It’s time – summer is most definitely upon us, and the days of big jumpers, old woolly socks, and thick tights are over. You throw open your wardrobe to pick your first outfit for the summer… and you’re met with disappointment. There’s nothing there you want to wear – it’s all old, or falling apart, or doesn’t quite fit you anymore. Whatever the reason, nothing fills you with the joy you want to feel when throwing on a summer dress. As the world changes, you don’t want to immediately head out to the shops and indulge in fast, wasteful fashion, and you don’t quite trust anything online to arrive and make you fall in love with it. Well, never fear. There are so many DIY options available for you to refresh or even completely transform your old clothes into items that excite you again. Start by trying the easy ideas below, then keep going until you’ve made yourself a whole new wardrobe for the summer!
Skirts into Dresses
Remember last year, when maxi skirts were everywhere all summer? The likelihood is you’ll still have one or two lying around, and these are perfect to transform into cute dresses. Simply lift the skirt up so it sits above your chest, then combine with a belt for shaping. If this doesn’t quite work with the shape of the skirt, you can use a couple of stitches to help transform it – and if you’re worried about your new dress flying up at the slightest breeze, remember to weigh down the hem with hem weights, or coins if necessary!
Decorate and Tie Dye
You don’t always need to cut and sew to refresh a garment. Sometimes, you can use color as well! A diy tie dye shirt is the perfect, carefree item to add a splash of fun to your wardrobe this summer, and they can be made easily by anyone. This is a great one if your haberdashery skills aren’t quite up to par. It’s loads of fun to experiment with patterns and colors, and the moment when you untie the shirt and see what you’ve created is a grand reveal not to be missed.
Cut Those Jeans
We’ve all got them, those pairs of old jeans at the back of the wardrobe that are falling apart at the hems, and yet which we can’t quite bring ourselves to get rid of – and you don’t have to. You can breathe fresh life into any pair of jeans by simply cutting and turning them into a cute pair of denim shorts. You can simply cut and leave the hems, letting the threads fray stylishly, or if you like you can sew a new hem to keep them nice and neat. In fact, you don’t have to stop at jeans; any pair of trousers can transform into fabulous new summer shorts, or even skirts if you want to be a bit more adventurous. Just make sure you don’t get carried away, or you risk starting the winter season with no long trousers left – and it’s a lot harder to complete a reverse transformation for this one!