7 Smart and Fun Ways to Upcycle Clothes & Accessories

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7 Smart and Fun Ways to Upcycle Clothes & Accessories
This upcycled pants are so fashionable and unique!

Eco-friendly options, sustainable clothing, and green practices keep growing in popularity. When it comes to clothes, thrifting and upcycling are popular options.

Key Takeaways

  • Upcycling gives old or ill-fitting clothes a second life and cuts down on waste.
  • Old jeans can become a handbag, a worn belt a leather cuff, and a plain blouse an embroidered statement piece.
  • Tie-dye, painted sneakers and scarf skirts or tops are quick, beginner-friendly projects.
  • If you tie-dye with bleach, wear gloves, work somewhere well ventilated and never mix bleach with other cleaners.

Have you been wondering what to do with old and worn-out clothes or accessories just sitting in your closet? Or maybe you have drawers full of pieces that no longer fit or that you just don’t like anymore? The good news is that you don’t have to get rid of them. You can repurpose all these forgotten pieces and create new treasures that can excite you again.

By altering, accessorizing, and combining clothes in new ways, you can revamp your wardrobe and create fresh new looks. Not only will these DIY projects keep you busy, but the outcome can be very rewarding in the end! You’ll feel good about giving your wardrobe a new lease on life while helping the environment. There are plenty of great ways to repurpose old clothing.

Here are seven creative and fashionable ways to upcycle clothes!

Table Of Contents
  1. Key Takeaways
  2. 1. Denim Handbags
  3. 2. Tie-Dye Everything
  4. 3. Painted Converse
  5. 4. Belt to Bracelet
  6. 5. Embroidered Blouse
  7. 6. Skirt Scarf
  8. 7. Scarf top, headband, and more
  9. Conclusion

1. Denim Handbags

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/12807180184239800

The first step to upcycling clothes is to start with jeans! It’s hard to say goodbye to your favorite pair, even when they’re out of style and worn out. Instead of throwing your trusty blue jeans away, consider keeping them around. Why not put them to good use? They’re a great starting point for many craft projects. Denim is a durable fabric, and a little wear and tear just adds to the charm. There are plenty of things you can do with your old jeans to memorialize them. This is the perfect time to turn them into something fun and new, like a trendy purse or handbag.

If you know the basics of sewing, then a jean bag is so easy to make. All you need is your favorite pair of old jeans along with a few other basic materials, and your jean bag will be ready for a night on the town in no time! You can personalize your purse in many ways. You could add buttons or bows. Bedazzle it with sequins and studs, glitz it up with glitter, or add appliques or iron-on transfers. Get creative and have fun!

What you’ll need:

  • Old jeans
  • Sewing kit
  • Sewing machine or fabric glue
  • Grid ruler
  • Recycled fabric (for lining)
  • Scissors

2. Tie-Dye Everything

With tie-dye making a real comeback, grab an old baggy t-shirt that you never wear anymore and give it a new lease on life by tie-dying and cutting off the sleeves. This can make a fashionable, one-of-a-kind tank top! Tie-dyeing is easy to do at home.

It’s a great activity for both adults and kids. While it can get a little messy, it’s definitely a fun project the whole family can do together. Twist a t-shirt, tie it in various places with rubber bands, bleach, or dye it, unfold the twisted areas, and voilà – a cool new t-shirt reveals itself! Sounds like fun, right? If you use bleach, wear gloves, work in a well-ventilated area, and never mix bleach with other cleaners. The best part is it can be done on almost any piece of clothing!

What you’ll need:

  • Old plain T-shirt
  • Bleach or colored dye
  • Rubber bands
  • Tarp, plastic sheeting, or garbage bags
  • Soapy water
  • Paper towels
  • One bucket for every color of dye
  • Soda ash (a dye fixer)
  • Squirt bottle
  • Rubber or plastic gloves
  • Scissors

3. Painted Converse

What’s not to love about Converse sneakers? They’re comfortable to wear, and they go with just about anything. It doesn’t matter how old, scruffy, and dirty yours are. You can fix them right up like new ones in no time. Give them an upgrade… with a little effort, imagination, and some crafting material, you’ll have a new & improved pair of shoes. They are easily customizable and really a blank canvas for any artist. You can use paint, markers, or even fabric dyes – the options are endless.

A little creativity goes a long way, and you don’t even have to be a master painter or drawer for this DIY project. Just grab a stencil, add a pop of color, and start customizing your shoes! Have fun and let your personal style shine through. One thing for sure is that wearing these restyled sneakers will definitely add a cool factor to your look. Time to stand out in a sea of boring sneakers.

What you’ll need:

  • Old Converse sneakers
  • Fabric paint
  • Paintbrushes
  • Markers
  • Fabric dye
  • Stencil
  • Pencil (sketch before painting)
  • Tarp, plastic sheeting
  • Paper towels
  • Stencils

4. Belt to Bracelet

Interested in making cool bracelets? Then you are definitely going to love this DIY project. It’s super easy and quick to complete! If you’re like me and love accessorizing, you might have a huge selection of old belts that don’t fit or are outdated – ones that you no longer wear anymore. Well, rather than throwing them out, it’s time to upcycle and change those belts into some fun jewelry like a leather cuff. Just choose your favorite one, cut off the excess leather, punch a hole, add a snap, and you’re done! Doesn’t this give you a whole new outlook on leather belts?

What you’ll need:

  • Old buckle belt
  • Scissors
  • Leather hole puncher or pointy ice pick (to make holes)
  • Button snaps
  • Leather glue

5. Embroidered Blouse

Embroidered apparel is a fun way to personalize a closet staple. Revamp that plain white blouse with a simple needle, hoop, and thread. All you’ve got to do is brush up on basic hand embroidery stitches to create a one-of-a-kind piece. If you’ve never tried hand embroidery and have a few hours to spare (plus patience), then this is a great DIY to get started on!

Personalize clothing or even make gifts – it’s such a fun and creative project. Add color and texture, and transform any blouse from blah to wow. It gives us hope in a closet full of ordinary, white button-down shirts. Stitch up your garments and add some personality to your wardrobe, that’s the best way to upcycle clothes!

What you’ll need:

  • White button-down shirt
  • Colored thread
  • Embroidery hoop
  • Embroidery needle
  • Scissors

6. Skirt Scarf

There are a lot of different ways to wear a scarf, including around your neck to keep warm or on your head for those bad hair days. For this DIY project, turn that old scarf you no longer wear into a beautiful wrap skirt. No sewing or gluing is required. All you need are a few minutes along with a great extra wide lightweight scarf that has a lot of movement. Drape it to one side, knot it, and let the excess fabric hang. There you have it: a perfect wrap-around skirt ready to party in. Fun, right? It’s also quick and fabulous – definitely, my favorite way to upcycle clothes!

What you’ll need:

  • Large lightweight printed scarf
  • That’s it!

7. Scarf top, headband, and more

There’s just something about warmer weather approaching that makes whimsical accessories that much more fun to wear. This DIY idea is for that trend-savvy girl who’s not afraid to stand out. Bright, colorful scarves can be turned into unique, interesting, and a little bit funky pieces! All you need are a few items. With a wide variety of scarf prints and styles available, it’s easy to customize the scarf and the way to use it to match your style. There are so many combinations and design possibilities you can create. From flirty to fierce, these styles will surely brighten every look.

What you’ll need:

  • Large lightweight printed scarf
  • Necklace (optional for a look)

Conclusion

The beauty of reusing clothes is that your options really are endless. If you upcycle clothes right, you could end up upgrading your clothes/accessories into things you love even more than you did previously. Repurposing all these forgotten pieces and simply giving them a much-needed makeover can give you a fabulous style that nobody else can match, while cutting down on waste. That’s a win-win!

What is upcycled clothing?

The process of taking old or unused materials and turning them into something new, unique, and better in actuality to use it more often.

How can I upcycle my clothes?

1. Dye it
2. Patch it
3. Embroider it
4. Cut it
5. Make a tote/bag.

What is the difference between recycled and upcycled?

Recycling involves the destruction of waste to create something new, on the other hand, upcycling takes waste and makes something new from it in its actual state.

Katia Nikolajew
Katia Nikolajew
Creator of Bewolf · Fashion & Personal Style
Fashion Contributor at Successible Life | + posts

Katia Nikolajew is the creator of Bewolf, a fashion project she started on the side and now works on full time. For Successible Life she writes about dressing well on a budget, finding clothes that fit, accessory and seasonal trends, choosing the right purse, and upcycling old clothing.