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Repair It, Renew It, Restore It
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items It's official. Fast fashion is out. Mending your quality favorites and upcycling clothes and maintaining possessions is in. Here are some of my favorite tools and projects to help you as you go on your own journey of sustainability. Note: This list m...
Sections
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Fix Up Those Frocks
Good as New(ish)
Clean It Up
Fix Up Those Frocks
Discarded clothes are a huge source of landfill waste. Why not try mending that garment rather than tossing it or donating it? (Plus, I think that visible mending is a simply beautiful art form and adds visual interest to clothes.)
I first got interested in the art of visible mending (in Japanese culture, known as sashiko and boro, commonly just referred to as sashiko) when I saw a pair of jeans with the repair method used. I love that the finished product is, in many ways, som...
Instead of hiding rips and tears, the visible mending movement turns them into art
This is a lovely, helpful book on the art of repairing clothing.
The Art of Repair: Mindful Mending: How to Stitch Old Things to New Life
I've heard good things about this leather recoloring balm. One of my favorite purses needs some help, and I thought this might be a good option to try.
Leather Recoloring Balm | Non Toxic Leather Color Restorer | 21 Colors
One of my all-time fav upcycle projects. Project Repat lets you turn your beloved, soft t-shirts that you have no idea what to do with into a cozy quilt rather than tossing them in the landfill or sending them off to a thrift store. I did this with a...
Project Repat
Channel your inner Maria von Trapp by making a fun and airy upcycled floral tablecloth sundress like this one!
Upcycled sun dress / Tablecloth dress / Slow fashion upcycle / Sustainable fashion / Size L
Reuse colorful fabric like these upcycled sari fabric swaths to wrap gifts!
Handmade sari gift wraps, furoshiki style reusable eco friendly wrapping cloths ethically handmade in India
These mending looms make it easy to patch up holes in your clothes with a bit of practice.
Mending loom/Darning loom/Speedweve
Don't know how to sew? You can actually hire people who specialize in visible mending!
Visible Mending Service
These transfer sheets provide an easy template to help you in your visible mending. Then they dissolve away in the laundry, leaving only the sashiko thread!
Visible Mending Transfer Value Pack Sashiko Style Pattern Washable Mending Designs
This specially designed sashiko thimble protects your hand from getting pricked by the sharp needle needed to penetrate denim and other thick fabrics.
Little House Japanese Sashiko Palm Ring Thimble
Hillfolk is a great small business that's locally owned near me, and they sell their wonderful sashiko kit for beginners to learn the art.
Hillfolk Sashiko Mending Kit Includes 4 Pieces Of Preprinted Fabric, Each 9" X 9", Sashiko Needles, Sashiko Thread And Instructions.
One good way to keep the clothing loop closed is to buy thrifted clothes and sell your used clothes. I love ThredUp for this! I've found some great gems shopping used with them.
ThredUp | Thrift. Clean out. Do good.
Etsy has a lot of beginner-friendly sewing patterns to help you upcycle your used clothes into something lovely.
Easy Sewing Project Women's Large Make Your Own Boho Chic Hippie Skirt Kit Includes Pattern, Waistband and Instructions
I love this idea of transforming the clothes of lost loved ones into stuffed animals to be cherished.
Memory Dog Digger and Dixie Dachshund (funky friends factory pattern)
This vlogger has some great tutorials and info to help you with your mending.
Muddy Boots Maker
Such a cute fish bag and a great way to reuse leftover scraps of treasured outfits.
Fish Bag Quilted Sling Bag PDF Sewing Pattern - Swim Along Crossbody Bag
Boston General Store has a good number of quality mending items for your toolkit.
Sewing + Repair
Upkept is a clothing repair service that allows you to send your clothes in and have a skilled artisan fix up your clothing for you so you can get extended use from it. I actually live in Northwest Arkansas where we have drop-off boxes for their serv...
upkept | America's First Direct to Consumer Clothing Repair Service
Good as New(ish)
Fix it, don't toss it! (Or find someone who can!)
Got a skill that can help others fix their things? Join the Repair Cafe movement to share it (and get your stuff fixed in return!)
Repair Café - Fix Your Broken Items
The Maker Movement values the art of learning new skills to DIY, make, fix, and upcycle. There are a lot of groups you can join to help you on your maker journey. This group can help you get connected, or search locally.
Make: Community - Make: Community
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of visible repair of pottery, traditionally with gold. The process highlights the beauty of the repair, and the final product is more valuable than the original, undamaged vessel.
The Art of Imperfection: Kintsugi Pottery, Wabi-Sabi and Sustainability | Blog | Travel Japan (Japan National Tourism Organization)
It's definitely an art form, but kintsugi is a beautiful way to mend and repair your broken dishware rather than throw it away.
Kintsugi repair kit - Gold - Food contact safe - Dishwasher proof
Repair Clinic provides you with the resources, schematics, and instruction to DIY your appliance and machine repairs (and links to pros when it's beyond your ability).
Repair Clinic | Appliance Parts | Replacement Parts Online | Appliance Repair
I do love a good upcycling project. There's something extraordinarily satisfying about seeing an object in disrepair be transformed (back) into a treasure.
Upcycling Ideas
So many cute, easy upcycling projects on this page.
11 Upcycled Projects That Will Help Save The Planet
These paints come in gorgeous colors to turn dated, damaged furniture into treasures.
Home - Fusion™ Mineral Paint
This would be such a cute use for old children's books…wallpaper for a child's room or bathroom.
I Dug My Unconventional “Wallpaper” out of a Dump Truck (It’s So Vintage!)
You can paint almost anything to renew it, including fabric!
How to Paint Upholstery and Keep It Soft! • The Turquoise Iris Journal
Such a fun, simple, and cute DIY craft project to reuse pretty paper scraps and cardboard envelopes.
Decorative Envelope Folder Upcycle — Sum of their Stories Craft Blog
This creative reuse center connects donated crafting and art supplies with artists and creators. Win-win!
The Shops Where Trash Becomes Crafters' Treasure
This Danish recycling center turns refuse into reuse by connecting discarded goods to new owners, vastly decreasing waste in their community, helping to establish a circular economy.
The Danish City Reimagining Reuse
These buttons made of old upcycled science books are such a cute, creative way to reuse stuff that would otherwise be tossed.
Old Science Books: Upcycled Buttons
I love seeing creative uses for obsolete items like these old school floppy disk notebooks.
Upcycled Floppy Disk Notebooks - Set of 3
Fun youtuber video exploring creative reuse centers (basically, crafting thrift stores) that help keep craft supplies out of dumpsters.
I Visited 16 Creative Reuse Centers Around America!
Clean It Up
Sometimes, all I need to do to restore something is just clean it up. Here are some of my favorite go-to cleaning tools.
Just about anything can be cleaned rather than thrown away. This is a practical guide to help you figure out how to clean different dirty things.
How to Clean Everything: A Practical Guide
Magic Erasers can work miracles in cleaning grime off of objects.
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Durable All-Purpose Cleaning Pads with Durafoam, 7 Ct
Steam can blast away a lot of dirt and grimy buildup.
EZBY Steam Cleaner,2500W High Pressure Handheld Steamer,Handle Dual Remote Control for Car Detailing, Kitchen, Bathroom, Grout and Tile
I use rubbing alcohol to clean almost everything.
Amazon Basics 91% Isopropyl Alcohol 32oz
I use Oxiclean to clean up so much, especially if it has any kind of biological component to the grime.
OxiClean Odor Blasters Versatile Odor and Laundry Stain Remover Powder, 5 lb
ScrubDaddy scrub sponges are a great option for anything that needs a little extra elbow grease to clean it up. They can either be stiffer scrubbers in cold water or softer in warm.
Scrub Daddy Color Sponges - Scratch-Free Multipurpose Sponge, Household Cleaning Sponges, 3 Ct
Hydrogen peroxide is another substance that can dissolve blood stains and get rid of bio-based gunk.
Equate 3% Hydrogen Peroxide Liquid USP Antiseptic, 32 fl oz
I like using products that have multiple uses versus one single one. Baking soda has TONS of uses in the cleaning realm.
ARM & HAMMER Pure Baking Soda, for Baking, Cleaning & Deodorizing, Pool 10.8 lb Bag
Borax is another cleaning material that I use in so many different areas, and it's a great laundry booster to help get stains out.
20 Mule Team All Natural Borax Detergent Booster & Multi-Purpose Household Cleaner, 65 Ounce