Give clothing new life
Have you been tackling your closets and have clothing that is special to you that you don't want to part with, but you don't necessarily have a need for? Or maybe a loved one has passed away and you have a shirt that embodies so much of their character, but you dislike keeping that memory tucked away in a box or bin just to be forgotten.
Clothes can be turned into new clothing items for children, maybe a decorative pillow, a Christmas ornament, teddy bear, patchwork blanket, etc. This idea is perfect for repurposing old clothing and keeping the memory alive of someone who passed away or is deployed/regularly travels for business. Moms, you can even do this with clothing that is special to you from when your child was younger. Your favorite teeny tiny outfit, the hospital blanket they come home with, that special well-worn dress...
Before Shon deployed to Iraq in 2005, I asked him to wear some of his undershirts around the house. While he was gone, I used his undershirts as pillowcases so I could smell his deodorant. Scents are known to trigger memories and emotions. I found these pillowcases to be comforting because they gave me a little piece of him even when he was so far from home. This is a great tip for military families, but really anyone can benefit. If your spouse is deployed, or away on business, you can make a pillowcase or keepsake for each of your children.
Are you visual and need some more pictures to get you thinking of what to make? Check out this post on Ideas & Fun's Facebook page. If you LOVE to sew and want a more challenging project, Pinterest has many ideas for repurposing clothing. I especially loved the memory bear, which is a teddy bear made out of a loved one's clothing.
If you have the items and love the ideas, but don't want to do it yourself, there are companies like "The Patchwork Bear" and shops on Etsy, that will do these projects for you for a fee, if you send them the article of clothing you want to use.
Have fun with this and give your closet organizing an extra purpose! Here's some steps to get you started.
1) Find the piece(s) of clothing you want to use.
2) Spend a little time online exploring your options of what you'd like create. Keep in mind certain materials will work better for certain projects based upon size and fabric.
3) Decide if you want to create it yourself, or pay someone to do it for you.
Have you already done something like this? I'd love to hear what you've made or what this post has got you brainstorming about creating in the comments!