If it’s been a while since you’ve cleaned out your closets and drawers, chances are you’ve accumulated a fair amount of clothing that you either no longer fit into or find stylish anymore. While the natural move is to pack a few boxes for the donation center, your unwanted clothes may not be suitable or in good enough shape to pass on for reuse. Before you toss everything in the landfill, consider these ideas from the Simplify blog:
Upcycle clothing into accessories. If you’re a little bit handy when it comes to sewing, you can transform old clothing into something new, such as turning a T-shirt into a tote bag, a sweater into a hat, or scraps of your favorite fabrics into a patchwork quilt.
Use smaller garments as cleaning rags. Whether it’s old socks or an undershirt, collect small clothing items in a basket to use as cleaning rags around the house or in the garage. They’ll come in handy for a myriad of cleaning projects and can simply be tossed into the laundry and reused.
Put them to work in the garden. Cut old clothing into fabric strips and use them to tie tall flowers and vegetables to garden stakes for support. Keep them in a bag with your garden supplies so they’re ready to use when you need them.
Use them as packing materials. When storing breakable holiday decorations, wrap them in unwanted T-shirts, socks and scarves instead of tissue paper or bubble wrap. They can be put to the same task when you’re packing a box of fragile items to send in the mail.
Turn them into napkins or dish towels. Cut old clothing made from cotton or linen into neat rectangles and use them as napkins, kitchen cloths or doilies to protect surfaces. This will give your favorite patterns play in different areas of your home.
Use it to reupholster. Use the fabric from unwanted clothing to create new pillow or seat covers, for indoor or outdoor use.
Turn them into throw pillows. Cut up an old pair of jeans and stitch the pieces together to make a creative pillow cover. You can use worn T-shirts for the stuffing.
Create a kids’ costume box. Instead of throwing away formal wear, hats and random accessories, save it for a dress-up box for kids—or for adult use as future Halloween costumes.
Donate them to an animal shelter. Old, worn clothing can make for the perfect cozy bedding for animals, so call your local animal shelter to see what they may be able to put to good use.
There are myriad ways to put old clothing to good use, so think twice before you send clothing to the trash.
