Need a New Wardrobe? Customise Your Old Clothes!*

If you look in your wardrobe and can’t find anything to wear, you’re probably on par with around 99% of the female population. We can never find anything to wear, no matter how much new stuff we buy. I’m a firm believer that we shouldn’t waste our old clothes, so when I feel bored of my wardrobe, I customise some of my old stuff! Here, I’ll give you some of my favourite tips so you can save a fortune and finally find something to wear!

Cut the Sleeves Off

You probably shouldn’t go round cutting the sleeves off your clothes any old how; you must have a certain material to be able to do this. Leather, for example, might end up looking frayed and bodged up, so I only recommend using materials you feel comfortable with. When it comes to t-shirts, you can cut off both long and short sleeves to create ‘muscle T’s’ that show off your arms, as I used to back in my scene kid days! With denim jackets, you can cut off the sleeves to make a gilet style jacket. Just be aware that although the aim isn’t to get this looking too perfect, you should make them as even as you can.

You don’t need to stop at cutting sleeves off either. You can pretty much change the length of anything you have. Cut off the bottom of  a t-shirt to create a crop top, for instance. You could even turn a pair of jeans into a pair of shorts. Your options are endless! I recommend watching a ton of Youtube tutorials first if you’re not confident.

Dye It

Dying things a different colour can give them a whole new lease of life, and it’s so easy to do. If you have faded items, you can dye them the same colour to perk them back up. You could dye a denim jacket pink, or even create a tie-dye effect with your t-shirts. Again, watch a lot of Youtube tutorials so you get the gist of what you need to do to create your desired effects. Materials like denim are hard to dye, so you’ll need a lot of packets to get it the colour you want.

Get Handy with a Sewing Machine

The sewing machine does make life a lot easier, but it takes some practice to get used to! With this by your side you can re-hem items after changing the length, take something in to make it more fitted, and even totally transform an item. If you have a shirt that you don’t know what to do with, but you like the material, you could transform it into a scarf! This is just a suggestion…feel free to go wild with your sewing machine any which way you like.

Add Studs

Adding studs to an item instantly adds attitude. There are different styles of studs, so it’s just a case of how much attitude you want to inject into a piece. Do you want a few spaced out small studs around the sleeves? Perhaps you want to make a statement with studs on the collar? Studs on the shoulders look great too! You can pick any colour and type of stud you like to create a brand new look. Most of the time, all you need to do is push them in the place you want them and then bend the clips.

Replace the Buttons

You can buy new buttons for reasonable prices from craft shops, and all you need to do then is sew them on to your blouse or shirt to make it look like new. This is useful if your buttons have fallen off, or if you want to make your shirt look completely different. You can even mix and match them to make a ‘shabby chic’ kind of look.

Paint

Painting clothes is a little different to dying them, as you have more control over where the colour goes and can create something hand designed. I love this tip because it gives you the freedom to be as creative as you like! You’ll need to use a special type of paint for this though; one that won’t wash off. You can then design something free hand, or use a stencil to create a pattern. You could paint love hearts on to your jeans, or polka dots. I’d practice on a piece of paper first to make sure it turns out right!  I’m obviously not that creative, but did greatly enjoy painting this top on a girls holiday!

Add Fabric Flowers

Fabric flowers can be bought from any craft shop, or you can take the time to make them yourself. You can then apply them to tops, jackets, and pretty much anything else you like. Experiment with different styles, colours, and sizes.

Sew on Patches

Patches sewn on to an item make it look a little vintage. You can buy patches from market stalls and even on eBay, depending on the kind you want. There are patches in the form of cartoon characters, and even patches dedicated to bands. Sew on as many, or as little as you like so your item looks different. You could sew patches on to the elbows, for instance. You could even place them randomly all over the item. Try out different placements first before you get too excited with your needle!

Add Gems

You can always add a little sparkle if you feel one of your items lacks something special. Just a few to a collar tip would make a huge difference. Use real Swarovski crystals so that the gems don’t lose their sparkle. I also recommend using a hot glue gun with a strong glue to make sure they don’t fall off!

Iron on Transfers

Iron on transfers are very simple to apply; the clue is in the name! Simply use the iron to fix them to the desired area and you’re good to go.

I hope you find these tips useful and end up with lots of exciting new things to wear. Leave a comment with any tips of your own!