Photo by Markus Spiske

And here we are again! Another day spent in our homes. Everyone hanging in there? 

Learning to ride the waves of this time and be gentle on ourselves is so important. This is not an easy situation to handle and not at all what we thought 2020 would look like. So, whatever you are facing—lack of motivation, extreme productivity, a cupboard of snacks—give yourself a big hug. You’ve got this.  

We’ve all had a stack of old clothes laying around and wondered what to do with them. Right now, you might especially be wondering what to do with them with all the donation centres closed. There’s bound to be a way to repurpose old things. If you’re needing some motivation to dust off your sewing machine and whip up a new project, now is a great time! Then again, now is also a great time to watch Netflix and eat all the food and take naps, so you do you with no pressure. 😉

If you want to get crafty, here are five ways to upcycle old clothes.

Unpaper towels. Turn some old T-shirts or flannel sheets into unpaper towels. These are perfect to keep in the kitchen to wipe up spills or use as rags for house-cleaning. Save money and save trees!

Produce bags. If you have old shirts, sheets, or any light material on hand, whip up these lil’ babies to carry your produce. Using these helps ditch single-use plastic and keeps your produce covered. Toss them in the wash after every use. (Oh, they also make cute gift bags!) 

Hanging Planter. No sewing machine required for this one! Make a hanging planter out of an old shirt. These come in handy when you’re out of shelf space but need all the plants. 

Pouf Ottoman. Craft up a pouf out of an old sweater and make your reading nook extra cozy. Because honestly, we need all the cozy vibes these days! 

Rag Quilt. Turn your old shirts and jeans into a rag quilt. This project will take more time to piece together, but you’ll end up with a cozy, unique blanket to snuggle up under. These also make great picnic blankets.  

If you make a project from repurposing old clothes, tag us on Instagram! We’d love to see what you make. Be extra kind to yourself and stay cozy! 

Written By Jade Paxton for FRANC