Manchester City Library

Every year, 92 million tons of textile waste is produced by the fashion industry and some 39,000 tons of discarded clothing have amassed in Chile’s Atacama desert.

That’s equivalent to the weight of nearly 27,000 compact cars in scrapped fabric. One of the biggest ways to help tackle this problem is by upcycling or repurposing clothes you already have in your closet and reimagining household textiles, like old tablecloths, quilts and blankets.

Repurposing refers to the practice of taking pre-existing objects or materials and using them in new ways. Cloth and material upcycling (repurposing) alleviates resource scarcity and crunch we’re facing, and it can also change how we view clothes and materials as well as saving money in the process. The good news is adding a little creative DIY to your closet doesn’t have to be difficult. Thanks to some simple upcycling ideas, clothes can be totally transformed with nothing more than a pair of scissors, needles and thread.
So, say goodbye to fast fashion and fire up that sewing machine. It’s time to turn those rags into riches with some easy tips for how to upcycle clothing and materials. Take a cruise online at the crafting website Etsy and you’ll find all sorts of creative ways that creative DIY’ers have transformed clothing, quilts and blankets into pieces of art that are gorgeous and bespoke fashion. For more repurposing and upcycling ideas visit our display on the second floor by the Art & Music Room.