# repurposing- stuff



## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

I like to use things till they desinagrate. I was raised that way. Super poor by a single mother. Make due, use it up, or go without. I often see a second and third life in things. be it from garden plant and produce to clothes and appliances. For those who dont have that "gift" I would like to share some of my ideas if I can get the time. My daughters are growing and running out of clothes that fit and the pants are wearing out in the leggs. My 7 year old has not grown in the waist for years so she still fits 18- 24 month pants in the waist just not the leggs. I found some cheap material at handcock fabric and used the butt and waist of thier pants and made them each a new skirt. No more sisters hand me down nasty pants, its now a supre cute skirt fit for a queen. All the pant legs Im saving for another skirt and making patchwork quilts, hot pads, pencil bags, book bags, purses.
There is not money for new clothes this year so I am reusing and repourposing everything I can.

Picture link is in post 4


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## Ceilismom (Jul 16, 2011)

Please post photos when you get time. I have thought about re-purposing jeans like you did. I have the worn-out jeans, and plenty of fabric, but I never seem to make the time to sew them.


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## joseph97297 (Nov 20, 2007)

I re-purpose clothes and such. Everything from jogging pants into leg warmers or corn cuddlers and so forth.

It is going to be a sad day in a few months when I finally have to put my old shirt into the rag bin. It has been with me as I graduated high school, went into the Marine Corps and travelled and all the way until now. My oldest son (17) finds it so funny that I have a shirt older than he is. I got it in 1992 on a Scout trip to camp and have just about wore it down. Right now it is a sleep in shirt, but only because my wife thinks that 'see through sheer like clothes' aren't for public any more....

Re-ues, Re-use until it falls apart. Good for you, and hope that you keep it up.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Ok after an hour of working on this. I hope it work. 
Repurpose pictures by myheaven10 - Photobucket


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## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

That is an awesome skirt!


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

I have a sheet that got torn just terrible. It's the super soft silky kind. I'm going to make several dresses out of it. And the scraps will become rags. And bits and peices will become Compost.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

I plan on making some of my dh super over worked shirts into a few baby blankets. My youngest lives t shirts. So I'm making her a blanket. I will also use some of them to make female supplies and covers for diaper inserts. Oh yeah plus underwear for the kids and me.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Becka03 said:


> That is an awesome skirt!


Thank you. It wasn't hard and it Appeased the queen! So I'm happy


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2012)

When i was a kid, I had a skirt and vest, mom made me from a red and white checked table cloth. All our clothes were bought or made from thrift stores.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

I can get garbage bags of "rags" shirt, pant clothes of all sorts for 50 cents to 2.50. I'm using up what I had here. I get remenants of cloth at. Hancock for less then a dollar. It's rare I get fabric. But it's something my kids will wear I will get it. Hancock just ha some fabrics on Clarence for .49 a yard! I couldn't pass it up. According to my receipt I save 111.49 that day. Not shabby.


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## sss3 (Jul 15, 2007)

Love your ideas. Please share more.


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## 36376 (Jan 24, 2009)

joseph97297 said:


> Right now it is a sleep in shirt, but only because my wife thinks that 'see through sheer like clothes' aren't for public any more....


My husband has a few of those kinds of shirts he calls his "air conditioned" shirts. :thumb: I don't let him out in public in them either.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Great Job on the Skirts! I also make stuff out of old stuff. I get the over flow from an animal rescue,lots of it is blankets,towels etc. Made my brother some "mountain man" shirts from some real nice sheets and homemade antler buttons.Towels get cut up for Swiffer pads. When rugs aren't good anymore,they go under mulch as Landscaping fabric. Even have used shirts after removing buttons. I can't stand the waste of buying that landscape fabric. My dogs sleep on baby crib mattresses,covered with anything washable.My favorite shirts are my Dh's old flannel where the elbows are gone and I have cut them off. Built my greenhouse out of stuff I salvaged and windows off the side of the road. Ya, I consider myself a Scrapper.


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## PATRICE IN IL (Mar 25, 2003)

Super cute skirts myheaven, great job on the redo.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

You are such a creative seamstress.


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## Sanza (Sep 8, 2008)

That is such a great idea! It should go on Pinterest and I'm sure you'll get thousands of pins in no time!

One of the main things I love about HT is the kindred spirits I find here that I can't find around my area. Here everyone is too busy or even too lazy to do much crafting/sewing and they're always amazed by the things I make.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

I just added a couple more pics of dresses I made with left over fabric and ribbon.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

To be called a creative seamstress is so flattering!!! Truth is I have no clue how to use a pattern. I have several. I just can't read them! So I just "wing it." I had to run to town to get several things and splurged on some wide back satin ribbon. I had no extra money. But was so bad and spent 2 dollars on ribbon. I have the cutest little dress in mind for my niece and dd! I will have to wait till my children in bed so I'm not interrupted.


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## OnlyMe (Oct 10, 2010)

Incredible... you are really talented!


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

Your clothes are super cute and your girls are lovely and sassy!

I enjoy scouting out flea markets and yard sales to find vintage trims and accessories then I remake them into wearable items. I have several vintage black hats, some I pieced together from other hats, dress trims, even lace from old slips.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

I love Hitting yard sales at the end of the season and they are desperate to get rid of stuff. I love the bag sales. I can fold things small and get lots in a shopping bag. I often find things u love just the way they are but then see things to be repurposed. I often ask at church for Clothes. Some say their children's clothes are not good. I like to give them a new life. 


I'm looking for an old large chest freezer. I have root crops coming for my animals and my cellar if full as it is with "human food" we are going to burry it to hold root crops. Works with potatoes also. If you have a super crop of taters and or find them cheap. It's a great way to keep them fresh all winter. Kids need lunch. I'll explain more later. Or post questions about the freezer subject.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

I don't have energy to post pics today. I made my ds some boxers out of dh shirts. Only cost was new elastic. I need to perfect my way of making them. He suffers from noassatall and they were tight on his bum. I made my dd a super cute dress for school/church but it's missing now. Scared !!!
My kids were super inspired last night and stayed up to 12:30 sewing and creating. One made a new purse out of a skirt her BFF gave her that I wouldn't ever let her wear so she mad it useful. Dd#2 made her bag for school out of her brothers shorts. He out grew them and they were disintegrating so we put in an extra heavy liner. Has all the pockets she could Ever need! That just saved me a cool fortune. :nanner:


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

I have made nice comfy skirts from t shirts (my fave is a long (must have been a 3xl) tie dye), and peasant tops from muumuus from MIL's
How to Create a Peasant Top from a Funky Thrift Store Muumuu - CraftStylish


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## checkitnice (Aug 10, 2010)

Too cute! And the girls are adorable! Good job.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

great idea...I have a super skinny 11yo like 5'3 and 75#....a size6-8 kids around and noassatolly but long skinny legs...she'd need heavy tights with skirt...hmmm


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## julieq (Oct 12, 2008)

I was raised in a lower income household. I absolutely hate buying new clothes, but I'm more likely to purchase them for DH. So now I wear his old shirts around the house, garden and to work with the animals! Although my few pairs of pants, capris and shorts are getting pretty worn, so I may have to actually break down and buy some.

My mom had a box when I was growing up and she used to cut up old clothes, towels, whatever and keep the decent fabric in the box, the zippers and buttons in another box. Nothing went to waste. I think we're moving back to those times.


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

I get those plastic bags when i buy something and save them up. When I have a bag full I take them to the public library. They hand them out to people who check out a lot of books and want to carry them in a bag.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

I have uploaded a few more photos.


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

one year my super skinny dd got tall. All her pants fit her perfectly except the length. So we picked some fabric she liked from my scrap bag and added bands at the bottom of her jeans. Then we made some matching belts. She set a new trend that year! Everyone wanted jeans like hers!


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## pamda (Oct 14, 2004)

myheaven said:


> I have uploaded a few more photos.


 I went to see what you have been making but can't get in..bummer.


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## jd4020 (Feb 24, 2005)

Those sure are cute! 
I had been getting a catalog that sold matching sister outfits, mother/daughter outfits and smart little outfits for boys. The prices in there were simply out of reach frivolous, but I know how to sew. Sorry, I don't have a photo of this little dress at this time, can only describe.
When my oldest daughter was 4, I bought an antique bridesmaid dress at the thrift store for $2.00. It was emerald green satin, complete with bow and pill box hat. I had a little bubble dress pattern and turned that old bridesmaid dress into my little girls Christmas dress. I re-used the zipper and she was thrilled with the pill box hat. When the girls were small, there was usually enough fabric in the prom dresses to re-work into the cutest little girl dresses for only a few dollars and that's what I did. As they grew, I could alter the dresses to their size, adding bits of lace and tulle as they liked.
I re-cycle jeans a lot, we've made table cloths, 









an arrow quiver out of the leg part, also using the jean leg I made a tube to carry those folding music stands, my Christmas tree skirt is made from the legs of dh worn out jeans, 









I've added the bottoms of dresses or skirts to the tops of jeans to make a new skirt, this one is now currently my paint skirt,









vests out of worn out skirts, this hot pad was made by my friend,









aprons out of bib dresses, modeled here by Jayne, my manikin. 

















Here is one of those body pillows stuffed with packing peanuts.

















Love to re-cycle things, but one of my favorite things is something my dh Grama did with bread wrappers. She crocheted them into circle rugs. They are excellent floor mats in the car, great for just outside the tent or camper door. To wash, you just hang them on the clothesline and hose them down. 









God bless,
jd


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Jd. So love love love those ideas!!!! I need a new body pillow so bad. And dh just foun a huge bag of peanuts on the side of the road. I am so going to make a bread bag rug. 
I love the table cloth. I love them all!


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I buy old table cloths and If they are less than perfect I cut them into tea towels or table napkins. I press then sew hems but if you have a serger that would be quicker. The worst pieces go into the rag bag and are great for doing mirrors and windows.

I've purchased thrift shop garments specifcally for the fabric. I once bought a HUGE nightgown and made a crib sheet and several bibs. A floor length dress became a pair of slacks and two pairs of shorts for my girls. I've also purchased garments just to get he buttons! 

When I remove the buttons from a garment I string them all together on sewing thread before I put them in my button box. I've purchased dh shirts that were like new but missing a button or two which is no problem when you have a button box. If you can't match the buttons on the shirt from your button box, you can replace all the buttons using one of those strings of buttons from another shirt.

At thrift shops look at the xxx sizes when you're looking for fabric as they have LOTS of yardage.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Very good tips Ann-nwIowa. I often look at the xxl and xl men's shirts to make dresses out of. At a resale shop I was able to get 6 yards of super soft wonderful expensive fabric for 2 bucks. It made 5 night gowns and several pairs of sleeping shorts. 
My most favorite quilt battin is old sweats. Sweat pants and shirt. 
For making cloth diapers and wipes I often use old t shirts. I'm often given 10 to many receiving blankets so often the old stains ones become diaper liners or bibs. 
Out of a few squares of left over jean fabric I made some hot pads. I never have enough hot pads.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

If I can get time in the next few weeks I'm going to make a body form from my eldest dd. here's a video that inspired me.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x--8bbDFR3U&feature=youtube_gdata_player]How-to make a Body Form, Threadbanger Projects - YouTube[/ame]


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## jd4020 (Feb 24, 2005)

A tip on the body bag, the denim is a little rough, so sewing up a long pillow case out of a sheet smooths that out. I've used packing peanuts in some large beanbag chairs; they do get squished down, so every once in a while you need to open the bag and add some more peanuts. Not a big deal, but they do get flat.
Here's a picture of the music stand bag.









Ann- I LOVE my button jars. When my children were little, in addition to saving the buttons from worn out clothing, I would buy the bags of buttons from the thrift stores. The children would sort them into baby food jars of like color. Kept them busy for a while and they learned the color wheel.
Don't forget the leather clothing items for leather projects. 
jd


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Ginnyl is a fantastic insperation check out some of her ideas. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbXv5zO-PsY&feature=youtube_gdata_player]How to create a bikini - YouTube[/ame]


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## meanwhile (Dec 13, 2007)

We are using an old metal table saw top as a cook top over a fire. We repurpose everything!


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## Deena in GA (May 11, 2002)

What great ideas! Myheaven, I love the dresses you made and it gave me an idea. My favorite jumper somehow got a spot of bleach right in the front, but below the emblem that is in the center. I've been trying to think of some way to camouflage it, but your dresses made me realize that I can just cut off the top and use the rest either for a skirt or by adding another top part. Thank you!


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## jd4020 (Feb 24, 2005)

Here'e what I did today with some old curtains and about $2.00 worth of lace. The buttons I already had in my button box. This is for my new grand daughter for the upcoming re-enactment weekend of 1850, celebrating A. Lincolns time in history that we participate in.



























Already had a bonnet that will match it just perfectly.

jd


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## PATRICE IN IL (Mar 25, 2003)

Great job jd4020, that dress is beautiful!


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Fantastic work jd! My dd's would love to have something like that. I need to get making more "little house on the prairie" dresses. My girls have grown so fast. I just can't get over how fast they have grown!
I have to take the "baby" to her well child appt. I'm going to hit the re store and see what goodies I can find.


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## meanwhile (Dec 13, 2007)

My best Re purposing story:

My #3 Sister had her wedding in the back yard of my Grandmother's house. She used inexpensive fabric for the table cloths. It was a soft yellow cotton. Another piece of white-tan cotton was used on the cake table. After the wedding the fabric was divided up among the family.

Four years later I had a chance to work as a Page in the S.C. House of Representatives. Only trouble was that I was a dirt poor student at the time and did not have any money to go out and buy "fancy" clothes! I did not know anyone to borrow fancy clothes from so I hauled out the fabric and made a pretty dress out of the yellow fabric and a skirt from the white cloth. 

So - my first day of work as a Page in the S.C. House of Representatives, there I was strutting around in a dress made out of a table cloth! 

I love that story!


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

If you don't have a dehydrator Use your vehicle as it sits in your driveway. Crack the window and use some window screens as your racks. I personally Wouldnt do onions in my van. But everything else's is ok. A goo day will easily get 125-140 in a parked car.


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## bugstabber (May 12, 2002)

I used a leg from a pair of jeans to make a pop corn sheller. Cut off one leg (no holes) and sew an end shut. What I did was put ears of pop corn in the leg and tie the open end with a shoe lace or something. Then you whack the heck out of it on the cement. There is usually not much left on the cob. This is much easier on your hands.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I've used the leg of jeans to make a replacement clothes pin bag. I've replaced the bag many many times with the leg of a pair of slacks, leg of jeans, remanent of upholstry fabric and cotton fabric remanents. The upholstry fabric so far has lasted the longest. 

I got a laundry cart (1950's version) at an auction and have replaced the fabric on it several times. Last time I used muslin and covered all the seams with bias tape from my remanents. I had a lot of bright neon colors so the cover was very unique! I need to replace it again and I'm thinking muslin again and several packages of 19Â¢ bias tape from a closeout sale. Last time I made a pattern out of newspaper and saved it so I don't have to start from scratch this time.

I've also made a gun case and bag for tent poles out of the legs of jeans.


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