Being a particularly crafty person I do not like to throw away perfectly good clothes, particularly if I can use them for something else. Now, there is the issue of when my clothes do not fit anymore, because that presents a deeper issue beyond just sewing a patch or painting a design and being done with it. So, a few days ago I emptied out the bag of clothes I was planning to donate, and turned the items into something re-wearable. Above is an old Peanuts shirt I turned inside-out and painted a red anarchy symbol over, to add a bit of punk to my closet. (I have a lot of punk in my closet already, but that's beside the point.
Above is a twisted fabric headband that I made from an old shirt that sadly shrunk on me. I cut off the sleeves and sewed them together at both ends after twisting them to avoid any weird edges.
I have since realized that the best way to make something old look fairly new again is to paint it. The above picture shows a vest with Nirvana lyrics painted on the back. This top used to actually be a shirt, and if I took a picture from the front you would notice that the butterfly beading design still exists, although now it is more subtle due to it being cut through the middle.
One of my favorite pieces, this shirt came from an old dress. It has a zipper on the back, so I kept the zipper and trimmed the dress just below the spot where the metal pieces ended. The zipper gives it a rough, industrial look, playing into the fact that the shirt is for Nine Inch Nails.
So, if you are looking to give new life to some of the clothes in your closet, here are a few ideas:
-If you are going to paint something, try the clothing on first so you can mark where exactly the design is going to be painted. It's really awkward when you paint something on a shirt and the logo ends up being overshadowed by your chest, or it's too close to the edge.
-Don't overdo it. Usually something as simple as adding lace or studs is enough. If you go overboard with embellishments, the shirt will look tacky and most likely be unwearable. Which brings me to...
-Make sure you will actually be able to wear it. For example, putting sharp spikes on the shoulders of a jacket is fashionable up until the point you need to put on a backpack.
-When sewing something, watch out for really tough fabrics, like denim. My machine hates denim and I have lost several needles trying to redo jeans. For tough fabrics, sew by hand!
-Make sure you sew the trimmed edges for a clean finish. Unless, of course, you want the piece to have a chaotic or grungy vibe.
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