Quilts are made by recycling old clothes.
Recycling old clothes into creative craft ideas is not only eco-friendly but cost-effective. Rather than throwing out old clothes because children have outgrown them or they are no longer in style, find another use for them. A wide variety of crafts can be made with old clothes.
Jeans
The denim used to make jeans is a durable fabric. Even when it gets old, it still looks good when recycled into a craft. Denim jeans are recycled into a wide range of pocketbooks, camera bags and backpack styles. Denim pieces also can be used to make a quilt. Other craft uses include pot holders, journal and photo album covers, decorative patches used on other materials as well as kneepads for gardening, cozies and Christmas stockings. Denim jeans also can be recycled into another article of clothing, such as denim shorts and skirts.
Socks
Old socks are used to make a wide variety of crafts. Shoe protectors are made by either stretching a sock to fit over a shoe or cutting open a pair of socks and restitching to fit. Use old socks to make pet toys, or fill them with herbs and spices to create a sachet. Long socks can be made into arm warmers. Make a patchwork quilt by using socks of various sizes and colors.
Sweaters
Sweaters can be made into mittens. Cut two fabric pieces that will fit your hand, then sew the pieces together to form one mitten. Sew the mittens on the reverse side. Sweaters also can be used to make pillows, purses and quilts.
Crafts for Children
Children outgrow clothes quickly. A good way to teach them to recycle old clothes is by encouraging them to show their creativity by making crafts. Socks can easily be turned into hand puppets and hand warmers. Children's jeans can be made into a drawstring bag and a variety of purse styles, and the pockets can be cut into bean bags. Gloves make finger puppets, and fabric scraps turn into a rag doll. T-shirts make personal throw pillows, and pantyhose stuffed with crumbled newspaper can transform into a snake.
Additional Crafts
Use old clothes to make coasters, book covers and decorative covers for electronics and small appliances. Make rag rugs by tearing old clothes into strips and then crocheting or braiding the strips together. Cut squares from old clothing and stitch them together to make a quilt. Make hot pads and pot holders by lining fabric from old clothes with quilted bed pads.
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