Environmentalism and Creativity: Refashioning Clothing

I still have a lot to learn when it comes to conservation but, as a household, I think my husband and I do okay. We recycle and have reduced our use of products with unnecessary packaging. Of the three environmental ‘R’s’, reuse is the one we do least often.

Every few months, I analyze what serves a purpose in the house and what is taking up space. Lately, I’ve been wondering if items that get donated will be used, so I decided to try something else. Reusing the items myself guarantees waste prevention.

Clothing that wasn’t being worn.

Below are the projects I’ve completed over the past couple of weeks.

1. I turned a dress into a bag for weekend trips.
2. I dressed up an old pair of jeans.
3. I added flair to a jean jacket.
4. I created cutoff shorts.

Completed projects.

Each project had its share of challenges to overcome.

This was the first time I started sewing without some sort of guidance or pattern. In retrospect, it would have been a good idea to have a model, at least to double-check sizing. For future projects, I’ll pay closer attention to measurements.

Not having a sewing machine created an additional challenge. Since a sewing machine wasn’t available, I tested my hand-sewing abilities. They are passable, if not pretty. Fabric glue and sharpies played a key role in improving the aesthetic.

The environmental impact from the past couple of weeks is small, but if more people start to refashion items, there is potential for greater improvement.

In terms of conservation efforts, these design projects address fast fashion and waste prevention on a minor scale. Clothing is often thrown away when it is no longer considered valuable. This practice creates unnecessary waste. For further waste prevention, I used materials that were already in my house to complete each project.

Try it Yourself!

Step One: Assess the items in your closet. Evaluate each piece on necessity and likeability. Anything that hasn’t been worn in over a year is a good candidate for refashioning.

Step Two: Brainstorm functional ways to use each item. Why don’t you currently wear ______? How can the piece be altered to fit your style?

Step Three: Gather all of the materials that you will need for each project.

Step Four: Create and don’t be afraid to experiment in the process. Many happy accidents occur when a product comes out differently than expected.

Step Five: Share your results.

Please comment with your stories! How do you blend creativity with environmentalism?