How to Look Effortlessly Cool With Your Old Clothes
Shopping for new clothes now and then can be expensive, so you can always make the most of your creativity by transforming your old clothes into new outfits in a breeze. 5-Minute Crafts is coming to the rescue to make these hacks easier than ever.
1. Turn your leggings into a top.
What you’ll need: leggings, a pair of scissors, a needle, and thread
How to do it:
- Fold the leggings in half. Stretch them well to make sure there are no creases.
- Cut along the leggings’ lines. The wider the cut, the more of the neck area will be exposed.
- Wear them somewhat upside down — the leggings are now your sleeves, and the rest of the material covers your upper body.
- Your new top is ready, enjoy!
2. Transform your jeans into a skirt.
What you’ll need: a pair of jeans, a ruler, and a permanent marker
How to do it:
- Fold the jeans in half. To ensure there are no creases, stretch them.
- Estimate the length of your skirt you’d like. Then mark that point and cut it along a straight line. The jeans will now look like shorts.
- Cut the inner side of the shorts in an inverted V shape.
- Turn them inside out, ensuring the cuts along the front and back seams come to the sides. Then mark the extra fabric on the left. The back seam must come to the left, and the front, to the right.
5. Repeat the previous step for the front seam.
6. Cut out the extra material from the back seam.
7. Repeat it on the front part.
8. Stitch on both ends.
9. Turn the skirt inside out and mark its bottom edge. Using a needle, cast out little threads to give it a frilly look.
10. It’s ready to be put on! Remember to style it with sequins and fabric paints, according to your liking.
3. Recycle your socks into gloves.
What you’ll need: a pair of socks
How to do it:
- Take a pair of socks and cut a few inches from their tips.
- Then make a small V-shaped cut on the heel part of the socks.
- Stitch both edges. Then give your socks a slight stretch.
- When wearing them, ensure your thumb goes through the smaller hole, and the remaining fingers must fit in the giant hole.
4. Convert your wide-legged pants into a dress.
What you’ll need: wide-legged pants
How to do it:
- Choose a pair of wide pants that are stretchy enough.
- Put both legs into one of the pant legs.
- Pull the pants up to your chest and adjust the dress so the loose part stays in front.
- Cut a slit from where the flaps meet in the middle.
5. Hold the separated flaps in your hands.
6. Pull the loose flaps in opposite directions so the left flap will go to the right, and the right flap, to the left.
7. Tie them from behind, according to your size.
8. Style it with a purse that has a metal chain strap.
5. Make a winter cap from a muffler.
What you’ll need: a wide, square-shaped muffler and strong thread
How to do it:
- Fold the muffler and bring its edges to the center.
- Stitch the edges together, and turn it inside out.
- Using a strong thread, tie the part closer to one of the edges.
- Cut off any excess thread or cord, ensuring you don’t cut the knot away.
5. Cut vertical slits into the muffler.
6. The top part of the muffler should now look like the one in image #6.
7. Roll up the bottom part of the muffler.
8. Your winter headwear is ready.
6. Turn your skirt into a dress.
What you’ll need: a long skirt, a pair of scissors, and a belt
How to do it:
- Get a long or stretchy skirt that can fit like a dress on you.
- Cut a slit on the left part. Note that you can also cut out a slit on the right side.
- Make the slit large enough so that your left arm slides through easily.
- Pull the skirt up to your left shoulder by sliding your arm in.
- You can customize it with a belt to make it stable.
- Enjoy your new recycled dress.
7. Recycle an old tank top into a tight-fitting top.
What you’ll need: a tank top
How to do it:
- Cut the front side of your tank top from the middle.
- Open the top and begin cutting from the left side seams, as shown in the image above, approximately 3/4 of the back seam.
- Start cutting from the right side’s seam.
- Make a horizontal cut across the top from where your cut ends.
5. Now you have 2 flaps hanging from your top.
6. Put the flaps one over the other to check if they’re even in length.
7. Put it on and tie the flaps askew to your back.
8. Your new top is ready.
8. Convert your scarf into a shrug.
What you’ll need: a 6.5 to 10-foot-long scarf and a belt
How to do it:
- Spread the scarf horizontally.
- Fold it in half.
- To mark the cuts for your arms, your right hand must hold the folded part, whereas the left needs to be a few inches below the fold.
- Cut out the part you’re holding in your left hand, but away from the edges. Otherwise, the shrug won’t hang on your shoulders.
- Release the folds and try the shrug on.
- You can keep it in place by putting on a belt.
9. Restyle your plain denim into checkered denim.
What you’ll need: a pair of jeans, acrylic tape, and fabric paint
How to do it:
- Put some tape a few inches away from the button on the front side of the jeans. Mirror the step on the other side as well.
- Add some more tape a few inches away from the side seam, parallel to the previous tape. The space between the tape lines must equal 2 widths of the tape.
- Cut square strips of the tape and stick them onto the denim, beginning from the top of the denim on both sides.
- Be sure to stick the square tape in a checkered pattern all the way to the bottom.
5. Paint the empty spaces between the tape in a zigzag pattern.
6. Then paint the rest of the open squares black.
7. Strip away the tape when the paint is thoroughly dried.
8. Style your newly-made checkered jeans with a T-shirt and a pair of sneakers.
10. Dare to turn your boyfriend’s old shirt into a dress.
What you’ll need: an oversized shirt
How to do it:
- Put on an oversized shirt to see how loose it is on your body.
- Wear the shirt below your shoulders and button it up till it fits.
- Gather the sleeves and pull them in opposite directions — the left goes right, and the right goes left. Tie them firmly against your back and tuck in any extra fabric.
- Your new dress is ready!
Bonus: some more tips to make your basics look cool.
- Having a good, simple black belt in your wardrobe is a lifesaver and a staple. You can pair it with your monochrome outfits. If you don’t want to wear too much jewelry, a belt, as an accessory, will do the trick and add a cool factor to your outfit.
- Also, opt for any layering to spice up your outfit with an oversized blazer, shirt, cardigan, crew neck over your shoulder, or a long sleeve shirt to tie around your waist.
- Dare to unbutton your shirt to show a bit of skin by wearing a tank underneath. This way, you can add a layering effect too.
- If you don’t want to unbutton your shirt, you can roll up your sleeves for modest outfits. To look more effortless, wearing a turtleneck, a tank, or a shirt underneath your button-down helps greatly.