Half-Used Skein Shorts

After a few crochet projects, I started accumulating a lot of half-used skeins from accent details or tapestry colors. There wasn't enough yarn left for a whole new project, but there was enough that it'd be wasteful to let them sit at the bottom of my yarn bin (or a trash can). This project is suitable for various length preferences (I did capris) and isn't necessarily limited to shorts. You could make a striped skirt, scarf, or socks, depending on how much yarn you have. To make: I used this pattern as a base and increased for a flared look around the knees. You can add whatever motifs you want as well (ruffles, buttons, chains, pins) to fit your style!

Embroidery/Sewn Motifs

I've yet to try my hand at embroidery, but I think this would be a great way to personalize your clothing! Embroidering flowers onto the cuffs of your jeans, or sewing colorful buttons onto your clothes isn't especially time-consuming, but it adds a nice flair of something different.

Fabric Dye or Paint

Bonus points if you use a natural dye method (like using beets, avocado skins, black beans, etc...)! Fabric paint is another great way to add your own personal touch to a plain piece of clothing. I'll definitely do this once I have the materials to.

Bleach Painting

Similar to the last suggestion, bleach painting lets you paint designs on your clothes in a monochrome pallette. Different dilutions of bleach would create different values (darker or lighter hues).

T-Shirt Halter

I feel like this would be a great beginner project for anyone new to sewing. You simply take a t-shirt you already own (preferably made of someting with a little stretch), and cut it into a few simple panels. If you want to take it a step further, you could bleach, dye, embroider, or paint on your new halter for a little spice. I found this tutorial and think it does a great job of explaining the process.

Bedsheets

Thrifted bedsheets are one of my favorite ways to source fabric. They're ridiculously cheap per yard (I personally got a hefty set of fabric for less than 4 dollars), and come in a variety of patterns or colorways. The possibilities here are endless since you can pretty much treat the sheets as any other fabric. Another cheap way to source fabric is from old tableclothes, curtains, or scarves. Right now, I'm making a pair of lounge pants using another pair of pants as my pattern.

Acetone Printing

If you're big into graphics on your clothes, consider trying this out! Acetone printing on fabric is essentially just putting printed graphics onto light-colored items of clothing. Make sure you're using cotton and a images from a laser printer for the design to show up. If you don't have your own printer, I'd reccommend checking out your local library and seeing if they offer printing services. It's generally cheaper than if you went to a printing store like Staples (my library charges 50 cents per colored page). This video explains the craft much better than I can!

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