Upcycling Ideas

Approved Upcycling Ideas For The Best-Selling Surging DIY Clothing Fashion

Those of you who are looking for ground-breaking discoveries in the field of DIY fashion have just found the right place. 

In this guide, we’re going to reveal a few precious pieces of advice on how to upcycle clothes. What are some clever upcycling ideas in DIY fashion? 

upcycling ideas clothing
Image source: DIYIdeaCenter

It’s useful to know a bunch of creative upcycling ideas for at least two reasons. Upcycling DIY refreshes your wardrobe. It can also change the level of air pollution and ozone hole on the planet. 

Are we this influential?

There is no planet B―upcycling ideas in fashion 

DIY upcycling projects come in handy and healthy at the global level. 

Knowing a few DIY upcycle ideas will help you transform old garments into new ones―that comes without saying. But there is more to upcycled fashion. 

The second reason to engage in upcycling projects is the global impact that it has. Participating in the sustainable fashion movement means caring about the environment. 

As for this year, some say that the fashion world is the second most polluting industry (10% of global pollution).

The environmental price of fast fashion’ points out these critical points in the textile and fashion value chain (from production to consumption):

    1. water use (1.5 trillion liters of water consumed per year)
    2. chemical pollution 
    3. CO2 emissions 
    4. textile waste (over 92 million tonnes of waste produced per year)

Major changes in the fashion industry are necessary―and they all lead to one conclusion: slow fashion.

things to upcycle
Image source: MyWhere.It

Slow fashion, slow food, tourism, and news―are the activities opposed to a fast, massive, and devoid of the real care and dedication way of doing things.

What is sustainability in fashion and why DIY upcycled crafts are trendy? 

The current fashion business model, the one that has been ruling for years, is abruptly transforming

Changes towards ‘slow fashion’ include:

    •  deceleration of manufacturing 
    •  introduction of sustainable practices throughout the supply chain
    •  a shift in consumer behavior (decreasing clothing purchases and increasing garment lifetimes) 

For those who choose sustainable fashionSuper Label Store supplies custom clothing labels all over the world. The company’s mission is to support small to medium fashion brands and individual fashion DIY entrepreneurs. 

Super Label Store provides sustainable, affordable, and customized solutions for customers. Check these custom care labels, woven labels, and their different types

We’re lucky to live in the times of the sudden turnaround in the world order. 

Fashion leaders, designers, customers, and people non-related to the fashion industry change their approaches. Slowly, but firmly. 

Sustainability becomes a top priority. 

It gives hope for progress in the fashion retail industry. We move towards environmentally responsible approaches. Minimizing and mitigating detrimental influences of the fast fashion industry improves long-term sustainability.

sustainable fashion upcycling
Image source: Researchgate

We should perceive sustainability holistically (ecosystems and the biosphere as a whole). It’s a set of global approaches towards the common goal: saving the planet. In fashion, the whole idea boils down to the one concept ‘slow fashion’, in all its shades. 

We’re discussing it to get to the further topic―upcycling project ideas.

Upcycled fashion items (and other fields like e.g. furniture) became modish lately. There’s nothing more stylish nowadays than caring about our planet and its future. 

Best upcycling ideas

Let’s go through some breath-taking upcycling ideas for this year to get you inspired.

Upcycling idea Description
Patch party jacket Who doesn’t have this old, worn-off denim jacket that is impossible to throw away? Think about transforming it into a brand-new piece of craftsmanship. Imagine a crazy bunch of colorful patches.
Gemstone graphic top It’s a fast and effective method to change your casual tee into a luxurious piece of garment. You need to get a chunk of gemstones (e.g. rhinestone buttons). You arrange them in a random manner or in the perfect order (you’re the boss here). Now fasten them to the chosen t-shirt and you’re ready to show off.
Embellished backpack Spruce up any backpack by cutting and gluing ribbons and trimmings. It’s worth giving it a second choice! 
Plaid patchwork jeans The situation is like the one with a denim jacket. You’ve got your favorite, best-fitting pair of jeans, but it’s just not it anymore. Why not use this no-sew, no-fuss plaid patchwork for your treasure’s update? It cannot be easier. 
Fleece faux fur panel scarf This project starts with the infinite fantasy of a DIYer. Sewing is an option but it’s not necessary. Using fabric glue can also do the job. If you want to sew your DIY easy upcycle projects, check easy beginner sewing projects and 35 intermediate sewing projects.
Dip-dyed flannel shirt A huge advantage of dyeing is that it almost cannot be done wrong. It’s rare to destroy a piece of clothing with a home-based dyeing intervention. What you get is what you see. The best way to spice up your flannel shirt for DIY upcycle fashion beginners. For more ideas go to beginner DIY fashion.  

Easy upcycling ideas on social media

There are plenty of tremendous upcycling ideas for beginners online. You can be sure to find something for you. 

You may wish to get inspiration from acknowledged influencers on social media. Influencers are powerful when it comes to online visibility. They are passionate and sincere. What they do and present is their biggest passion, not a job. This convinces people to follow them and passion is infectious.

Check e.g. these DIY upcycling fashion heroines on Instagram:

    • Mimi G Style
    • Vickie Laliotis
    • Erica Domesek

Or these well-tailored and colorful DIY upcycling craft projects accounts:

    1. honestlywtf
    2. hannahxelliman
    3. howtodofashion

upcycling ideas for shoes
Image source: Instagram 

There is a plenitude of social media accounts with exquisite works of DIY fashion influencers. DIY industries and social media go great together

Instagram (TicToc, Facebook, and others) provides the right public for this industry. Followers on social media are hungry to fulfill their dreams on their terms. They aspire for immediate action and perfection. 

The virtual support that influencers give them means keeping afloat their hobbies and dreams. They are constantly fueled with energizing inspiration on the part of their idols. 

clothes upcycling ideas
Image source: BoredPanda

Easy upcycling crafts

Let’s get to the core of the issue―how to create amazing fashion objects (garments, shoes, jewelry) and where to find cool upcycling ideas? 

At first, it’s beneficial to get to know the basics of sewing. We’re not saying it’s necessary. Yet, having some elementary skills in sewing will take you a level higher

Explore these brief guides for beginners: 10 reasons to start sewing clothes and summer sewing projects. A short introduction to sewing should make you feel more eager to become a real fashion DIYer. 

If you’re still not convinced, take a look at these health benefits of sewing. Knowing that it serves you in more serious and significant ways than making you prettier may be a good reason to start. 

Eager to know more simple upcycling ideas? Let’s go through more examples:

Upcycling idea Description
Graffiti Converse Each of us went through that stage. Even if we didn’t get to execute this creative idea, we’ve seen our friends with felt-tip pens, doing weird stuff with their Converses. At one point, it became so popular that the brand itself started to sell painted-in homemade-like style trainers (at slightly exaggerated prices, to say the least). Times have changed but fashion goes towards the freedom of colorful graphic expression again. Turn your Converse into a personal graffiti artwork. You’ve got carte blanche! 
Old purse with candy button embellishments Dressing up plain bags of various kinds is what Tiggers like best. The idea for spicing up (or maybe: sweetening up) your old boring bag is simple. Candy-colored buttons, like chandelier crystals or tassels, will change the look of your bag towards a more individual feel. Spray-painted studs can be as cute as their real-candy equal. So? Buon appetito!
DIY sequin skirt This piece of clothing (sequins and glitters) may seem detailed and complicated to make. But as with many other things to upcycle, the reality is different. Dig out the back of your wardrobe that plain cozy skirt that doesn’t impress you anymore. With a little effort, you can turn it into blinky and flashy summertime party clothing. 
Beach dress Since we’re heading towards the summer…The last one wasn’t full of occasions to show off, yet who wants to use last year’s outfits this year? Solution? Make a new dress by yourself. Follow this easy upcycling tutorial and create the comfiest beach summertime garment ever out of your old tee. Some sewing and cutting are on board, but we will go through it together. Who knows, maybe even from sewing to successful sewing business
DIY embroidered sweater The embroidered sweater is a quick way to take you somewhere far: to Paris, London, or Japan. It’s easy―If you choose to embroider “j’adore”, bonjour cute Paris streets! An agile intervention and you almost feel like you hold a warm croissant in your hand. If you go with “sombrero”, the feeling will change significantly. To prepare an embroidered sweater you’ll need a bunch of accessories:

  • Sweater
  • Embroidery thread
  • Fabric marker
  • Needle
  • Template 

Check this website to go through the whole process like a pro.

upcycle idea bag
Image source: TopInspirations

On bustle.com we find this quick and easy, step-by-step instruction on how to create your jeweled clutch DIY. It’s made for summer evening parties and celebrations and you’ll love it. Let’s see how to conjure up such a miracle. 

1. Gather your supplies

Let your fantasy flow and pick your favorite accessories for your craftsmanship fashion object to be. Options of further modifications are limitless, but you’ll need a bunch of basics: 

    • a clutch of your choice (a foldover will be perfect, so you can work on beautifying the flap); 
    • jewelry bonding glue; 
    • rhinestones (shape, size, color-it’s all on you); 
    • other embellishments;

2. Arrange your jewels

Get creative with picking the best rhinestones and embellishments. Then, arrange them in your favorite pattern on the clutch of your dreams. Don’t glue them at first. Set them on the real material (imagination is great, but it often happens to tell a different story). This first attempt will help you not to be stuck struggling to cram jewels after discovering they don’t fit. We better not go there.

3. Get to gluing

Now we’re ready to go straight into the gluing stage. Take your pieces off the clutch and start putting them back to their places with the glue on. Press and hold each piece until it sticks for good. It’s quite a long and boring process, so be patient. The result will knock you (and your friends) off your feet.

4. Wait until it completely dries 

Trivial as it sounds, you don’t want your new shining-bright star of the party to get destroyed by picking it up. Be patient and give it time to dry. Once you’re done with gluing you still need to allow your clutch to dry. The process of gluing is time-consuming—half an hour or more. The last part will take an extra hour or two. 

cool upcycling ideas clothing
Image source: BoredPanda

Upcycle ideas to sell

We took you on this DIY fashion adventure not for fun only. Besides refreshing your wardrobe and transforming you into an environment-friendly person, the upcycle project can make you a fortune.  

Yes, you’ve heard it well. 

When you know how to upcycle tshirt or upcycle sweater, easy upcycling has a chance of becoming your passion. At this point, you can start promoting and selling your outfits. 

Reach out for custom woven labels or other products offered by Super Label Store to finish the job. 

Here’s what you get: 

What product? Where to use it? Description
woven labels Clothes/on the garment Custom—personalized design and logo;
care labels Clothes/on the garment Custom—washing, care instructions, symbols;
hang tags  Clothes/to hang on the garment, products, package;  Custom—product info, logo; 
pre-made labels Clothes/on the garment Pre-made—universal info like e.g. size

Custom woven labels are a way to stand out from innumerable DIY fashion outfits present on the market (and out of the market). With a few simple steps you can learn about upcycling clothes and upcycling fashion

Yet, there is still some time and effort needed to shine among others. 

Custom woven labels by Super Label Store mean professional quality and availability in small amounts. These characteristics make it perfect for individuals, small and medium companies, eager to win the DIY fashion market.