Upcycled Clothing

Repurposed, revamped, upcycled -  call it what you want, but it’s taking something in its ‘out-dated’ form and transforming it into something new, beautiful or useful. My summer ‘craft’ project is sewing. 

I’m designing aprons from vintage doilies, dresser scarves, tablecloths, etc. I’m scavenging my husband’s worn out shirts, jeans and a few Goodwill garments for the extra fabric. Using my grandmothers’ tattered aprons as a guide, I  fashioned new patterns using newspaper from the recycle bin.

When my kids were small, I enjoyed creating halloween costumes from  old garments. My son still has his cowboy vest made from his Dad’s old jeans and flannel shirt. His civil war uniform emerged from a  donated women’s wool suit.  My daughter kept the clown costume made from her great grandmother’s house coat.

Over the years, I have turned tablecloths into stuffed animals, curtains, pillow covers and napkins. The leftovers from my husbands’ hunting blind became a shower curtain and a water proof clothespin bag. My grandmother was the Queen of upcycle in the 60’s. My mom would take our family mending to her and we never knew what we would get back! Sometimes it had funky new knee patches, longer colorful hems, shorter sleeves or it had turned into a quilt.

Nothing was wasted.

Last year, my daughter-in-law made slipper shoes from canvas shoes and old sweater sleeves.  For me, it’s been fun to create something new and FUNctional from discarded clothing and heirloom pieces. SHHHHH!  Don’t tell my friends and family; some will be birthday and Christmas presents this year!

What have you repurposed or upcycled?  Share  your comments at the ISUEco Family Blog http://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/isuecofamily/

Kristi Cooper
ISU Extension & Outreach Family Life Specialist, Linn County