2 Simple Methods to Upcycle your outdated Fashion Collection to Reduce Waste

Not sure what to do with the clothes you no longer want to wear?

Often people buy clothing items that they hardly wear and when their wardrobe runs out of space, the time has come to part ways with some of these items.

To avoid unnecessary rubbish ending up in landfills, there are creative ways to upcycle clothes, if you decide you do not want to donate them to charity or sell them on exchange platforms like eBay.

Clothing styles and trends change and with Halloween and Christmas approaching, old garments can be transformed into costumes or unusual fashion items for the festive season.

So, if you want to avoid your good as new clothes to end up in your same day rubbish collection where they are just simply disposed, and you want to instead contribute to reducing waste then you should follow these tips.

What is Upcycling and how does it work?

Upcycling is a technique used to transform used items like worn garments, household textiles or scraps of fabric into unique DIY pieces. Some companies like H&M have already recognized this and have launched a denim collection to reuse old denim leftovers.

You can join the trend to make old better at home with your own discarded garments. You might even turn it into your new hobby, because being creative is really fun!

For upcycling you will need old clothes or other textiles, a needle, thread, and some imagination and patience. We share some inspiration for you, before you decide to hand over your clothes to the same day waste collection near you.

Which Textiles are suitable for Upcycling?

Well-suited for upcycling are textiles that are still in good condition and do not show strong contamination or discoloration. The fabric denim is a top candidate as it is very robust and elaborately processed and therefore far too good to throw away!

T-shirts are equally ideal for upcycling. Here, the design possibilities are almost infinite if they are not too flimsy.

So, check your wardrobe now and get out those upcycling candidates for the next step.

Upcycling –how to turn Old into Reusable?

Now it is time to get creative. Choose any of the two below upcycling methods for your outdated garments and give them new life.

1.   Refreshing and Updating:

Got an ugly stain on your favourite white shirt that cannot be removed? You can make it “disappear” magically under a pretty embroidery, pearl embellishments or if it is on the collar, exchange it with a brand-new collar from another shirt. Alternatively, you can remove the collar completely and turn your blouse into a stylish Carmen blouse without a collar. Simply cut straight around it, line with two seams and thread a rubber into the seam tunnel.

However, upcycling does not always have to be done with the help of needle and thread. Even dyeing can make discoloured shirts or washed-out jeans shine like new again. How about a batik get together with your friends?

If you’re more of a themed type, then you can add Halloween or Christmas decorations such as baubles, glitter, blood stains or whatever you come up with.

2.   Full Transformation:

Your old top becomes a skirt or a pillowcase when you alter the original function of your garment. This is especially useful for sentimental pieces that mean a lot to you.You can still enjoy it every day in a new form.That comfy and soft jumper you loved to wear can convert into a lavender pillow that also supports better sleep.

Textiles made of pure cotton or linen are particularly suitable to make a cushion. They can be heated in the microwave. So, follow these simple steps:

1. Cut out two squares of the same size from your shirt and place them on top of each other.
2. Sew three sides with your hand or sewing machine and provide the fourth with buttons or a zipper.
3. Turn everything to the left so that the seams are inside.
4. Fill with lavender which you can either “collect” from lavender fields or order on the Internet.

Again, if you’re planning a Halloween or Christmas party and you fancy some themed decorations, you can add funky accessories to the cushion such as stars, glitter, spider webs etc.

Now go and rest your head on your homemade pillow.

Final Thoughts

You should now understand how easy it is to upcycle old garments before you throw your fashion items in the bin. That’s not where they go anyway, and they can be reused several times even as cleaning pads or cloths before you decide they are no longer usable. You can then get your clothing waste collected by the best rubbish removal companies, who will dispose of the recyclables at the right depot for further processing, and the rest with the adequate waste plant.