Upcycle Is the New Recycle

We all know that recycling is an important way to reduce consumption of natural resources. We commonly recycle our aluminum cans, plastic bottles and newspaper. But have you thought about recycling your clothing?

You only need to look in your closet,  at garage sales  or the local thrift store to realize how many clothes we outgrow in either size or fashion! (I see a lot of exercise equipment at garage sales too. Maybe these trends go hand-in-hand.)

If you are even just a little bit handy with a sewing machine, you can turn some of your garbage into something new. By doing so, you can "upcycle" an old, out-dated or worn out article of clothing into a new piece of clothing or accessory.

Recently, I demonstrated how I took an old dress and turned it into a fun apron on my blog. Sundresses would be especially easy to convert into an apron! Or simply use the fabric from an old dress to make a reusable tote bag for the beach or grocery store. Old pillowcases, tablecloths and vintage linens can also be sewn into totes.

You have probably seen tote bags made out of old jeans. An old pair of cargo pants can make a great bag with pockets built in! There are many tutorials on the web that will show you how to create one.

The little black dress in the photo was made a bit more hip by my daughter. Her older cousin did not care for the dress, which had a high neck and long, lace sleeves. My daughter chopped off the sleeves and shortened the neckline. With a few accessories she jazzed up an otherwise boring (to her) dress. (After seeing the renovation, her cousin wanted the dress back!)

Upcycling is not limited to fabrics. I have seen artists upcycle old jewelry into amazing creations! I have also upcycled musical cards into new cards! Yes, I am cheap. But those musical cards can cost around $5.

Our friends send them to us and we enjoy them. But it seems a waste to throw them out. You can carefully cut the card to keep the musical mechanism intact, add some pretty fabric or paper to the outside and plain paper on the inside and you've upcycled a card -- and saved five bucks!

Give upcycling a try. You may discover your creative side, save money and the planet too!