Article By Maybelle Maddison

Using recycled materials in crafts is nothing new. The first quilt I owned was made from rags by my great-grandmother. The motto "reduce, reuse, recycle" then seemed to be only for frugal folks. With environmental concerns making their way to the front pages of newspapers, however, it is no longer only those who want to save money who seek to make the most from what they already have. Here are some ideas to get you started on how you can recycle clothes into craft projects and even some gifts.

Old T-Shirts

T-shirt quilts have become popular and why not? They are away of commemorating a point in life more permanently then the wearing of a shirt. Popular themes of t-shirt quilts include high school, college sports, sororities and road race shirts. What people may not realize, however, is the t-shirt quilt is the ultimate form of recycling. Instead of throwing out old shirts, they are being transformed into a quilt that can be used as a comforter or a wall hanging.

Old Jeans

Who does not have torn jeans that you can not bring yourself to throw away? Get out your scissors and start cutting. Whenever you have jeans that have outlived their usefulness, simply cut the material into 6.5 inch squares and set them aside until you have enough for a rag quilt. This quilt can be a great gift for a teenager. It is also useful as a picnic blanket.

Recycled denim is not just for quilts, though. Other recycle craft ideas include skirts or a purse. Think how study a tote bag made from denim would be. You could even use the tote bag to carry your groceries home instead of taking home plastic bags!

Old Men's Shirts

These make great masculine quilt tops. Usually they are in dark colors with lovely stripes and checks. One of the most beautiful quilts I have ever seen was a simple rail fence pattern made of old men's shirts. If you do not have a man's closet you can raid, check the thrift stores. They may sell a bundle of men's shirts at a cut rate price.

So, the next time you think of throwing out those old clothes, think instead of how you could recycle that material into crafts or even gifts. You will be saving the environment and your wallet at the same time.

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