Reduce, Reuse, Recycle *and* REPURPOSE! Great ideas how to utilize formerly unused items in your house.
Why go shopping when you have some perfectly fantastic items in your house just waiting to be discovered and given a new (and improved!) use?!
First a few easy ones:
-Old cotton shirts make excellent rags
-Orphan socks make excellent dust and/or polishing rags (particularly for items that have lots of small crevices)
The following crafts require some sewing skills– I’m no seamstress– not EVEN close– I can (barely) sew a straight line, but I’m bound and determined to learn and improve. My grandmother was a professional dressmaker, whereas I won’t be giving her a run for her money any time soon, these are crafts that even *I* can do. And since you can now get sewing machines for less than $100– even less, if you find one at a garage sale or Craigslist (just make sure it works!) You might even find someone who is happy to get rid of theirs.
A few repurposing ideas:
-A man’s dress shirt can become a little girl’s dress, see HERE for instructions
-An old pillowcase can also become a little girl’s dress, see HERE for instructions
-Old jeans can become a purse, see HERE for instructions
-Use some of that denim to make cute slippers see HERE
-An old leather skirt can become a fabulous purse, see HERE for photos (be sure to use a needle appropriate for leather AND use upholstery thread. (Thanks, Erika!)
-Old wool sweaters can be felted and made into a TON of things including, but not limited to:
Why go shopping when you have some perfectly fantastic items in your house just waiting to be discovered and given a new (and improved!) use?!
First a few easy ones:
-Old cotton shirts make excellent rags
-Orphan socks make excellent dust and/or polishing rags (particularly for items that have lots of small crevices)
The following crafts require some sewing skills– I’m no seamstress– not EVEN close– I can (barely) sew a straight line, but I’m bound and determined to learn and improve. My grandmother was a professional dressmaker, whereas I won’t be giving her a run for her money any time soon, these are crafts that even *I* can do. And since you can now get sewing machines for less than $100– even less, if you find one at a garage sale or Craigslist (just make sure it works!) You might even find someone who is happy to get rid of theirs.
A few repurposing ideas:
-A man’s dress shirt can become a little girl’s dress, see HERE for instructions
-An old pillowcase can also become a little girl’s dress, see HERE for instructions
-Old jeans can become a purse, see HERE for instructions
-Use some of that denim to make cute slippers see HERE
-An old leather skirt can become a fabulous purse, see HERE for photos (be sure to use a needle appropriate for leather AND use upholstery thread. (Thanks, Erika!)
-Old wool sweaters can be felted and made into a TON of things including, but not limited to:
- A flower pin, see HERE for instructions
- A tote bag, see HERE for instructions
- A puppet, see HERE for instructions
- A potholder, see HERE for photos
- A hat, see HERE for instructions
Have any great repurposing crafts? Please share! Post a link in the comments section or email me and I’ll update this post!
Happy repurposing!
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
You can also use wool sweaters to make longies- great diaper covers for those who cloth diaper. Frugal in the fact that you’re recycling/reusing the wool sweater AND that you’re not shelling out extra cash for disposable diapers.
Here’s just one link on how to make longies from wool sweaters-
http://www.cafepress.com/thatskindacool/864331
I know this post is old, but there are literally 1000's of uses for recycled wool (old sweaters). My blog is dedicated to all things recycled wool:
http://resweater.blogspot.com
Reuse, recycle, Resweater!