There are many ways to recycle but a really fun way is to recycle by sewing. Rather than sending your old clothes to a opp shop why not recycle them into other useful projects.

Here are some fun sewing and recycling ideas:

T-shirts

T-shirts often display paintings or designs by famous painters; portraits of famous people; or interesting travel pictures. Why not keep these instead of discarding. You can cut them out and use to piece together to make quilts, bags, or pillowtops.

Blue jeans

Save up all those blue jeans and buy them up at yard sales or rummage sales. You can make bags or purses, backpacks or book bags, or quilts out of blue jeans.

Old dresses, blouses, and shirts

Save up these and match fabric. That means if you are quilting and cutting out squares or triangles or what have you, match up the same types of fabric. Don't mix fabric types such as sewing cotton to silk or rayon. Keep polyesters together, fleeces, and flannels together. You can make a coverlet or a quilt by matching fabrics.

Scrap sewing pieces

Use your scrap sewing pieces to make crazy quilts, patchwork quilts, or any type of quilt you so desire. Potholders can also be made from scrap sewing pieces, depending on the fabric. Scrap pieces can also be used as patches for jeans, or appliques on other garments you are making such as children's clothes, aprons, and whatever else you can think of.

There are also many craft ideas that you can use to recycle your scrap pieces of material. To get good ideas, join a craft club or pick up a craft magazine. You can also find good ideas in home and garden magazines. There are many of these magazines on the market and you can also find them used at opp shops.

Old T-shirts and sweatshirts

These items can be a useful filler for potholders. Just cut pieces to match your potholders and use inside the potholder.

Old sheets

Sheets can be turned into curtains or pillow cases. Designs on sheets or other fabric can be used as lampshade covers with very little sewing involved.

Gowns

Gowns can be used for a variety of sewing projects, such as dresses for little girls, blouses, scarves, and flowers. Think of all the material in a gown and what it would cost to buy that material new. Then go to the opp shop and pick out a few gowns and design up some interesting sewing pieces - maybe a fancy pillow or pillow sham, or a bed canopy, or fancy curtains. There are all sorts of possibilities with gowns.

Old blankets or quilts(store bought)

Old blankets and old store bought quilts can be used as the filler for new quilts. This is how our grandmothers filled their quilts. They didn't go out buying new batting for a quilt.

We have listed quite a few sewing recycling projects here, but there may be other ways to utilize sewing as a way to recycle such as making dolls and doll clothes, making appliance covers, making hats. You can probably think of your own way to use sewing as a way to recycle.

By Colette Georgii.