Out of the Closet

So now that we’re ready to tackle our closets, we need (I need) some good incentives to sort through our piles of jeans… t shirts… shoes… socks… clothes I’ll never wear again… clothes I love that are so past their prime I can’t wear them any more…

I found so many fun and creative ideas for old or discarded clothing that I had a hard time figuring out where to start! So let’s start with those old T shirts.

Did you know that old T shirts can be made into really cool rugs that require no sewing skills?

It looks pretty easy. All you need is some kind of backing with holes in it that are large enough to stuff a strip of T shirt into. This could be burlap or even the mesh that laundry bags are made from.  I absolutely love this idea, and am really disappointed to discover that I don’t have nearly enough old T shirts!

Here’s a visual tutorial of rug made with burlap as the backing.

And here are some pics of work in progress:

Not big on shaggy rag rugs? How about a round woven rug? Check this one out:

Pretty cute, huh? It’s not hard to make. Here are some pics that show how rugs like this can be made. It looks like a hula hoop is used as the frame.

This may not be as easy as it looks. If you weave it too tightly, or if you use stretchy fabrics in strips that are too narrow, you may end up with a sort of limp basket. I found a post about this and a cute picture of a hula hoop rug fail. Here’s the link Project Hula Hoop Rug Fail and a pic:

I did find success story pics though, so I think it’s a matter of making sure that the weave isn’t too tight, and that the cross pieces are sturdy and thick. I think old towels might lend themselves to a project like this as well. Be interesting to try. Here are more pics:

Rugs aren’t the only things that can be made from old T shirts. Here’s a clever idea for making bags from T shirts. It requires no sewing skills whatsoever. I found it at Mommypotamus

I’ve been looking for an easy-to-carry, washable alternative for the kids to use, and over the weekend I came across the perfect solution. My local thrift shop was selling cute t-shirts for 99 cents apiece that were practically begging to be upcycled into a farmer’s market tote. They’re 100% washable, and when they’re no longer useful as bags I can cut them into rags to clean with.

There was just one problem: I can’t sew. At all.

Fortunately, I came across some no-sew ideas that Katie and I adapted to fit our style (which, if you’re curious, generally favors the color red and anything Snoopy). The took no more than 10 minutes from start to finish, and I love how they turned out.

Supplies:

• Old t-shirt – The thicker the fabric, the sturdier the bag
• Sharp scissors, preferably fabric scissors
• Washable marker (optional)

Step 1: Cut the sleeves off

If you’d like to fold the t-shirt in half you can cut both sleeves at once so that they are identical.

Or, if your material is too thick to cut them both at once, you can cut one, then fold it in half and use the cut side as a guide for the next sleeve.

Step 2: Cut the neckline area

If you’d like, you can turn the shirt inside out and trace the outline of a bowl before cutting.

I used both methods and personally, I like free-hand cutting better because I prefer a slightly oval shape to a perfectly round one.

I ended up trimming this one a bit to make it more oval.

Step 3: Determine how deep you want the bag to be

If you haven’t already turned your t-shirt inside out, do it now. Determine where you want the bottom of the bag to be and trace a line across.

Keep in mind that depending on the fabric used, your tote is likely stretch and become longer when it’s filled with stuff.

Step 4: Cut fringe

Now grab your scissors and cut slits from the bottom of the shirt up to the line marking the bottom of your bag.

You’ll want to cut both the front and back layers together because they need to match up for the next step.

I cut my slits about 3/4 to 1 inch apart.

Step 5: Tie Fringe

Okay, this is going to sound really complicated, but it’s NOT, promise. Take your first pair of fringe and tie it into a knot, then tie two more pairs.

Now if you lift your bag you’ll see that although the pairs are pulling the bag together, there’s a hole between each pair. This next step will close those holes.

In the photo above you see three sets of fringe that have been tied in knots. What I do next is grab one strand from the middle set (the one with the arrow pointing left) and tie it in a knot with one of the strands on the left set. Then I take the other strand from the middle set (the one with the arrow pointing right) and tie it in a knot with one of the strands on the right set.

Then I take the remaining strand on the right set and tie it to the next set of strands, and so on and so forth until all the strands are tied. Now turn your t-shirt right side out again and voila, you’re done!

A Couple Of Fun Variations

• Turn the bag right side out when tying the fringe so that it hangs from the bottom.
• Tie the straps in knots, or tie bits of t-shirt scrap to the top as embellishments

More T Shirt Ideas

So totes are fun, and easy but maybe you really love that old T shirt. No problem. It’s really easy to turn T shirts into wall art. All you need is a blank canvas a pair of scissors, and a staple gun. Now staple gun? Thumb tacks will also work:

Pillows

Because T shirt material doesn’t fray or unravel, it makes a for a very easy customized throw pillow. Old fleece blankets make a nice pillow as well. These pillows are so easy to make that I don’t think we even need an extensive step by step tutorial.

Simply cut the T shirt into as large of a square or rectangle as possible, then cut fringe around the edges. Tie the fringe together, and when you have 3 sides finished, stuff it with batting or insert a plain pillow. Then tie the last side up.

Here’s a series of pics that show how it works:

If you prefer a finished edge, you’ll need to do some sewing. Button down shirts can be made into pillow covers, and then unbuttoned and tossed into the washing machine. Simply button the shirt, turn it inside out and lay it on a flat surface. Smooth out the wrinkles and pin it together. Then cut it into whatever shape you like. Once it’s cut, sew the edges, flip it right side out… and Voila!! How fun is that?

There is a boatload of cool ways to make pillows from shirts and T’s. You could also use old pajama tops and bottoms. The legs from old pajama bottoms would be super easy since two sides are already sewn. I even found a tutorial at Creme de la Craft for turning old sweaters into cool pillow covers. No sewing, no cutting. Here it is:

You don’t need to toss out your favorite sweater just because it’s got a hole! Instead, you can upcycle old or damaged sweaters into cozy pillows. This no-sew tutorial is so easy that it’ll take you less than five minutes to complete. Plus, it doesn’t require any cutting so you can use your sweaters as pillow covers during the summer and wear them again in the winter!

Steps:

• Stuff the pillow inside the sweater, stopping an inch below the underarm seam.
• Pull the sleeves from the back of the pillow and wrap them around the front of the pillow, knotting them together in the center. Fold back the cuffs if desired.

• Turn the pillow upside down to expose the bottom hem of the sweater.
• Tuck in one side of the bottom hem. Tuck in the other side to form a little pocket.

• Turn the pillow on its opposite side to expose the neckline of the sweater.
• There should be a little pocket that was formed on the back of the pillow after you knotted the sleeves in the front. Tuck the neckline of the sweater inside this little pocket so that it is hidden.

This technique can be used with any long sleeved shirt. I’m not sure if the knot on the back would bother me, and I am also unsure how well it holds up to continued use.

And just in case you’re still thirsty for pillow ideas, here is a nifty collection  of a variety of pillows to get your creative juices churning:

Alright, that’s enough of that… what about all those jeans you have that you can’t wear, but still love?

Jeans

Most of the ideas for jeans that I found require a bit of skill, but these coasters looked pretty easy:

Cut out seams from the legs of old jeans and use them to create gorgeous looking coasters. All you need to do is tightly roll the seam into a spiral and keep gluing it on the inside to ensure it sticks well. Try and create a 3.5” spiral. If you do have a cork lying at home, cut it out and stick that to the bottom of your spiral seam coaster. This one’s just an addition; the coaster is good to be used without it too.

You could also use the jean pockets. Simply remove the pocket from the jean, and decorate the edges with lace, sequins, colorful buttons or anything else you fancy!

Placemats:

Make yourself an uber cool set of placemats using old denims. All you need is your old denim and some sewing skills. Basic hand sewing would also work/ alternatively you could look at using adhesives. Made from up cycled denims, these can include cute pockets to tuck away the cutlery too.

Workstation organizer:

This project requires a bit of sewing. You need denim pockets, an old pair of jeans (use the same ones from which the pockets are being ripped off). A rod for the top and bottom of the organizer, and a cord to hang it with.

Cut open the denim legs and sew them together to get a flat piece of rectangular denim fabric (See image for reference). On this sew the various pockets. Ta da! Your organizer is ready.

An alternate to this could be to use any waste fabric lying at home as the base of the organizer. Another option is sticking the pockets onto a wooden panel.

But wait, there’s more!

Jeans can be used to cover sturdy cardboard boxes.  All you need is a supply of jeans, a sturdy cardboard box, a good idea, and glue. More ideas for how to turn those old jeans into something useful are as follows:

Crocs

Got some crocks that you no longer wear or that have lost their tread?

Crocks make great little planters. They have great drainage and they are easy to hang! Fill them with potting soil and plant flowers, hen and chicks or other sedums. If you are worried about the soil falling out through the holes, cover the inside with a piece of burlap. Keep them well watered and voila!

What a great way to grow a little mint garden, or maybe some small herbs like thyme… Here are some great ideas:

How fun! I wonder if I have crocks in my closet…

Western Boots

Western boots are super cool, and when the time comes to recycle them, there are a lot of options – some are easier than others.

The easiest way to use a favorite boot that will never fit you again is to clean it up, paint it, and turn it into a flower holder. You can put a water filled vase inside the boot to display fresh flowers, which isn’t necessary if you are a lover of dried or silk flowers.

Old boots also make for cool planters. If you opt for the cool planters, don’t forget to make sure the boot has good drainage. If it already has holes in the sole, no worries. But if the boot is still in good shape, you’ll need to drill a drainage hole in the bottom.

Mosaics on boots is a super nifty way to bling up your home. I’d use silicone caulking to attach the mosaic pieces because it allows for a bit of flexibility. You can use mosaic glass, beads, old jewelry… pretty much anything with sparkle and shine. The inside of the boot can be spray painted or covered with fabric or felt. Fun, huh? I love this idea, too bad I don’t have any old boots!

There are tons of other really cool uses for old western boots. Some of these ideas will require some skill and maybe a tutorial or two. You can make a lamp,a bird house, and a bunch of other cool stuff. Well worth the effort if you love western decor, or if you have access to a plethora of old western boots.  Here are some pics:

Work Boots and Mud Boots

Work boots, rubber boots, boots with heels, boots of all shapes and sizes are most often used as planters and flower holders. They can also be recycled into cute little fairy houses, of nifty bird houses. You can paint them, mosaic them, or let moss grow all over them. The possibilities seem endless:

Flip Flops

If you have an abundance of old flip flops and colorful scarves, you can turn them into a really cool pair of sandals! This visual tutorial simply wraps the scarf around the flip flop and the ankles.

The following visual DIY tutorial for upgrading your flip flop fashion uses a braided strap to make the flip flops, but you can use colorful scarves and other fabrics as well.

There are so many possibilities on how you can add your favorite fabric to flip flops, but what I like most about this method is that you can make your flip flops fit perfectly so you don’t have to worry about doing the toe pinch every time you step to keep you flip flop on, or have your feet ache from flip-flops that are too tight.

First of all, I found a very inexpensive pair of flip flops at Old Navy.  (Or dig in your shoe stash.  You know you have some in there.)  Then, cut the plastic straps off of both flip flops.

Next, snip pieces of the flip flop away on the back of the flip flop, right around each hole of the flip flop.  Don’t cut all the way through, making the hole bigger……..just make a bigger resting spot for your knot to lay (that you’ll be placing here in later steps).  Cut about 1/3 of the way through the thickness of the sole.

Then, create a long strand of braided knit material.  T shirt fabric is great for this. Make sure you’re using a semi stretchy knit fabric so that the strap will fit snugly around your foot.  This will help the sandal to stay in place.

To determine whether or not the braided section in long enough……wrap the braided knit around the back of your foot and then up over the top of your foot and down through your toes.  And then make sure that there is enough to stick through the sandal and then tie in a knot.  (Having a little more than you need helps.)  At the ends of the braid, I just wrapped with thread really tightly, and then knotted it (the thread) in place.

Now, you need to shove the raw ends down into the hole by the toes of the sandal.  I used a pen (in the “off” position) to shove the ends down in there.  The hole will stretch so you can really shove a lot down in there with some effort.

You should have both ends coming out the bottom of the sandal.  Be sure that the braid isn’t all twisted on the other side. Next, tie really tight knots into each end of the braid and then trim off the excess fabric. The trickiest part here is making sure that your braid is just the right length.

Then add a little hot glue beneath your knots and into the crevice of the flip-flop that you dug out earlier.

While the glue is still hot, press the knots into the foam sandal and as hard as you can, to really secure the knots in place…….and to force them into the sole of the sandal.  (Depending on how big your knots are, depends on how much you should cut out of the sandal.  You may feel the knots a bit while walking if you have bigger knots, so keep that in mind as well.)

Now, cut more strips of your knit fabric and make a loop of fabric on each side of the sandal, including the braided strap as you loop the side strap down in place.

After you have both side loops in place, make knots in the bottom and trim off the excess.  Glue them in place the same way.

This next step is optional but it really helps make the section that goes between your toes, less bulky.  I just wrapped some thread around the toe section over and over again as tight as I could (without breaking the thread) and knotted it in place.

And that’s it. Now your flip-flops are done and ready to wear.

Here are some variations on this theme:

Ok… I think that about does it! Time to get cracking on our closets.

And of course, anything that doesn’t inspire an idea or appeal in any way needs to go bye bye. Either drop it in a Planet Aid bin, the trash bin, or your local thrift store.