Upcycling old tees into clothes for kids

Have you caught wind of the hype on upcycling adult t-shirts into shirts, dresses, onesies and pants for kids? I just love this idea! Now, if I was more skilled at sewing, I would attempt this project. But in reality, I’m not and currently, I don’t have the time to try. Thank goodness for the crafty folks over at Etsy!

 

smarTEE pants baby wear makes and sells the cutest pants from old t-shirts. And for those of you who are more adept at sewing, she also sells patterns!

 

 

 

 

 

 

TheJumpOff makes onesies, pants and cute little dresses out of recycled t-shirts and t-shirt scraps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And again, for those of you who want to try your hand at sewing your own, one of my favorite blogs, Lil Blue Boo, has a pattern shop for her adorable tee dresses and outfits on Etsy.

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

Potholders: What to do with old ones, how to make new ones

My kitchen drawer contains a couple of pot holders that I’ve held onto for a few years too long. I really should throw them out. Really. But I can’t turn my back on repurposing!

 

After searching the ‘Net far and wide, I could find nothing on alternate uses for old pot holders. I did find one set of instructions for revamping old pot holders by stitching on new outer fabric. I also found a TON of ideas for creating pot holders out of recycled, repurposed and reused materials. Check it out:

 

Repurposed materials turned pot holders

 

Old sweater into a pot holder.

 

Old stockings/tights/panty hose into a pot holder.

 

Old socks into a pot holder.

 

Old jeans into a pot holder.

 

Old t-shirts into a pot holder.

Read Full Post »

Back-to-school tip: Don’t label your kids’ backpacks

Before you jump to conclusions after reading the title, let me explain. Of course you have to label your kids’ school supplies — it’s practically the law! Not to mention, it helps prevent lost lunch boxes, backpacks, etc. The problem, however, is that when you use a permanent marker to label your child’s name on a lunch box or backpack, it can’t be passed down to a sibling or to another family (if you sell or donate it). Not very repurposeful!

 

 

Instead of marking up a backpack or lunch box with a permanent marker, consider this:

 

To label a lunch box or backpack: Take a small piece of scrap fabric from your stash or from an old white t-shirt and cut out a rectangular strip large enough to write your child’s name on.  Use a permanent marker or to write your child’s name. You can attach the strip either by stitching it directly onto the backpack or lunch box with a needle and thread, or by looping it on a handle and stitching the fabric closed on one end. If the thought of needle and thread scares you, you can take a small safety pin and attach the fabric to the inside of the backpack or lunch box, in a spot that won’t be touched by little hands.

 

I’m adding this post to We Are That Family’s Works for Me Wednesday (WFMW) series. This week’s theme is back-to-school. Go check it out to find more helpful tips!

 

 

Photo by D Sharon Pruitt.

Read Full Post »

Plan your week of repurposeful crafts….

…with this new site I found, just today: Dollar Store Crafts. Ok so, yes, some of the crafts involve buying things (on the way-way cheap) from the dollar store, but many of them involve repurposing things you already own! For example:

 

Make a gadget case using an old tie.

 

Make a recycled t-shirt necklace (no really, it’s cool, take a look!).

 

Make a rolled paper wreath (another use for junk mail and old magazines).

 

Make a credit card bracelet (the ultimate in recession friendly).

 

Make curtain tiebacks from an old necklace.

 

And there are many, many more. I’ve already spent too much time looking… go check it out!

Read Full Post »