We all have those old items of clothing we just can’t part with, our favourites. Maybe because they were passed down to us or we just love how they make us feel, but there is some sentimental value attached to them. And getting rid of them – though they may be out of style – seems cruel and we just can’t do it.
Relax, you don’t have to crush your heart by giving them away, you can upcycle them.
Upcycling is a bit like recycling but it is where you take an item and change it, to make it better than what it originally was. In terms of clothing it is when you take an item of clothing that is old, stained or that you no longer wear and refashion it into a new piece of clothing.
Upcycling your clothing is great because you can revamp your wardrobe without having to spend lots of money at the shops. It allows you to create new fashionable and innovative pieces of clothing that you won’t see anyone else wearing. Upcycling lets you play around with your creative side and unleash your inner fashion designer, without breaking the bank – what is there not to love?
What I will be making:
I’m going to be taking an old basic long sleeved top that has a few stains on it and turning it into a pretty crop top with lace detailing. When I first thought about doing this I was really nervous but I realised that you don’t have to be a DIY goddess since this is all very simple. Just take your time and don’t be too hard on yourself if it doesn’t come out exactly how you wanted it to.
• 1 x old long sleeved top
• About 1 metre of lace (any colour that matches your top)
• Pins
• 1 x needle
• Some thread (a colour that won’t show up on your top or lace)
• Scissors
• Pen
• Ruler
Step 1:
Decide how much fabric you are you going to want to cut off the bottom of your top. With your ruler, mark off some dots in a straight line across your top so that you have a guideline. This will help you try and cut as straight as possible. Cut off the excess fabric and throw it away or keep it to use in your next upcycling project!
Step 2:
Your top should now look more like a crop top. You need to now cut your lace in half and start pinning the one half onto the front part of the top – be careful not to prick yourself or pin the two sides of the top together! You can leave a little bit of extra lace on the two sides so that they are easier to sew together at the end.
Step 3:
Thread your needle and carefully start sewing the lace to the top, starting from one end of the top and ending at the other. Once you have finished sewing the lace to the top, finish it off by a tying a knot in the thread.
Step 4:
Repeat step two to the back side of the top so that both sides have the lace detailing at the bottom. Once you have done that ,sew the two sides together so that there is no slit in between the front lace and the back lace. Make sure to trim all the pieces of thread that are hanging around.
Step 5:
Wear your new one-of-a-kind top with a fashionable outfit. I’m going to pair my pretty new top with plain leggings, pumps and a statement necklace.
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Tell us: Did you find this blog useful? What upcylcing tips can you share with us?