Using Upcycled Clothing for Stylish Bags {Green Contributor Post}

Creating New From the Old and Avoiding the Landfill

Fancy some new accessories? Reduce your footprint by upcycling!

 

Hi, I'm Vicky from Vicky Myers Creations. I don’t think my husband really appreciated what he was starting when he bought me The Perfect Handmade Bag by Claire Youngs for Christmas '12, a book all about creating bags out of upcycled materials!

DIY Kids Napkins from Torn or Stained Clothing

What Do You Do When Your Clothes Get Too Worn Out?

Repurpose them, of course! Here's one way to do it.
 

Girls Skirts from Women's Shirts

Using Fabric from a Women's Shirt to Make a Girl's Skirt

via Make It & Love It Tutorial

I don't know where I would be without all the amazing sewing tutorials from Make It & Love It, and this one was like a revelation for me. Why hadn't I thought of that before? Using the fabric from existing material to make something else? It really is genius! And, in this case, easy!
It was a rainy day, and I was hankering for a quick project. Stumbled upon this one, and I was not disappointed! I pass Old Navy every day on my way to the girls' school, so I popped in to look for some shirts in the clearance section, and was happy to walk out with these two shirts (I think one was $4 and the other $5). Loved the patterns! I got the biggest sizes they had (I think the purple striped one was a L and the pink and navy was an XL). 

Came home and got to work. And boy, was it quick work! My absolute favorite kind of project: almost-instant gratification! I'm not going to go through the details about how I did it because they're all on Ashley's site, and they're great. But I will say that it was a very fun project, and the first one I've attempted with gathering (and yoga-style waistbands, actually). I really like how she shows to line up the pins, and I've used that tip in a bunch of projects since then.

I can't tell you how many compliments the girls have gotten on these skirts -- in fact, many moms have expressed wanting one of their own :). I know I will be making more! Oh, and fun bonus for the girls: I had plenty of material to left over to fashion some retro-style scrunchies that I used to rock as a youngin!

DIY Upcycled Baby Boy Knit Pants

Baby Boy Pants Upcycled From Long-Sleeved Tee Shirt

Any parent of a baby knows how fast they go through clothes that first year. It's unbelievable how it seems like one day, there is an entire drawer packed with clothes that don't fit anymore. Well, that's where I am with B3 right now. But here's the problem: I'm not a newbie parent anymore, and I REFUSE to pay $10+ for a pair of baby pants that will only be used (and abused) for a matter of months!

I'd been admiring a lot of upcycling projects on Pinterest, so I decided to attempt some baby boy pants from the fabric of an alternate garment. I couldn't find anything sufficient in my closet, so I perused the clearance rack at Target, and, voila! I found a women's XXXL shirt in the 70% off section! Armed and ready to create, I came home and promptly began my project for B3. And I proceeded with such fervor, that I neglected to take a single photo during the process! I was too excited... I'm doing to try to replicate and most some soon.

This shirt provided SOOO much fabric, I didn't know where to begin. And then it struck me: the SLEEVES! The cuffs would be perfect for his legs, thus eliminating any hemming (and very little sewing) for me! Anyway, to gauge his size, I used a pair of his current pants folded in half lengthwise and lined it up on top of the sleeves (that was my guide for cutting out the fabric). I did that twice--only two cuts! Then I lined up and pinned the raw edges to make the rise of the pants. Got out my sewing machine and zipped through that... and then added the elastic at the waist. So easy! And there is still plenty of fabric left over for at least two more pairs. And that funky seam design in the original shirt ended up looking really cool down his pant legs!

I'll definitely be attempting this lady-sleeves-into-baby-pants project again, and next time I'll be sure to take more pics during the process. 















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