How Can I Make a New Shirt With Old Clothes?

Repurpose an old garment to extend your wardrobe.

Repurposing old clothing not only saves money, it can also be a creative and fulfilling hobby. Many people combine the knack for recycling clothing with an entrepreneurial spirit to create lucrative business enterprises. With simple alterations you can transform old clothes into a new-to-you piece of stylish clothing. Convert an old dress into a new shirt without the need for sophisticated seamstress skills. You don't need to follow complicated patterns and because the sewing is minimal, a sewing machine is optional.

Things You'll Need

• Old dress
• Scissors
• Needle
• Thread
• Fabric pencil
• Yardstick

Instructions

1. Put the dress on. Place your left arm to your side with your palm resting on the side of your thigh and fingers pointing down. Mark the point with the fabric pencil where the middle finger touches your thigh. Repeat on the right side. Remove the dress. Those points will mark the hemline.

2. Lay the dress on a flat surface. Place a yardstick across the dress using the hem points marked earlier to align the yardstick. Draw a line with the fabric pencil along the line of the yardstick. Cut the dress along the penciled line.

3. Fold the bottom of the garment half an inch. Iron in place and repeat so that you have used a total of 1 inch for the hem. Secure with stickpins and sew.

4. Cut the hem of the remnant left over from the dress to create a belt for the new shirt. Cut slightly above the hem to preserve stitching. As the hem is cut away from the remnant, it will form one long loop of material. Cut the loop once and stitch the ends to close them. Use the matching belt to accent the blouse.

References

• Californians Against Waste: Recycling Means Business in California

Resources

• Green Eco Services: How To Recycle Old Clothes Into New Fashion
• The Good Human: Recycling Worn Out Clothing