The term Upcycling means using vintage, discarded, worn out, or damaged pieces of clothing and transforming them into something better and appealing so that they can again be put to use.
A lot of people now know about recycling, but only a few know about upcycling. Upcycling clothes is among the best ways to discard your wardrobe- decluttered clothes without harming the environment. It creates less waste, lowers pollution, saves water and energy too.
People are fond of buying street clothes, they love them, they love bargaining, they love handy clothing at cheap prices but it has a price too. The overproduction as well as the overconsumption of cheaply made clothing cause a lot of harm to the planet, animals, and people living on it.
The fashion and clothing industry accounts for more than 8% of all the green gas emissions combined. The textile industry is among the largest polluters globally. It generates huge amounts of waste, carbon emissions, and pollution. The way people are using and discarding clothes today will have catastrophic consequences in the future.
Upcycling extends the life of old items. It enables us to make new pieces of clothing by cutting and sewing old textiles and garments.
Some upcycled garments and clothes are even biodegradable and recyclable when they become too old to be put to another use. They are by far the seemingly best way to minimize the impact of fashion on the environment.
A lot of people can (some are even doing) upcycle so many used clothes and items at home without any extra machinery.
7 Ways to Upcycle Clothes
#1 Cutting and Sewing
Just a needle, a pair of scissors, and a thread can completely transform a piece of cloth into something new, wearable, and fashionable. In case you have thrift a t-shirt too large or you own a pair of jeans that have always been so long for you, it is your sign to use some skills and upcycle your clothes.
Even after cutting and making it short and true to your size, it can look all good and trendier. In addition to this, you can also cut and sew the old pieces from your wardrobe and make them look impressive.
Sewing fabrics is not something that everybody knows but is relatively easy to learn and if this helps to make our environment a little better, then why not put in some effort. There are so many online guides that can help you learn the same.
You can follow them to fix up an old shirt into some tank top, crop top, or a cute sun hat, and much more.
#2 Embroidery
Embroidery is a great creative alternative. All you need is a needle, thread, embroidery hoop, and a simple set of skills (which can be learned online) to embroider your old clothes. Like a flower on your pair of jeans, the name of your hometown on your hoodie, a silhouette of your pet on your old bucket hat.
Embroidery is the best possible way to give your clothing a personal touch. It helps transform an unworn piece of cloth into something that you will be excited to wear.
#3 Painting
Painting is another method for you to personalize your clothes and stuff and give them a brand new look plus it's also trendy. It is a great way to cover up the patches and spills or to simply brighten your wardrobe by adding a new color to your clothes.
This works satisfactorily when using acrylic paint on the apparel of a thicker material, such as denim and canvas.
#4 DIY Hair Materials (Scrunchies and More!)
People, especially girls, are so fond of scrunchies. They are like the most in-demand hair materials. Instead of letting any leftover fabric go to waste, turn it into a matching hairpiece, use every bit of your left-out fabrics to make something out of it.
These pieces of fabric can easily be used to create a new scrunchie just with the help of an elastic and some sewing or can even be turned into a headband. In case you’re seeking an easier way of making a hair accessory, you can additionally use extra fabric as a bow, it is the handiest alternative.
#5 DIY Reusable Towels
Another great alternative to using the clothes that you do not want to wear anymore could be turning them into reusable kitchen towels. Cut your clothing into square or rectangular pieces, however you like, and fold them up for storage in the kitchen.
Use these towels in place of the unsustainable paper napkins and towels that you probably use in your kitchen. Use them to clean up the spills and to wipe things up. It will help the world.
#6 DIY Plant Holder
If you have a plant to be put in a pretty fabric plant holder, grab an old t-shirt. This no-sew method only requires you to cut your t-shirt into strips then knot them together.
#7 DIY Reusable Food Wraps
Similarly, you can also turn your old clothes into reusable food wraps―specifically, beeswax food wraps (a coated fabric material). To make them, simply iron shreds of beeswax onto your desired fabric, watch for it to dry, after which they're ready for use.
These wraps are exceptionally easy to make and could save you from the usage of single-use plastic food wraps each time you store your meals.
Over time, the usage of those meal wraps will save plenty of plastic and additionally gives your old garments a brand new purpose.
The Thrift World: Upcycling Fashion
Thrift upcycle stores are a brand new trend, basically, the outlets where people buy second-hand clothes and tailor them into new, more fashioned, and forward pieces. It is also called thrift flipping.
The thrift lifestyle has captivated the interest of the youth (looking at the current state of online thrift). It is in the best interest of both the people and the surroundings that the exercise of thrifting continues to flourish as it could be one of the major approaches to save style sustainably.
To Sum It Up
By being concerned about what you put on and the surroundings simultaneously, learning the way to upcycle clothes and putting them to the best alternatives allows you to exhibit your fashion without hurting the planet. More and more consumers need to know how their clothes are made.
Now is only the right time to care about the sustainability of products alongside their quality and durability. This needs to be an extremely critical criterion too, along with the price and style of the clothes and textiles.
Written by - Riya Gupta
Edited by - Priyanshi Deolal
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