If you hate the idea of throwing out those old clothes but don’t know what to do with them, then look no further. Here a few money saving ideas that can turn those old clothes into useful items.
Dishcloths
This is a good idea for those clothes that are torn, frayed and not much use. Depending on the style of fabric-this won’t work with denim- you can cut up the clothing with a sharp pair of scissors and make the fabric into cloths for the kitchen sink or the car. If you have a velvet item of clothing, this can be cut up and used as a duster for polishing instead. A cheap and green alternative to buying expensive cloths and dusters from the store.
Draft excluder.
Snip off the legs from an old pair of trousers and stitch at one end. Fill with old material or leftover rags until plump then finish by stitching up the other side. Place along the bottom of the door to banish draughts and keep the home warm. This will save on your heating bill too!
Dolls clothes
If you have a young daughter or granddaughter that is fond of Barbie or baby dolls you will know how expensive miniature clothes can be. If you are nifty with a sewing machine you can recycle the fabric from your old clothes. You should be able to make quite a few pieces of new clothing for the dolls out of an adult sized garment. Old towels cut to size will make great nappies for dolls too, just add a child friendly clip to hold it in place. If your don’t have great needlework skills, you can cut old clothes to size and use them as doll’s blankets instead.
Cushion cover.
Turn that pretty top or T-shirt that no longer fits into a new cushion cover. Snip off the arms and trim the fabric away at the neck till you have a neat square. Stitch up the open sides and you will have a simple cushion cover that will be unique to you. If you want to fill it try using laddered tights that are no longer of use.
Make hair bands
This is great if your old clothes have some stretch or Lycra in the material. You can turn them into stylish head bands or sweat bands for a fraction of what you would pay in a beauty store. You can do the same with a pair of old opaque tights; snip across each leg so you are left with a circular piece of fabric. Each leg can make at least ten bands.
Hanging basket liners
Use those old tights that are laddered as a hanging flower basket liner. Just cut of the legs and use the seat to cover the inside of the basket before you add the plants and compost. Old tights are also great for tying plants as they grow instead of buying garden ties.
A patchwork quilt
Use up all the leftover scraps of fabric for a pretty blanket to keep you warm in the winter. It’s a great way to get your children to learn to sew by having them help you, or will make a nice low cost gift for a member of the family. To make it more personal it can be made with items that your children wore as babies.
Purse and bag
Remove both legs from a pair of jeans or trousers and neaten the the bottom of the seat so it is level. Once level stitch up the bottom and use one leg to make handles for your new bag and the other to make a simple purse. If adding a zip is too tricky for you, a press stud stitched on will work just as well.
With a little bit of imagination you will find so many uses for your unwanted clothing that will save you money. Just look around your home and be inspired. Not only will it help your purse, but recycling your garments will help the world too.