Improvise! Create! Have fun!
I wanted to create something fun and personalized for my friends. These luggage tags featured in Shelly Smola’s book, All for Me, fit my needs for creativity. They can be used as gift tags, luggage tags or even Christmas ornaments!
The luggage tags are designed with a handy pocket made of clear vinyl to slide a name tag with contact information. Unfortunately, I didn’t have vinyl and I didn’t want to drive all the way to the fabric store. (It’s a whole 5 minutes away from the office!)
I decided to improvise…
Improvise on Materials
First attempt: Clear plastic from a paper CD sleeve.
I wasn’t using the CD sleeve and the plastic seemed like it would work. However, the needle penetrations perforated the plastic making it easy to rip away.
Undaunted, I hunted the office for other clear plastic materials…
Second attempt: A Ziplock bag!
I thought I was pretty clever for trying this technique. Again, the needle penetrations perforated the plastic.
Suggestions from office mates: Use a clear shower curtain.
This idea has been used and tested in the building… but sadly there wasn’t a shower curtain in the office. And the nearest retailer is at least 20 minutes away….
Next attempt: Tulle.
I used two layers of tulle and placed water soluble stabilizer on top. This method worked! Plus tulle comes in countless colors to coordinate with my fabric selection for the dresses. The card insert I placed in the pocket is still legible through the tulle.
Next attempt: Sheer ribbon.
I used two layers and placed water soluble stabilizer on top. This method also worked. I prefer the ribbon because it’s easier to work with but that’s just a personal preference.
Create!
Sample 1. Pretty Blue!
I selected blue satin fabric for the dress and soft thread colors to coordinate with the fabric. I accidentally stitched the leaves in pink. Surely there are pink leaves found in nature somewhere! I added hot fix pearls to the flowers for added embellishments.
Sample 2. Bridal Party
I selected the same blue satin fabric. This time I stitched everything in white. The blue is subtle enough that it could be used for a bridal shower gift tag. I added the hot fix pearls to the flowers and the buttons. Also consider making one as a Christening ornament for a baby.
Sample 3. Celebrate the Crinkles!
When discussing our serious fabric shortage in the building with Eileen, I came upon a delightful brown crinkle type fabric. I hesitated but had to ask anyway, “will this work or am I crazy?” Fortunately, Eileen encouraged me to try. In fact, she shared a tip to ensure success.
Eileen’s tips:
Add fusible polymesh cut-away stabilizer to the back of the fabric. This will add stability and will also keep the wrinkles in place as you stitch the crinkle fabric. The particular concern was ensuring the stipple stitches would stitch properly on the fabric.
Another tip, the fusible polymesh comes in black. This is especially useful if you’re working with a dark colored fabric. I’ll keep that in mind next time!
I love the added texture this fabric brings to the dress. In fact, I’d wear this dress if it were full size!
Sample 4. Embrace Color!
Now with 3 dresses successfully stitched, I was feeling quite bold. I found a bright yellow satin fabric. I fused polymesh to the back of the fabric. I opted to embrace contrasting colors… and during the process I must admit I got some inspiration from the movie, 27 Dresses. I used two layers of pink tulle for the pocket and of course a bright pink for the stitches. While stitching the flowers I noticed the leaves look like hearts. I decided to skip the flower centers and add hot fix crystals as embellishments.
Have Fun!
The primary motivation when I create anything is to have fun. During this process I enjoyed focusing on variety and details. For this project I only made dresses and challenged myself to try and make each one slightly different. What details can I add? I experimented with fabrics, thread colors, skipping embroidery details, adding hot fix embellishments and more!
Looking at the dresses, I realized hangers would be a nice addition. Using wire and some pliers I fashioned a small hanger for the embroidered dress. I cut two pieces of wire—one for the hook and the other for the base. I wrapped the end of the hook to the base. Next I covered the wire with a decorative fiber.
The hanger was an afterthought for my pretty brown dress. Next time I would skip stitching the hole for the ribbon since the hanger serves the same purpose.
What a wonderful way to have fun with small scraps of fabric!
There are additional luggage tags included with the book as well as other fun projects.
A total of 6 projects are included:
- Tea Party Luggage Tags
- Glamour Girl Makeup Case
- Petite Purse
- Vintage Apron
- Time for Tea Pillow
- Time for Tea Quilt
Did you know? All for Me is now available as a download! That’s right, now you can download the book and the designs from the comfort of your home. This is especially ideal for overseas customers!
Visit the Designs in Machine Embroidery website for more information.
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227 COMMENTS
Jacque
10 years agoBaby leggings out of outgrown T-shirts and I used the rib knit tank top for the bands on the legs and the waist. Super cute and a good way to rid my closet of T’s that have gotten to small or that I don’t wear any longer. My “2nd time around” fashion! 🙂
barbara ann
10 years agoMade a quilt out of my old embroidered t-shirts!
Cindy
10 years agoI repurpose t-shirts into 18″ doll tanks, skirts, leggings and pj’s.
Sharon Helms
10 years agoUsed my old jeans and some salvage seatbelts to make a tote for my son’s teacher. Its great not to have to make pockets :).
Lori E
10 years agoI taken several regular embroidery designs and turned them into reverse applique.
Shelley
10 years agoI made personalized dog bandanas out of old sheets. I also repurposed a quilted pillow sham as a pressing pad.
DONA SANBORN
10 years agoUsed a old suit coat to make a jacket for a child
judy
10 years agoI used a bridesmaid dress to make a little girl’s dressy dress.
shirley rogers
10 years agoI love the dresses….that is so cute…
Rhonda Sanford
10 years agoI love to make these little make-up bags that are stippled and have the first name initial on the front. Everyone that receives them just loves them…I also make personalized aprons for the teachers at my grandkids schools…
Kristi D.
10 years agoI used old blanket sheets for a pressing table top. Makes the best top but so hard to find these days.
Carol Seavitt
10 years agoThe hardware from old purses are stored in a drawer in my sewing room. I’ve also taken out zippers and cool buttons from clothes. I love going to my stash when making new purses.
susanj
10 years agoI used an appliqué free-standing leaf design to make a name-tag for a Fall event.
Jane Towsley
10 years agoI’ve made tote bags out of the tyvek dog food bags and chicken feed sacks. I’m now going to make some aprons out of it for using at the fish cleaning stations since it is waterproof. Should help to keep the fisherman cleaning his fish dry and somewhat cleaner.
CINDY
10 years agotshirts into necklaces.
Donna G.
10 years agoi used fabric from clothes I made my daughter for a quilt for her dorm room!
Nanette
10 years agoHi Donna G.
I did the exact same thing!!! I handed my daughter the items, and said go ahead.
One was a dress my dear Mother wore when she was young (high school?).
Every 5″ square has a memory for me anyway. lol
She did a fantastic job – put the top together with my serger. ^_^
Gail Beam
10 years agoI used jute rope to make a lion mane for one of the Noah’s Ark animals that I made for my first two grandchildren. I made loops going back an forth as I pushed the jute loops through the sewing machine sewing down the middle of the loops. Then I folded the loops in half and sewed the loops down to make a trim and attached the jute trim on the head by hand. I used the same method to make a yarn mane for the Noah’s ark giraffes and zebras. For the giraffes and zebras, I cut the loops open, but left the loops whole for the lion’s mane.
Jane Scott
10 years agoI love to refashion! My favorite project was to take the handle and vinyl flowers from a handbag from my daughter and reuse them on a new handbag.
Lynn D.
10 years agoI took my 45 year old wedding dress and, with Hubby’s blessing,cut it apart. I made an embroidered and appliqued quilted wall hanging using silk, satin and lace from the dress. It is elegant and we both enjoy seeing this reminder of our 45 years together. I have yards of usable fabric and many tiny satin buttons left for my next “wedding” project!
Denise Holguin
10 years agoLynn,
How beautiful!
Denise
Karen W
10 years agoI also rec’d a wedding dress that a friend gave me (from a previous marriage. It yielded yards of lace, satin, buttons & trim. Within a month I attached the gathered deep ruffle to the outer edges of a Xmas tree skirt, then used some of the ribbons & trim on the cuffs of patchwork stockings, the satin & lace made lots of potpourri sachets for gifts & the most prized, a chatelaine for my mother — to hang in her closet with a mini repair kit & stork scissors for quick repairs. When she passed, I got the chatelaine back. I’m sure there’s still some of that dress left in my fairly extensive stash, even after all these years & loads of projects!
Kitty Kontak
10 years agoYears ago I mentioned to my mother-in-law that I wanted to make a small quilt for my new granddaughter. She immediately went to her stash and as she pulled pieces out she remembered what and for whom she had used it for. I left with a large bag, but told my hubby I felt guilty using it for Erika. I ended up making a lap quilt for my father-in-law. After all, he had watched her make all those things! He loved it.
Barbara McKenzie
10 years agoI used the fabric from an outdated and outgrown maxi skirt for a stylish jeans style jacket with coordinating embroidery.
joyce
10 years agoUsed a old rayon skirt that was too small but I loved the fabric to make a Infinity Scarf.
Carol Keeler
10 years agoI saved a pair if my grandsons very first jeans and made them up into a tooth fairy pillow. The little pocket serves to hold the tiny tooth which is placed in a tiny zipper bag placed in the pocket. I also added a tooth fairy rhyme on the back with machine embroidery. He has started using it this year as he is in second grade. Now I will have the pleasure of making one for my little granddaughter from her saved tiny baby jeans. She is now three so I will need to start planning how I will make hers!
Sharon B
10 years agoMy favorite re-purpose was to turn a dish towel into a charming tote bag.
Maga
10 years agoCutting old clothes into strips and crocheting shopping bags with the strips. Not very inventive but it worked.
Kris
10 years agoI embroidered on a man’s shirt sleeve and turned it into to a wine bottle bag. Save those shirts.
Also embroidered on screening and rescreened my bathroom windows.
Melanie Leigh
10 years agoI’ve repurposed tshirts that I blundered into doll clothes, sw alters into decorative pillows, overalls into aprons,jeans into aprons. I also make “memory bears” from antpything, ie. Clothes, blankets, tablecloths and more.
Cindy Dickinson
10 years agoI recently used the veil from my step granddaughter’s flower girl dress that I made her three years ago when her Dad married my daughter to make the sleeves and the neckline of her Elsa (Frozen) costume for Halloween this year.
Laurene Shewan
10 years agoMy son’s vintage cloth diapers – made them into pajamas for his daughter’s American Girl doll. She thought it was so funny. He’s 45 now so that’s how long they’ve been in my sewing stash!
Nancy Weber
10 years agoI turned used baby shoes into darling pin cushions. Everyone loves them. Hugs.
SJ Brower
10 years agoI like to turn regular applique designs into reverse appliques. Also have used potato chip bags for mylar inside of FSL to pretty it up.
irina
10 years agoI changed a toy design into the applique design.
Stacy
10 years agoI took a sweater and made them into boot socks!
Nicole S
10 years agoLove turning old clothes into new, youngest daughters shirts and dresses become new redesigned outfits for granddaughter, jeans into quilts.
Jennifer Jasmin
10 years agoI used the sleeves from an old sweater to make sweater boots. It was an Urban Threads tutorial!
Mary
10 years agoi like to make bracelets out of FSL bookmarks!
Janice Harris
10 years agoI made an antique cross stitched apron into a skirt for my daughter. And I’m currently working on making a faux suede slipcover into a jacket for her!
Natalie
10 years agoI love finding and reusing baby overalls for my parrot. No, he doesn’t wear them, but with a few quick stitches, they get turned into treat holders. He has s great time going through all the pockets and playing with the bottoms and buckles.
Sylvia K
10 years agoUsed a flower design to “fix” a favored pair of shorts – bleach spot was the center of the flower design!
Brittany Smith
10 years agoI’ve used all sorts of urban threads designs– even light stitching ones– for patches for LARP groups! We use them to denote different Non-player character groups to reduce the amount of unique costuming staff has to bring, and to make these characters easy to recognize for the players!
linda evans
10 years agoI took a old dress skirt that was torn up and made some epic victorian open hand glove/wristettes…
Patricia Lennon
10 years agocheck out used clothing stores for nice buttons on sale blouses and jackets
Michelle wayman
10 years agoLamp shade out of wore out blue jeans with embroidery around it.
Sharon
10 years agoI love to ‘up cycle’ and often remake clothes. I am short so have to cut the bottoms off denim jeans. I save up all the bits and a few years ago I made my first project. I joined all the different bits together to make a patchwork bag for my mother to use to carry her little Yorkie. I have also used the offcuts to make hammocks for my daughter’s rat and use the ‘good’ sections of old denims to make doll’s clothes, bags and pet beds.
Phil Carlton
10 years agoI’ve used Crown Royal bags to make scarfs and pillows.
Christine
10 years agoCollege sweatshirts into a quilt, jeans to skirts, old wool sweaters into purses, leather mini skirt to soles for my slippers, old purse hardware repurposed for new, vinyl records to purses and the list could go on and on. I was up cycling/repurposing way before it was cool!!!
Kayleen Runyan
10 years agoI repurpose garage sale clothing finds to make 18″ doll clothes for my daughters’ doll wardrobe. One Christmas I made 3 (have 3 daughters) complete wardrobes from ^ worth of garage sale finds.
Kristina MacLauchlin
10 years agoI bought a design from GGdesignsembroidery.com of a cute owl that was meant to be a bow holder, (for attaching feltie hairclips). It was meant to be an in the hoop design, but I put it on both ends of a scarf, and gave it a back and front piece of felt, so on the back part of the scarf, you didn’t see any stitches, but the plain felt outline of the owl instead. (this is hard to explain without a photo!) but it came out great!
Lela
10 years agoI wanted to try to make an ITH bear stuffie and did not have any furry material on hand. So I used a micro fleece towel. Turned out really cute.
Debby E
10 years agoI made a couple of tote bags from old jeans – not very original but fun! I love Urban Threads!! Thanks for the chance to win! 🙂
Sally
10 years agoI used the fabric from one of my husband’s old shirts to create wings for my Goddaughter with an Urban Threads design.
Julie Suchomski
10 years agoMy most recent “upcycled” project was a little bag or purse for a bride from doilies I found at a garage sale.
Chassen
10 years agoI turned some of Urban Threads “Wheel of the Year” designs into an altar cloths
Karen Jennings
10 years agoWhen I moved into my house, it came with vertical fabric blinds on almost all the windows. THey had to go! I took them all down, washed them in the washing machine, and saved them (of course). They are made of a very nice, soft, flexible-type of material. Now, I embroider Urban Threads designs on them and make Christmas ornaments, key-fobs, zipper-pulls, luggage tags, patches, and anything that I need to be extra sturdy and very durable!
Misty lindseth
10 years agoI have made scarves out of old tshirts, handbags out of old tshirts and Capri sun pouches, baby leg coverings out of adult knee highs, purses out of old blue jeans, quilts out of blue jeans…..the list goes on and on! 🙂
Jo Nemeth
10 years agoI like taking my old turtlenecks and making legging for the grand kids out of them – They really love the old Christmas designs to wear to bed!
Shelli Moon
10 years agoWhen my kids were little, I used to love to make shorts out of bandanas.
Judy
10 years agoI love Urban Designs for their Steampunk and Animal designs! I will make a quilt with some of the AWESOME ones if I win!
Cheramie Breaux-Leger
10 years agoI love to take sweaters and sweatshirts that I have embroidered on and make Christmas stockings out of them.
lindsey vanleeuwen
10 years agoI used old burlap to embroider on, and embellish pillows for outdoor decor.
Suzie Suliman
10 years agoWhen I lost my mom I upcycled one of her favourite sweaters to make myself a blue memory bear, it turned out great. Stretch Velour…who knew it would stitch up so good?
Judy Wong
10 years agoI’ve made pillow case dresses for orphaned girls out of thrifted sheets. They are cool and don’t wrinkle.
Dawn Warren
10 years agoi have started making aprons our of kitchen towels. I add ruffles to one end and add straps to the other end. Then I add a cool design to it, usually one from Urban Threads!!
Sandi McGregor
10 years agoI’ve made winter mittens from wool sweaters.
Abby Newell
10 years agoWhen I make tshirt quilts, I use the left over fabric to make doll clothes for my grand daughters. That way, I don’t even have to hem them.
Cindy Smartt
10 years agoI have been upcycling jeans into Christmas stocking with the embroidery designs from Urban Threads! Fabulous!
Lesley
10 years agoI re purposed a nightie and made a doona for my elderly small dog in winter when she wasn’t well. It kept her really warm and Cosy.
Rachel Phillips
10 years agoI used and old button up shirt from my hubby to make a sundress for a 3 year old. It is her favorite and has to wear it atleast twice a week, as she claims it smells like daddy!
Dora
10 years agoI used traditional Dutch folklore neckkerchiefs with borders with sailboats and the old Amsterdam skyline to make very simple smocked dresses for my little girls. Also I use old cross-stitched samplers and such I buy at the thrift store to make belts and bags for them now they are older. Not strictly what you asked for, I think, but very nice recycling all the same.
Cyndi
10 years agoTurned an old nightgown into an Elsa costume. Attached bodice to top and then cut a hoop skirt off of a princess dress and sewed that to nightgown.
mandy
10 years agoBaby clothing into clothing for the plush monkeys that I make. So much fun carrying a dressed monkey. 🙂
Daphne Brune
10 years agoI like to take cool buttons of of old clothes and reuse them on pillows and stuff. I also use good portions of fabric I love from work or our outgrown clothes for applique. I love Urban Threads!!
Khristine
10 years agoMy current fave is to take my girls torn up jeans and out grown tops and turn them into 60’s style peasants skirts. I cut off the legs of the jeans then cut the shirts into good size squares, if there are any holes or stains I embroider over those areas sew it all together into a fun new skirt.
Maria
10 years agoI washed/felted an old wool pullover sweater and made it into a child’s cardigan with crochet collar. Such fun!
Jennifer Nielsen
10 years agoI took a raven design that looked perfect for a wall hanging and turned it into bath towels for a friend’s wedding gift.
jan schrock
10 years agomy favorite project is a super cute purse i made from a burlap sack that had the best popcorn in it!! i think i find things daily that can be repurposed into something else useful
Lydia Fulp
10 years agoI like to repurpose and reuse everything I can! Some of my favorite thing I’ve repurposed is a skirt I made from an old button up men’s shirt, scarves, and headbands from old tee shirts are fun too! I also like to pick up old wooden embroidery hoops at garage sales and thrift stores and use them to frame my machine embroidery work like art work 🙂
Jane Ruhl
10 years agoI have used FSL bracelet designs as trim on doll clothes. They were gorgeous and I could get the color I needed.
Jodie Emmons
10 years agoI take embroidered designs from my sample stitchouts and from items that didn’t turn out the way I liked and then stitch onto purses, patchwork style. I add pieces of lace and buttons around the edges to make a Gypsy or Bohemian style purse.
Pam
10 years agoI still really like my curtains from my kitchen and dining room, but needed a change. I made them into a throw rug for my kitchen and I still love the colors
Jacqueline Johnson
10 years agoI turned the Gothic Lace Skull into barefoot sandals a while back. http://www.urbanthreads.com/products.aspx?productid=UT1855
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/jacqueline13126/Barefootsandals.jpg
saida
10 years agoI used my hubby’s military uniform. That he wore when he enlisted, when he deployed,and current one. I made a quilt for him. He love it. 🙂
Rebecca Chinn
10 years agoI took an old pair of favorite jeans and turned it into a bag. The pockets already had beautiful embroidery so I didn’t want to throw them out but I couldn’t wear the jeans anymore. The bag worked out perfectly with all the built-in pockets.
Ann Slobodian
10 years agoI make medicine packs for kids. When I first started, they were made out of canvas scraps from a local boat covering business and old blue jeans.
Deana
10 years agoI started learning to sew when I was 4. Being raised with little to no money, we couldn’t afford things like doll dresses or princess costumes. So I took my worn or stained clothes apart and made them myself. After a while I’d save up enough for Goodwill curtains and make costumes for my high school theater.
Fast forward a few short years, one of my senior projects while earning a BS in fashion design was to make a garment out of recycled items. I made a strapless top from a “Royal” brand rice bag I’d gotten at Costco and hand beaded the logo. The skirt was a short little ruched piece that had formerly been an embroidered taffeta shower curtain. The exterior of the coat was a misprinted trade show banner, the interior was a jacquard table cloth, and the interlining was a gutted electric blanket.
http://tinypic.com/r/20kdf85/8
http://tinypic.com/r/123qw5z/8
Deana
10 years agoOh… I did the march hare costume head in that picture too LOL – he’s a bicycle helmet, wire coat hangers, plastic mask, floral foam nose, 6 or so skinned stuffed animals, and a Finding Nemo plush for the eyes.
Susan Jacobsen
10 years agoI go to 2nd hand stores looking for vintage clothing to use the material in upcoming projects!
Meg Ammerman
10 years agoi made an infant sleep sacque out of my fathers shirt for his third great grand baby!
sue
10 years agoI took an old denim jacket from good will and put the clock designs from Urban Threads all over it. It was a perfect project for it.
Lupita Campos
10 years agoI am thinking these luggage tags would make an awesome name tag for my next sewing group meeting.
Stephanie Zoller
10 years agoI make a lot of things that are repurposed. My favorite is to make purses and jewelry from old jeans. I also make tote bags from old t-shirts which are great to use for quick trips to the grocer.
Christina Coyle
10 years agoI turned a bunch of old tee shirts into diapers, and some towels into car seat covers.
Amy
10 years agoWe used old tank tops and made tote bags out of them. It’s very simple so my daughters could make the themselves.
Jo Ellen Brown
10 years agoI turned a Army duffle bag into a book bag for a friend’s daughter. It was a gift for her new year of school. I put all the tags and buckles on it. It turned out great.
JoAnna
10 years agoI repurpose a lot I have made blankets from t shirts, I made a doll sling from a curtain, I have used old clothing buttons and made button ornaments, mens button ups into aprons…
Diane Bowman
10 years agoI used my son’s long John shirt to make a miniature long John shirt for a muslin Santa. Also used rib knit waistband from sweatshirts to make snowman hats and ragdoll socks
colette davidson
10 years agoI made a mittens for my son from and old pillow cusion and a doll cape from an old velvet dress 🙂
Marlene
10 years agoI was heartbroken when I discovered moths got to my only cashmere sweater. I bought it for $6 at a thrift store, an it was so warm and soft. I re-purposed it into a pillow. I just couldn’t get rid of it.
colette davidson
10 years agoI made mittens for my son from an old cusion cover and I made a cape for a doll from and old velvet dress.
Jenna Gordon
10 years agoI made cyanotype prints (sun prints) out of lace embroidered quilt squares and then used those in another quilt.
Kylie
10 years agoTurned some ut designs into crazy dolls. I would love to win this prize
Sharon Morfick
10 years agoI made snap bags out of practice embroidered pieces, those “orphan” pieces. They made beautiful fronts for the bags, and I had the flexibility to make the bag fit the design.
Anne
10 years agoLove making things out of old jeans bags quilts doll clothes, you name it I’ve tried it!
Love your ideas!
Donna Lee
10 years agoI used discarded adult knit shirts, combined with some new woven fabric to make cute ladybug peasant style shirts with shorts for my granddaughters. I also used a thrifted knit top for little girl leggings. And of course, embellishing with embroidery always adds pizzazz to repurposed garments.
mary johnson
10 years agoLike most crafters of all mediums I too repurpose those old jeans into purses and backpacks, thrift store treasures that wind up embroidered works of art. But the one I really love is the holster I made for my son’s Steampunk costume for Comic Con. He steampunked up some old nerf guns and I engineered the holsters.. I machine embroidered the steampunk spider from Urban Threads on the face of it… so Coool
Sky C
10 years agoI used a dress my daughter wore as a baby in a wedding for her Embroidered non paper doll clothes. Love that she will have it for a long time to come!!!
Lynnell Linke
10 years agoI made pillows for my family out of our Dad’s ties, and a pillow out of a good friend’s mother’s blouses. Something to have close in remembrance of those we lost!
Terry Pitcock
10 years agoNecklaces and bracelets out of old, broken jewelry.
Heather Toczek
10 years agoI love to take old clothes and upcycle them into kids clothes and other fun things.
barb
10 years agocut up old jeans to make water bottle carriers…
Diane Crane
10 years agoI’ve made my twin grand-daughters some very nice, long-wearing bibs out of their father and grandfather’s old jeans (for the front) and t-shirts (for the back). Just add a little ribbon or a few buttons for decoration and they are great!
Maggie Murphy
10 years agoAlthough it was set right in my software, the machine decided to load a design more centered in the hoop and rotated it. I didn’t check first and had a lovely snow couple stitch sideways on a huck towel. Decided to just let it finish stitching that way and repurposed it to be a larger matching hot pad / mug rug.
Karen W
10 years agoMaggie, Isn’t it great when we can turn a mistake into a “happy accident”?! I can’t tell you how many times it’s happened to me! Now I try to think ahead for test samples & mistakes to get used in some other project if it can’t be rescued in some fashion for its original purpose.
Suzanne
10 years agoI used some old wire coat hangers for “bones” in a dragon wing costume.
Heather McAuliffe
10 years agoUsed old jeans to make a purse.
Laura B.
10 years agoMaking a quilt out of gpa’s old ties. He passed away from brain cancer. If this works out, I have enough ties for 2 quilts.
Joan Toczek
10 years agoI made a bag out of an old pair of jeans
Jennifer Bieniek
10 years agoI took some old curtains that I had made for my daughter and repurposed them into a play tent that fit overtop of a card table.
Marge L
10 years agoI turn wedding gowns into christening gowns. Embroider the underskirt with the date of grandmas/ persons wedding date. Later add the name of the child and christening date if they would like. Also have used the left over fabric for ringbearer pillow with wedding dates and names added.
Nicole
10 years agoSweater and socks into stuffed animals, leather coat into pillow covers, oversize t-shirts into kids dresses.
Diane Thorpe
10 years agoi take blue jeans, specifically the pockets & turn them into wall storage for small items that always find their way onto my countertops!
Sarah Bleakley
10 years agoI re-purposed candy and soda bottle wrappers into hair bows! Difficult but fun.
Leslie
10 years agoRight now I am taking old jeans and cutting them up for a picnic quilt. My favorite in the past is to take an embroidered dish towel and turn it into an apron.
Dawn
10 years agoI’m working right now on jeans skirts that I am turning into purses.
sylvia
10 years agoI’ve refashioned thrift store clothes into new skirts.
Penny Gray
10 years agoT shirt quilt for my daughter with embroidered names and places on it.
Brenda Wylie
10 years agoI turned my granddaughters baby blanket into a pillow so she could still have it with her.
Lolulapu
10 years agoI cut my old t-shirts into smaller pieces and make some katwise style tuniques from it! 🙂 Love it!
Robbin E Dillon
10 years agoI got SOOOO excited when I bought my first embroidery machine (10 months ago), that I digitized an image of a 6,000 year old tattoo found on a Russian warrior princess dug from permafrost…. I placed it on a new-2-me skirt from my Church’s rummage sale!! Looks awesome, now all I have to do is lose 15lbs by spring so it’ll FIT!!
Alexis Davis
10 years agoI reused my test stitch outs of designs (the ones that turn out) into quilt squares. The quilts from them get used as gifts!
Rosemari Kapp
10 years agoI love to reuse feltie designs as small appliques on larger projects!Or appliques as hair boy holders, if you skip the satin stitching.
Leandra
10 years agoI found some really cool holiday placemats and turned them into a sewing tote to use at the holidays. I hope to find other seasonal ones and make others! 🙂
Jessica Churchfield
10 years agoMade tank tops out of my husbands t-shirts that were 5 sizes too big. Have made pillowcases out of his old shirts, skirt out his old pants, bags and blankets out of t shirts.Made pillow shams out of old curtains and saved the grommets for a wallet…I love pcycling/repurposing 🙂
Stacey Goldyn-Moller
10 years agoI tore apart an old couch cushion to gain upholstery fabric to make a beautiful embroidered bodice, which I embroidered with sugar skulls from the Urban Threads collection. Photos at http://www.facebook.com/magpiecortland
Karen W
10 years agoStacey, That reminds me of when we were in Germany 20 yrs ago & a friend needed help reupholstering her dining room chairs. We re-did her chairs & made a matching valance. That was a couple of years before I got my first embroidery machine. Anyway, I kept that ugly olive green striped velveteen fabric. Well, back in the USA, another friend mentioned she loved that color, so I made her a lined tote bag, embroidered it with a large Asian crane design from Embroidery Library onto the bag & smaller motif on the pocket (for her cell phone). There’s more fabric waiting for another project to come to mind.
Angel bowen
10 years agoFirst let me say I LOVE urban threads!!! And All for me! So this was the perfect combo!!! Lol! I took a thrift store quilt that was torn and jazzed it up with my own embroidery and cut it down to the size of my wooden TV tray, with about 3 inches extra all the way around. Made an elastic casing and voila! It’s a folding mini ironing board next to my sewing table!
Brandi
10 years agoI had an old work out shirt that was the perfect match on color for doctor scrubs, so my daughters and I turned that into a full doctor scrub set (including mask and footies) for one of their American Girl dolls.
morgan
10 years agoMade pillows out of old jeans and Jean pockets.
Linda Sue
10 years agoi have repurposed men’s and women’s large shirts into lovely aprons and also little girls dresses. I have photos but don’t know how to add them here
Denise Young
10 years agoMy favorite repurposing project was taking a man’s dress shirt and making it into a lovely blue and wgite striped a-line skirt. Kept the buttons for accents and added pockets for convenience.
Mike
10 years agoTurned an old tshirt into a onesie for my son.
Georgia
10 years agoold jeans turned into bags! that would be the one thing I do the most of lately. 🙂
AbbyK
10 years agoI made Capri sun packs into a beach bag. My husband thought I was a loon saving empty drink packages but even he says the bag isn’t bad. TY for the giveaway!
Kerrie Butterfield
10 years agoLove repurposing things. Just did leg warmers from an old sweater and pillow cases from a flannel top sheet.
Colleen
10 years agoI have taken an old fitted sheet that had been torn. Mended the rip and used as a pool cover for an 8 foot pool. Snug fit, elastic hold cover in place, and keeps debris out of pool between use.
jody starr
10 years agoI turn old jeans into fancy purses.
Mirela Popovici
10 years agoI’m going to use the hand embroidered part of an old (already cut) hand towel to apply it to the sleeves of a new peasant top.
Jen Franklin
10 years agoI used the snowflake skull as window decorations, tree ornaments and also made some into coasters. They turned out very nice, and I ended up giving many of them away.
Julie
10 years agoi use old jeans for a small make up type bags to hold ladies femine products .. The bags alway say oh bloody hell with a embroidery to match I. E Dracula .. They are given as gifts
jeanine
10 years agoI use felties to decorate my kids clothing
Nancy Drake
10 years agoI took pieces of left over fabric from 3 wedding dresses I had sewn (my own, 2 cousins of my husband’s [sewing those 2 were their wedding gift from us] and made them into a decorative scissors holder and matching narrow scarf to hang on my dress form. I embroidered them with yellow roses which were the flower I carried at my wedding. They are pretty and dress up the form that is out and in view all the time.
Georgia Nelson
10 years agoI made Kitchen Angels from an embroidered dishtowel, square homemade potholder and a dish brush with a face on it. The embellishments and potholders were made with scraps of fabric.
Jennifer Cail
10 years agoTurn an old damaged wool coat into a nice new purse for the fall.
helly
10 years agoI use outgrown babygrows and infant clothing to create keepsakes. I’ve also used wedding gowns, garments from a loved one after their passing and curtain fabric too. Bears are the most popular but was asked to make a tortoise and this proved very popular!
Amy
10 years agoDesign??? Only 1???? Please I used sooo many Urban Thread designs. I have them on jackets, shirts, bags, and walls. They decorate my shop!!!!
JudiC
10 years agoEmbroidered the legs of my jeans years ago. Then when the jeans no longer fit I cut off the embroidered legs and made them into plastic bag holders using hoops from my cross-stitch stash.
Melody Fialho
10 years agoI love upcycling old clothes into dolls, bags, refashioned clothing for friends and family as gifts or just because items.
lawna whaley
10 years agostand alone angel wings onto a memory pillow for a photo
Vicky Isliefson
10 years agoI made “Scrubbies” dish cloths for hostess gifts, and also used the same designs to make matching embroidered tea towels, but I replaced the scrubbie mesh with an applique fabric for the towels.
Nancy H
10 years agoI always use denim to make sample embroideries and then they become patches on my kids jeans or elsewhere when needed
Amanda Bryant
10 years agoI started making LED candle wraps when my mother was still alive so she could have a beautiful and safe candle in the nursing home. I make them in the hoop, stitched on organza and often use Urban Thread designs. It took me awhile to figure out my process but I wanted to use a fabric like organza that would let the light shine through. Sometimes I hand color the lightly stitched designs to add a stained glass quality. On heaver designs I sometimes remove some of the background colors to allow more light to shin through. Since I use two pieces of organza I can get a wide variety of background colors by using two different colors of organza and then I have the fun of choosing my thread colors. I might mix in bits and pieces of thread scraps and Angelina Fiber to add texture and color toto some desings. It seems I can always count of Urban Threads designs to get the creative juices flowing.
Leslie
10 years agoI took an UrbanThreads lace choker, turned it upside down and stuck it on a headband. Voila! A perfectly pint sized tiara!
Sandy Guba
10 years agoI took an old white shirt and turned it into a doggie t shirt with the Urban Threads Canine Couture design on the back.
Patti
10 years agoI used t-shirts to make a ruffled hat and dress for my niece’s birthday day.
Julie
10 years agowe travel a,lot around our beautiful australia and I often bought t shirts as souvenirs, kids have grown, shirts got shabby – so cut out the front where the design was and sewed together, now have a beautiful quilt for bed in caravan full of all our memories.
Diana
10 years agoI used my boys old jeans to make my favorite Beach Bag!
Shellaree
10 years agoI love the thrift shops and friends for old jeans for bunting and tote bags.. Kids clothes for fabric selection in appliqué. Keep all seems for strip quilting
Never throw away anything….even keep threads from unpicking for stuffing.
Colette Wilson
10 years agoI have repurposed linen dresses into table runners and mens silk ties into crazy quilt blocks.
Polly
10 years agoI stitched a continuous design around the bottom of my husbands old t-shirts, then cut them off and added as a ruffle to the bottom of a cotton skirt that had become too short.
Georgia
10 years agoI used an urban threads design for a tattoo ❤️
Their folded clockwork wings are fabulous.
Tammy
10 years agoi make Christmas stockings out of thrift shop
Wool jackets and embroider urban threads
Christmas designs
Bree Miller
10 years agoI turned a Urban Threads FSL design into a reverse appliqué. It looked awesome.
Christi Davenport
10 years agoI have taken parts of several designs to make one design and framed it.
Dee
10 years agoI repurposed my wedding dress to make my daughter’s christening gown. Used the lace to make the bonnet. Many years later I repurposed one of the bridesmaids dresses which was given back to me and made her a beautiful party dress.
Jeanelle Felix
10 years agoI use cloth diapers or hand towels trimmed with scraps and embroidery and make burp cloths for shower gifts. I’ve also used curtains to make Renaissance clothing
Lori
10 years agoI reposed a couple embroidery designs. Combining some branches with a couple bottle designs and added the words bottle collector. I made it as a patch which was then glued onto a wetsuit. I guess the divers collect patches for different skill levels.
Marichu
10 years agoI had several old dog leashes that I took apart and used the buckles and straps on new ith bags that I embroidered.
Jean
10 years agoAm taking an old shower curtain and embroidering Urban Threads designs onto the fabric and will be making pictures.
BJ Marley
10 years agoI made a set of sheets into a house coat.
Charlene Waggoner
10 years agoI use blue jeans for everything but mostly I make iron-on badges out of them.
Dianna Wilson
10 years agoUsed a small man’s dress shirt, ironed on vinyl and fabric shapes and made a paint smock for my daughter. Used the back for the front and vise versa. Cut off collar and sewed bias tape around neckline. Cut sleeves the right length and made elastic bands at cuffs.
Mimi Miller
10 years agoi made a headband from a handle of a basket. Used two sections and attached to a meal headband.
Mimi Miller
10 years agoThat was metal headband
Amanda Buchanan
10 years agoI turned my daughter’s baby clothes into a memory quilt.
Chris Sanchez
10 years agoI cut up
curtains, shirts, nursing scrubs….anything cotton for fabric to use in other projects….sometimes it is hard to find the right fabric
Renee Forsythe
10 years agoI take my old jeans and turn them into aprons. They are perfect to wear for teaching my 8th graders to cook and sew. It also inspires them to repurpose something in their lives.
Vera Campbell
10 years agoI couldn’t find a non-floral sequin lace I liked for a headband for a Katniss costume, so I made my headband out of buckram and pellon I had leftover from a different project, netting from another different project on which I embroidered a random lacy design from Urban Threads, and sequined it with leftover materials from yet another project. I managed to use all scraps to make it.
http://www.rebelshaven.com/images/costumes/katniss/parade/headband01.JPG
Fronye
10 years agoI have tons of drapery and upholstery samples. I have made bookmarks out of the paper-backed part of the samples for my daughter. I would love to know any ideas other people have for using these samples, as they are small. 9″x9″ or smaller.
Denise Holguin
10 years agoFronye,
Stay tuned… this Fall we will introduce a new product that is ideal for your samples!
Denise
Debbie
10 years agoI refashion outgrown baby clothes in to American Girl and Bitty baby size clothes. Often use tiny embroidery designs to liven up solid fabrics.
Carol
10 years agoI was gifted a fabulous stash of antique lace some of which I sewed onto paper in the making of several altered book projects. Also used the lace to make crowns–layered over a base of chicken wire, then embellished with old jewelry like rhinestones and pearls. Oh, and made gift tags, too–inked, dyed, stitched lace on Manila tags, replaced string with lace or ribbon. And stitched an urban threads rose on to wide lace for a cuff! I could go on…:)
Emily
10 years agoI sewed old t-shirts into bags!
Gretchen Willi
10 years agoI used robes, sweatshirts, and an old winter parka to make two memory quilts for a dear friend and her sister – since I needed to make two quilts I used filler blocks with embroidery designs.
ANN SANTISTEVAN
10 years agoGrampa’s old blue jeans turned into dungaree’s for twin baby girls
Debra Wilson
10 years agoUsing tee shirts for quilts and remant are being crochet into rag rugs
Nancy
10 years agoI used some old jeans to make cute embroidered baby bibs. They looked more like something for a little boy, but with girly designs they made cute “tomboy” bibs too.
Jackie
10 years agoI love the dresses as luggage tags! Great ITH idea. I took an ordinary dolphin filled embroidery design and used it for a towel holder. I had large flour sack towels that I folded in quarters and made the dolphin into a circle, and put it at the fold, cutting away the circle in the middle of the embroidery. Now it works as a towel holder. It was a gift and the lady loved it because she loves dolphins. (The towel is thick since it is 4 layers thick and doesn’t hang too low.)
Pat
10 years agoI used the Urban Threads FSL Fascinator for shoe clips for my DD-I-L’s wedding outfit. I made the bottom layer in royal blue, the middle layer in steel gray and the top layer was in a very pale gray, almost silver. They turned out very pretty and the design was a perfect trim for the silver shoes she wore. I love Urban Threads dsigns and have followed their designers ever since Embroidery Library first featured them! I visit the site frequently and usually find at least two or three designs I either purchase or add to my Wish List.
Ann
10 years agoI used my daughter’s jeans to make a graduation quilt. I embroidered a design in each square and backed it with flannel putting it together in a rag style quilt.
Terri
10 years agoI took a damaged wedding dress and made a christening outfit for her infant son. Truly a labor of love.
Julie gibson
10 years agoi took a black sheet and made them into four pirate scarves using two of the skull and crossbones embroidery designs. Then dressed a pumpkin head with a face and eye patch and laid a plastic sword beside this depicting the image of a pirate. I used these along with decorated witch hats and boas as well as glitter pumpkins for our 40th class reunion decor this fall. Everyone had a great time!
Erin M
10 years agoI’ve used salesman fabric collection samples (purchased in bulk) to make placemats for nursing homes plus cute and sturdy purses. The coordinated fabrics work out great for small projects. Hope to purchase more such fabric samples because I love to sew. These were great projects!
Pat Oishi
10 years agoI’ve been re-purposing things for years – I just though I was being cheap! A few years ago I made name tags for our Sunday school preschoolers using an applique sheep design and an old flannel sheet. Instead of appliqueing onto a larger fabric, I simply hooped them double-thickness and then cut them out when done. The kids loved them. I made a few extra “just in case” and I’ve been using them as coasters!
Kathy
10 years agoI took a pair of children jeans and added embroidery to the pockets and then made it into a purse. I get so many compliments and fell good I recycled it.
patti
10 years agoone of my fav things it find a clearance on fleece blankets. So many fun things. Make stuffed animals, Foot cozies, pillow covers, doll coats, even fleece vests and jackets yes I know how to stretch a buck. Now hint folks fleece blankets, twin size are very inexpensive same with flannel sheets great for nite shirts, bath robes
Debbie
10 years agoI took a Fsl tealight design and enlarged it – only using the background and instead of the design included used a regular non-fsl embroidery design which was a breast cancer awareness design for my mom. It worked great. We were both very happy with the result 🙂
Becca
10 years agoLast Christmas I used a couple of the embroidery designs from Urban Threads to make tree ornaments. My favorite is the Ninjabread Man. Pirate Santa isn’t bad, either.
Carolyn
10 years agoI used my husband’s old jeans and made a bag for the jumper cables complete with a fun embroidery.
Karen W
10 years agoI upcycled a Walmart insulated bag that had seen it’s better days – handles tearing away & exposing the insulation. I made another tote in a cotton print from my stash, added insulating fleece, added longer, made stronger handles that wrapped underneath, embroidered it with a sassy saying, inserted the old bag & re-lined it with an old wind-breaker (polyester-silky type) — this ensured it was well insulated (for ice cream, frozen foods, etc). I left the old short handles & velcro closure intact. My hubby does most of the shopping now & loves that bag!
Carol M
10 years agoI made stuffed bear and heart pillow from flannel jacket, also from old quilts, Christmas stockings and pillows. I embroidered a design and put on them.
I love Urban Thread designs, I have got quite a few from them.
Pam
10 years agoAnything fabric is fair game for re-purposing! I used bits of my brother’s pajamas when I made “I spy” quilts for my niece & nephew. My yarn stash is stored in a metal garbage can painted 70’s style with orange & green mushrooms that I bought at a garage sale years ago!
Guinevere
10 years agoNothing irritates me more than perfectly good toys being thrown out to make way for new more expensive ones. I stalk garage sales and op shops for bulk stuffed toys with squeakers and rattles in them. I open them up and use the stuffing and squeakers etc in the sensory toys and blocks I make. Saves me money and I recycle and resuse something not wanted.
lyn
10 years agojeans–jeans. Have made gift bags, baskets, aprons, boxes. Each has embroidery design(s) to up-cycle into something fun and showcase a design I just have to try.
White sheet: I was given a new flat sheet that was of good weight. Used it for embroidery squares for table runner, pillow top. Love upcycling ideas.
lyn
10 years agoI have upcycled jeans into boxes, storage totes and aprons. Adding an embroidery design to each item gives it a new fun look. I was given a new white flat sheet and use it for quilt blocks. Love reuse ideas.
Missy
8 years agoJe suis stupéfait de lire autant de commentaires intéressants. Merci à tous de partager vos expériences et de nous décrire le modèle économique de Costco mieux encore que l&colus;artirqe.
Beth Rowan
10 years agoI regularly take FSL designs and stitch them as the focus for regular embroidery. Even without all of the plain air around the open space, the design with fabric color showing through can look beautiful!
Karen W
10 years agoI LOVE Urban Threads for their slightly off-beat designs, especially those that appeal to the younger set, tattoo aficionados & GoT fans!
I recently purchased some of their Halloween designs to decorate our front entry for trick or treaters. I plan to use the spider design & metallic thread to make Xmas Tree ornaments as tiny gifts in Xmas cards (I’ll be enclosing a copy of the story of the Christmas Spider).
I’ve also used 2″ wide organza ribbons to make mini labels (2 x 3″) to attach to several projects/gifts I’ve made for others. It turned out to be easier than I’d expected!
Joanne Dillon
10 years agoMy little puppy chewed the bottom of my bathrobe while cuddling with me in the recliner. The robe was in fine condition and fairly new, so I didn’t really want to part with it just yet. I needed a new kid on the block baby gift, so I cut the robe up and repurposed it in a baby blanket. One of the sleeves made a fine “bag” for the blanket.
Kim cady
10 years agoI use old silky shirts to make nightgowns for my daughter
Michelle Chatterson
10 years agoI bought a dress for myself that was way toooo long, but just had to have because of the beautiful fabric it was created out of. I cut 20″ off the bottom of it and made my daughter a top, put pockets on pair of pants, and a ruffle on a skirt out of the piece–sew much fun !!!!!
Dorset Boronia
10 years agocut legs off 1 year old granddaughter’s jumpsuit, to make it a jacket, and used legs (embroidered) for smart phone cases.
cut pantyhose into long continuous strand, knitted it on my knitting machine and made shopping bag. I won a scissors set for that.
Le floch, Anne
10 years agoI copied the wonderful idea of a Urban Threads customer who turned a UT yeti plush design into a cellphone pouch. I’ve now made more than 10, they are VERY popular.
It took me a while to work out how to make it, as there was no tutorial but I was so happy I persevered.
Ann S
10 years agoCan’t believe I finished this. I repurposed Gramma’s wedding dress into 2 baptismal dresses for twins. I got lucky. There was a boat load of lace. Names and dates are embroidered on the under slip as well as Gramma’s name and wedding date. Best of all I love reading this blog to see what everyone else is doing. It’s an inspiration builder.
Brandy Wycoff
8 years agoI know think that before taking steps for kitchen remodeling it is best to do a deep research onto it so that you spend your money the right way. Visit my tumblr to get some ideas.