In honor of Earth Day, Her Campus Lasell is committed to living sustainably not just for the one day, but every day (because the Earth is literally dying). Where do you even begin? This week we will be breaking down how to live sustainably in every aspect of life– style, beauty, college life, and yes even in your relationships. So sit back, relax, and get ready to make the switch to eco-friendly.
Wardrobe in need of an upgrade? Upcycling and giving your clothes a DIY upgrade is one of the best ways to not only spice up your closet but also have fun and unique pieces you wouldn’t see on anyone else. Personally, I’m a huge fan of flipping thrift items mainly because it gives me a chance to be creative and give new love to past loved pieces.
Thrift shopping in itself is just like a treasure hunt and you never know what you’re going to find, but once you find the perfect piece that just needs a bit more work, the possibilities are endless. Now, I’m not a design major (far from it actually I’ve never been taught how to sew), but I found that flipping clothes is actually SO much easier than you would think. These are my go-to ways for making old clothes brand new again.
Painting
This is one of the easiest ways to make your clothes personal and unique. Basic t-shirts are super easy to find at your local thrift store and fabric paint and basic paint brushes can be found at any craft store. Scour Pinterest for some fun ideas or bring your sketches to life to show off.
Cut and Sew
Okay, this one is a bit more daunting and can take some practice. For some pieces, you can get away with just cutting them and having the edges raw, but for others, they need a bit more care. Using a sewing machine, you can make new hems and put ends of the fabric together. There are tons of tutorials on YouTube to teach you how to do just about everything. My latest flip was a long boxy leopard print dress that was too big on me and I turned it into a knee-length slit skirt and a dad- type collard shirt.
Embroidery
Embroidered items have been something I’ve always seen on Pinterest, but have been so scared to do. Turns out, it’s actually super simple with the help of YouTube! This is super fun to do on the back of jackets or on jeans if you don’t want too drastic of a change but still think it needs something to make it more personal.
T-shirt Transfer Sheets
I’m going to be honest with you– I never have paid full price for a band tee. Sometimes the thrift stores don’t carry the exact bands I listen to, but like I said before they do carry tons of basic t-shirts. Using photo transfer paper is a super easy and cheap technique to transfer any image onto a shirt. All you need is an iron, a printer, and a towel and you’re good to go!
Now with these tricks, you’ll be living totally eco-friendly and stylish (while saving money of course).
*All images from the author