of upcycling clothing, bedsheets, and other textiles ever since I saw Fraulein Maria make clothes out of curtains in The Sound of Music when I was a very young girl. (Fun sidenote: there are a few other movies that depict this resourceful behavior, including Gone with the Wind, and Enchanted.) There never seems to be enough money to do all the sewing projects I can imagine, so looking for gorgeous, natural fiber textiles at thrift stores and in my old clothes made sense. I’ve given a second life to linen bedsheets, tablecloths, and cashmere sweaters, and gotten new use out of old t-shirts, curtains, dresses, skirts, and jeans.
We live in an age overflowing with cheap clothes. The fashion industry is working at lightning speed, producing tons of new garments every year. Most textiles produced these days are made with synthetic fibres, and are as cheaply constructed as possible. This means our clothes wear out faster, and don’t decompose quickly like natural fibers. Tons of textile waste are produced every year as a result. The statistics keep getting crazier. Check out this article for a few. https://earth.org/fast-fashion-statistics/ Upcycling clothes and other textiles doesn’t just save you money, it also helps the environment.
Take a look in the back of your closet, or your local thrift store, and see if you can find some old t shirts, skirts, or other clothing items that could be given a new life. With just basic sewing skills, you can reduce the amount of textile waste in the world and avoid purchasing new textiles. There are so many fun ways to reuse old clothing: making new clothes, doll clothes, baby accessories and outfits, quilts, and more. In this blog post I’m going to share how I quickly process old clothes into useable pieces of fabric, ready to refashion into new clothing or accessories.
How to Quickly Prep Old Clothes for Upcycling
1. Gather your old clothes. Check in the back of your closet, your linen closet, and the secondhand store. Old tees, old shirts, skirts, pants, or even tablecloths and curtains. Make sure they are clean. Stains are ok, but make sure the clothes have been washed and dried.
2. Set up your cutting station. You need a table or countertop, a large cutting mat, a rotary cutter, and fabric shears.
3. Lay out your first garment onto the cutting mat. Smooth and flatten it somewhat. Line it up so the side seams are on the edges, and the sleeve armpit seams are on top of each other.
4. Use the rotary cutter to cut a little bit to the each side of every seam to slice out all of the seams and hems. Be very careful not to cut yourself! If any areas are too thick for the rotary cutter, use the fabric shears.
5. Don’t worry about stains or holes right now. You can decide how to cut around them when you are making something with your upcycled fabric.
6. As you remove each seam, put it in a pile to throw away. Fold your seam-free fabric pieces neatly together and put in a nice basket or bin for storage.
7. To upcycle buttons, slice out the whole button placket and roll it up, then put it wherever you store buttons, such as a button jar. This keeps the matching buttons together.
8. Sometimes you may want to save hems, especially in the case of sweater ribbing. I usually don’t cut off ribbing because it can be very nice in some projects, for example, as the wrist part of upcycled mittens.
9. Take your pile of trash seams to a textile recycling center if possible, or throw them away. If they are all natural fibers, you can compost them, but be sure to cut longer pieces into short lengths only a couple inches long, to prevent animal entrapment. Those long pieces of thread or fabric can easily tangle around a critter’s legs, beak, or neck.
Pro tip: don’t overthink this process! Your cutting lines don’t have to be perfect. You’re just cutting up scrap fabric from old garments, the stakes are very low. Do it quick and get it done!
Pro tip: begin to group your scrap fabric bundles into color combinations that you like. This will be helpful if you want to pair any pieces together to create larger pieces of fabric, or larger garments.
Watch me cut up t-shirts, sweaters, button up shirts, peasant blouses, pants, and a skirt in the video below.
What to make with Upcycled Clothing Scraps
Once you have your stacks of upcycled fabric, the fun begins. There are so many different ways to use your collected scraps using a sewing machine or hand sewing kit:
Use a sewing pattern to cut out pieces from your fabric scraps, then sew together according to the pattern. This is one of the best ways to make something that is really unique and looks professional. For example, you could make a child’s shirt, where each piece of the shirt is cut from a different fabric.
Cut out lots of squares and sew them together to make a larger pieces of patchwork fabric. Use your patchwork fabric as yardage to make something new. A quilt, pillowcase, tablecloth, or new skirt are all viable options. This can be a great way to use a pile of scrap fabrics that have sentimental value, such as old baby clothes or clothing from a loved one who has passed away. It’s also a way to make clothing for a larger body, when all your upcycled fabric pieces are small.
Make a classic tiered patchwork skirt.
Use sweater scraps to sew baby accessories or mittens, stuffed animals, or an epic sweater coat.
There are many craft ideas that use small pieces of fabric, such as applique, doll clothes, pin cushions, and scrunchies.
Bonus Tip: Best T-shirt Upcycle Ideas
You can upcycle t-shirts in lots of different and creative ways to make some really quick, easy projects.
T-shirt yarn: Lay out a t-shirt flat on a cutting mat and cut horizontal strips in a long spiral to create t-shirt yarn, which can be used for knitting, crochet, macrame, rug braiding, or weaving. Tutorial here.
Tote bags: Cut off the sleeves and collar of a t-shirt, then sewing up the bottom of the shirt, to create a reusable bag that is perfect for grocery shopping. Tutorial here.
Graphic pillows: If you have a few old concert t-shirts that you don’t wear, you could create a set of throw pillows with the concert graphics on them. To make a pillow, cut out the graphic into a large square or rectangle. Cut out a matching piece from the back of the shirt. Sew the pieces together on three sides, then stuff the pillow. Sew up the last side, and you have a cool decorative pillow with sentimental value.
T-Shirt quilt: T-shirt quilts are an amazing way to use a collection of graphic tees. For best results, they require a process that includes stabilizing the stretchy fabric before sewing. Check out this tutorial. Tutorial here.
T-shirt baby hat: This is an easy way to upcycle t-shirts. You can make a lot of baby gifts from one shirt. Tutorial here.
Upcycling textiles is a creative, practical, and impactful way to save money and engage with sustainability. For decades, I’ve found immense value in repurposing old clothes and other textiles. This approach not only breathes new life into different materials like linen bedsheets, wool sweaters, and denim but also fosters a deeper appreciation for craftsmanship and the potential of every fabric.
In contrast to the wastefulness of fast fashion, upcycling offers a creative opportunity to appreciate the beauty of textiles, rather than seeing them as cheap throwaway items. By extending the lifespan of garments and reducing dependence on cheaply made, synthetic fibers, you can take a small but significant step toward alleviating the environmental strain caused by excessive textile waste. Every choice to upcycle contributes to preserving natural resources and minimizing landfill overflow.
Upcycling old clothing and textiles invites us to embrace creativity and sustainability. Even with basic sewing skills, the possibilities are endless. Give it a try, and in no time you’ll be turning old clothes into versatile fabric pieces. You’ll be empowered to craft unique clothing, quilts, or accessories that are both eco-friendly and beautifully personalized.
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