Do you have T-shirts you no longer wear? Stockings that have fallen victim to runs? Too many old towels in your closet? Perfect! Here’s how to reinvent your old stuff as hair ties, reusable make-up removal pads, wrapping paper, and more.
Fortunately, donating them isn’t the only way to give discarded fabrics a second life. Instead of throwing tired T-shirts and thinly rubbed towels into the nearest collection bin, you can easily turn them into something new with a little creativity and crafting skills. Like what, you ask? Well...
If cotton pads are a staple in your daily beauty routine, I have good news for you. You’ll never have to buy any again – and you’ll produce much less waste in the bathroom from now on. After all, cotton shirts and jumpers or discarded towels are virtually predestined to lead a life as handy pads when their best days are behind them. Simply cut the item into small circles or squares to your liking. Then place two layers on top of each other, sew them together and voilà! your new make-up remover pads. Conveniently enough, you can throw them in the wash instead of the trash for an easy clean so you can use them again.
Even if you’re not an arts and crafts type of person, you can definitely make a hair tie. All you need are some old stockings and a pair of scissors. And you’re ready to go! Cut the legs of the stockings into rings and ... well, that’s it. You have your homemade hair ties. If you want a tighter hold, by the way, try twisting two or three of them together.
Cut the stocking legs into rings ...
... to get your wonderfully simple but elegant homemade hair ties.
Scrunchies require a little more skill. You’ll also need a rubber band and needle and thread. Cut the fabric of your choice (T-shirt, sweatshirt, comforter, [kitchen] towel) into strips of about 10×40 cm. Fold the strips in half and sew along the long side to resemble a hose. Thread a rubber band about 15 cm long through your «hose» until it peeks out of both ends. Knot or sew the ends of the elastic together and pull the now neatly compressed fabric «hose» around it. Then sew these ends together.
This item usually leads a very short, not particularly sustainable life. Hardly has it reached its destination before it’s torn apart and tossed into the trash without a second thought. Here’s a suggestion: if you have bed linen, kitchen towels, pillowcases or curtains that you’re tired of but that are still in good condition, turn them into wrapping paper. Whether used individually or sewn together as a patchwork, they’ll make for a unique gift wrap that’s sure to please and easy to reuse.
Another amazingly clever use for your old T-shirts is to make yarn out of them. Cut the fabric into strips about one centimetre wide and tie the ends together. Wind it up and presto – your homemade T-shirt yarn is ready and raring to go. Get crocheting and make a variety of lovely accessories. For example, a purse or a mesh market bag. You can just as easily make coasters, potholders, and storage baskets. If you browse Youtube’s DIY videos or Pinterest, you’ll quickly realise the possibilities are endless.
Cut your T-shirt into narrow strips and knot them together.
You’re probably one of those people – like me – who wraps a terrycloth towel around your wet hair after a shower. Or even rubs your hair dry with it. I hate to break it to you, but you’re not doing your hair any favours. The rough terry texture sooner or later leads to split ends. And who wants those? An (old) cotton or jersey shirt will be gentler on your hair, and once wrapped around your head, will slowly absorb any moisture. My colleague Stephanie has already discovered this trick: «I use old T-shirts to dry my hair because cotton jersey is supposed to do less damage than terrycloth towels. Since the fabric is so nice and thin, it’s much easier to wrap your hair with it anyway. I just turn my head upside down and let my hair slide into the neckline or bottom opening of the T-shirt, then twist as usual and I’m done.»
