Ten Ways to Reuse Clothes

photo by Fleur Suijten

You finally cleaned out your closet and drawers and discovered you have a pile of clothes you never wear or are worn out. Instead of throwing them away, try the following ideas to reuse your clothes.

1. Remove shirt buttons to use as replacement buttons for other clothes or to use for crafts. Sort them by size and color to make finding a match easy or store them all in jar for crafts.
2. Tear up stained and holey clothes to use as cleaning rags. Test different fabrics; some leave lots of lint and others are not good for cleaning. Regular cotton works best.
3. Use quality fabrics and patterned clothes for craft projects.
4. Cut cotton t-shirts into strips to turn into upcycled headbands, infinity scarves, or bracelets.
5. If you are good at sewing, use clothes that no longer fit to make clothes for small children or dolls. You can also use old baby clothes to dress stuffed animals.
6. Sew old ties together to make a skirt or use a tie as a fashionable belt, headband, or other accessory.
7. Make a costume box for Halloween, costume parties, and playing dress up. Add in clothes, shoes, hats, jewelry, and other accessories.
8. Put clothes you never wear but that still fit you in an emergency kit. Be sure to include clothes for different seasons and weather conditions.
9. Wear stained and holey clothes for painting, gardening, and other dirty work. Keep reusing them or throw them away afterward.
10. Donate to charity, sell, or pass along whatever clothes you can’t reuse but can still be worn.