‘Sustainability’ is one of the biggest buzzwords in the fashion industry for 2024. Expanding your clothing lifespan isn’t just better for the planet, it also helps your wallet! Upcycling your wardrobe is an easy way to become more eco-friendly, even with fast fashion pieces.

The fashion industry produces 10% of the world’s carbon emissions and uses more energy than aviation and shipping combined. Extending your clothing lifespan through upcycling reduces waste, meaning you’re not contributing to the 92 million tons of garments that end up in landfills every year.

We’re sharing 5 sustainable ways to upcycle your wardrobe to give your clothes and accessories a second life.

1. Turn Old Clothes into Quilts

If you’re a fan of DIY, you can turn your old clothes into quilts. It’s a popular hack for turning baby clothes into a keepsake, but it works just as well for adult clothes. You can create a one-of-a-kind blanket that’s a reflection of your personality.

Gather up all your old clothing, The more fabrics and colors, the better! Start by arranging the garments together until you find a pattern you like before sewing them together. It’s easiest to start by creating smaller blocks to sew into the final piece.

Upcycling into a quilt is a sustainable way to keep clothing you’ve outgrown.

2. Personalize your denim

We all have an old denim rattling around in our wardrobes. Denim is really the fashion that never goes out of style. You can upcycle your denim by personalizing it with patches.

You’ll have thousands of iron-on patches online for easy DIYs to expand your clothing lifespan. Marketplaces like Etsy offer unique patches from small businesses to help upcycle your clothes.

3. Embroider Old Clothes

Embroidery is one of the most popular DIY hobbies for 2024. If you’re handy with a thread and needle, you can expand your clothing lifespan with embroidery. Most fabrics are sustainable for embroidery, including cotton and denim. You can mend any holes in your clothing and add a quirky design with colorful thread.

You’ll find a world of inspiration for your upcycling onPinterest, whether you’re a beginner or an amateur sewer.

4. Make a tote bag

Tote bags are a sustainable hack to return your use of single-use plastic bags. Eco-friendly tote bags are a hero piece for your wardrobe, whether you’re running errands or hitting the gym. You can turn old T-shirts and sweaters into tote bags or travel pouches for shoes.

5. Turn Clothes into Scrunchies

If you’re always losing your hair ties, turn your old clothes into a sustainable alternative. Scrunchies are one of the easiest ways to upcycle clothes with or without elastic.

You can make your scrunchies stand out by tie-dying your clothes before cutting up the fabric to turn them into scrunchies. If you’re a gym-goer, you can switch your scrunchies for a sweat bandana for workout sessions.

We’re all looking for sustainable ways to adopt slow fashion and make our wardrobe more environmentally friendly. These 5 DIYs are cute ways to expand your clothing lifespan by upcycling.