How to Recycle Old Clothes into a Quilt

Try making a striped quilt if you have several long skirts to use.

Making a quilt out of old clothes is a great way to recycle all your favorite clothes that you cannot bare to let go of but that no longer fit. A quilt made out of your child's old clothing to take to college would be a cherished, special gift for them. Whatever reason you have for wanting to make a quilt out of old clothes, it's an easy craft that takes much less time than a traditional quilt.

Instructions

1. Go through your closets for old, outgrown or stained garments. Look through boxes of baby clothes that you saved all these years. If you don't have old clothes on hand, go to a used clothing store.

2. Think about the design of your garments when you are picking out a pattern. What size pieces can you cut from the clothing, and how can the colors and textures of all the clothes fit together? For a simple quilt, cut out 5" squares (called charms).

3. Follow your pattern as written, or sew together the charms into a large rectangular area. The standard size for a twin quilt is 67 1/2" by 85 1/2" (which needs 221 charms).

4. Use clothing details such as buttons to embellish the quilt. This will add a personal look to your quilt tops.

5. Finish the quilt as the pattern describes with the border fabric, binding and backing.

References

• School Girl Samplers: Basic Charm 2