Upcycling

[3bunnies]

Would love to hear about your upcycling projects. I am currently working on turning a beautiful toddler coat into a pyjama case. Sadly moths had attacked the sleeve lining so no longer suitable for charity shop. I cut arms & hat off and machined body into owl shape and have ironed on eyes and beak. just need to do wings & feathers.

Other projects include using hideous green sheet which we were given to make bad piggie hand warmers. Turning charity shop £1 brownie hoodie into brownie uniform bag. Also going to use old toddler/baby clothes which have lost elastic etc for appliqué letters when I get my new machine.

Any projects which you are working on and any ideas what to do with chopped off toddler coat arms and hood? It is a lovely turquoise velvety fabric.

[SoupDragon]

I use charity shop pillow cases to line crocheted bags :) I also search through the reduced rack in Primark and have got some wonderful fabric that way - mini skirts are particularly good as you can make easy bags or cushion overs.

[PukousMucous]

Shirts make excellent cushion covers because they already have the buttons so just turn inside out and sew a square. Using old cotton shirts from charity shops that have been washed loads and are really soft makes for lovely cushions for the bed.

Also, I use the little egg pod things from inside a kinder egg, fill with rice and make a little crochet cover. They make perfect soft baby sized rattles.

[SundaySimmons]

T shirt scarf

blogofjoy.com/super-simple-upcycled-t-shirt-cowls/

Having just bought some expensive wool to crochet some christmas presents, I have just seen this and thought that I should do this instead!

[3bunnies]

I really should learn to crochet if only to make Mr Gove pin cushions those t-shirts look great though. We just happen to be going to primark so will have a rummage for skirts. One of my future plans is to make some bags to put school uniform in as we are always scrambling around for clothes in the morning. My plan is to teach the dc to check if it will last another day then fold their uniform away each night(!!!!) maybe not realistic but worth a shot.

[overmydeadbody]

I have just cut up a whole load of old clothes (floral skirts and dresses and striped men's shirts) into 4 inch squares ready to make a patchwork quilt. I also bought 4 double sheets from a charity shoop on Monday ready to use one to back the finihed quilt and the others to cut up to make bunting for my upcoming wedding.

[Dilidali]

I had this on my to do list for a few months now. So yesterday I actually ordered some paint and I am going to paint some of my furniture. I am quite excited, I find painting really relaxing. I do go out, sometimes :)

[Dilidali]

3 bunnies, I have a hanging cotton shelf thingy, you velcro them to the bar in the wardrobe. Mine has 5 shelves, I put every Thursday night 5 complete uniforms, down to socks, underwear, hairband etc in each of the shelves.
All my DD does is empty one shelf and put the lot on.

[Dilidali]

Bar???? I meant pole, no idea what happened there.

[plipplops]

I've just started a project to make a patchwork blanket for DDs out of their old clothes. Have been hoarding for years (DD is 6), and am making a regular date with my best friend where we're going to make stuff together. Had the first 'planning' session on Monday, lots of tea and chatting yesterday, have made some decisions and next week might actually cut some squares!

[TiredMule]

Plipplops-I'm currently surrounded by 5 years of the dds clothes that I'm going through to do the same thing! I want to make 2 blankets and have no idea what I'm doing! How many clothes do I need roughly do you think? I want ideally to make them single bed sized. We're moving house soon and dh is refusing to move all of it with us so I'm having to cull it all now (months before I'll be able to start making!) I don't want to get rid of too much but won't get away with keeping too much iyswim!
I'd also love to hear how you go about doing it etc if you don't mind?! I'm really excited about it, but gutted I'll have to wait for ages to do it!

[bsc]

I turn a lot of clothes into dressing up things- black blouses that are tired have been turned into fantastic pirate coats and waistcoats, moth-eaten cardigans have been turned into hats and skirts etc. A jedi costume is next on the list...

[plipplops]

TiredMule - I'm making 2 single bed sized too, we actually cut some stuff out this week! Have used a bit of lightweight interfacing(?) on the back of the super stretchy ones. Doing 5.5' squares as I bought one of these and it's made the decision for me! Got a big supermarket shopping bag of clothes which I think will be enough, if not I'll just go and raid DDs wardrobes! Have also asked the grandparents for something of theirs to put in (my Dad's dead so I wanted to put something of his in, then figured by the time DDs care about these blankets all the GPs will prob be gone so should include them too...) Where they have clothes that are too small I think I'm going to make up some squares of 4 smaller squares iyswim, and on a few just cut the motif out of DDs clothes and appliqué that one to square (some of their baby trousers were too small to use but have nice embroidery on so will just cut that out and put it on a bigger square). Incidentally if GPs clothes are bizarre colours they might end up on the back or something, haven't decided yet. Not quite sure how much I'll need but I'd cut about 12 the other night, laid them out and was quite surprised at how much space it covered! I guess if you just cut out all you have, you don't have to use it all?

[TiredMule]

Thank you so much plipplops! I've saved 2 boxes of clothes and may try and sneak one more just to be sure! If I have too much I could even made a cushion cover or two to match! That is a lovely idea re grandparents, we lost my mil earlier this year and we're about to clear her house so I'll have plenty of hers to choose from and can ask the others too. My dds are 7&4 so like you say it'll be a while before it becomes sentimental for them! I was wondering what to do with the very stretchy stuff so thanks for that info! Are you using lots of different types of fabric? Most of mine is cotton or cotton mix but I have a few fleecy and knitted bits I'd like to add but not sure if that will make it look weird?! I've not made a patchwork before so this could be interesting! I was going to make up squares from smaller bits too otherwise there'll be a lot of wastage!
I'd love it if you could keep me updated how yours is going, I think I'll need all the help I can get! I think it'll be at least next summer before I'll be able to start making after the move and decorating etc but I am stupidly excited about it!

[plipplops]

I've got a few bits of fleece, did a square this week and put it with the others it looked fine I don't really have any knitted items, it's mostly cotton with a bit of denim/cord etc.. I think it will all go together fine as it's a similar colour pallete, loads of pinks with enough other colours so it doesn't look too sickly pink. My Dad's bit is going to be this godawful orange towelling (from a bathrobe he wore all the time) so no idea what I'm going to do with that, and why GPs stuff might end up on the back!

[Pegfreak]

any ideas what to do with chopped off toddler coat arms and hood? It is a lovely turquoise velvety fabric

Little purses from the arms?

[Chocolateteabag]

Bunnies - would the arms and hood make into a small wash bag? Cox and cox have lovely velvet bags on their website for inspiration?

I am using an old herringbone tweedy dress to make cushion covers and using samples of fabrics as patchwork fronts.

I plan on using plastikote spray on old biscuit tins to make new storage tins

I have converted a charity shop large mans shirt into a maternity shirt like this one

I want to have a go at adding side panels into a t-shirt like this

And amassing some old wooden rulers from eBay to make something like this coat hook rail

Sorry mammoth post - I'm having an "awake" night - 36 weeks pg and LO has decided it's party time inside me all these projects are very likely to be on hold for the next couple of months! but I can still cruise Pinterest and add more ideas!

[3bunnies]

Oh lots more ideas. I like the idea of little purses, but also patchwork quilt sounds a challenge. I have had permission to use my Christmas present early to make some presents and now I can't wait to be able to use it all the time. Do you think a boy is likely to appreciate a patchwork quilt too? You all seem to be making them for girls. I have 2 dd and a ds.

On a complete aside I saw a pic of dd1 when she was 18months in the coat so sweet. So pleased I didn't bin it.

[Chocolateteabag]

I think boys will appreciate patchwork quilts - in "boy" patterns.

have you had a look at Pinterest? Search on "boy quilt" and you'll get loads of ideas.

this is my pinterest boardof ideas for DS's bedroom - plenty of quilts for boys.

I have a moustache FQ which is crying out for me to do something with!

[3bunnies]

Oh they look great. He is only 4 and loves fabric, particularly different textures. I can bribe him to go around other shops with a promise that we will stop at the fabric shop. Trouble is I know he will be 14 before I finish it!

[Solo]

I have used old clothes to make lettering to make applique personalised blankets.
I've made neck cowls out of old tops.
I'm going to turn an old too small for me cotton dress into a sun dress for Dd.
Made cushions out of numerous items of clothing.
I make bags out of old curtains and line them with anything I can find (old sheets, old curtain linings etc).
Probably loads more, but can't think of any atm as it becomes part of what you do and gets forgotten

Currently I'm knitting a poncho out of a half knitted aran that someone abandoned and donated, so I unpicked it, thought of a pattern in my head and it's almost finished (I hope). So far, it looks great!

[plipplops]

TiredMule thought I'd just let you know, I worked how many squares (5.5") I'd need to do a single duvet cover and it's 140! So think I'm going to need some more clothes to try and make one for both my DDs. Especially as their clothes are so small I'm struggling to get more than a square or 2 out of each item. Was thinking of making a few squares from 2 or 4 smaller pieces iyswim, think I might have to do a bit more of that...