Creative Ways to Refresh Your Old Clothes and Accessories

Fed up with old clothes and accessories that look worn down and outdated?

You’re not alone. The truth is… throwing them away and buying new ones is bad for the planet. Our world is facing a massive textile waste crisis and it’s only getting worse every year.

Fortunately…

Refreshing old clothes and accessories has never been easier than it is right now. There are tons of simple techniques you can use to turn any tired item into something fabulous. And you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars doing it either.

What you’ll learn:

• Why Refreshing Old Clothes is Important
• Methods to Refresh Old Clothes
• All About UV DTF Stickers
• Refresh Accessories Too!
• How To Make Customizations Last

Why Refreshing Old Clothes is Important

Did you know the fashion industry is responsible for huge amounts of pollution?

Statistically speaking, about 85% of clothes get discarded every year. Can you imagine how much trash that adds up to landfills or incinerators?

Literally every white t-shirt, faded jacket, or plain tote bag that you have hanging around could be turned into something special.

There’s just so much clothing that ends up thrown away every year.

Refreshing old clothes helps reduce:

• Textile Waste
• Financial Costs
• Consumerism

Instead, you can take pieces that you already own and refresh them to make them your own. Not only will you save money by not buying new clothes, but you’ll also have one-of-a-kind pieces that match your personal style.

You’ll also be doing your part to keep textiles out of landfills.

Methods to Refresh Old Clothes

There are many ways you can refresh old clothes. Here are some of the best ones…

Custom Transfers / Stick on Stickers

The options here are nearly endless.

All kinds of custom transfers have taken the market by storm. Everyone wants that authentic restaurant quality print on their shirts, hats, and stickers. That’s where UV DTF stickers come into play.

You’ve probably seen them everywhere lately and that’s because they look professional without needing any crazy skills or experience.

They also work on clothing! UV DTFs can be applied to just about any surface. Fabric, leather, metal, plastic.

Really the only limit is your imagination.

The best part?

UV DTFs can be applied without heat. No fancy heat press? No problem!

Patchwork and Embroidery

Patchwork is having a major resurgence.

Throwing on different patches to create a unique design is a great way to cover up worn spots on jeans or jackets. Getting creative with fabric and layering items gives old clothes a whole new look.

Similar rules apply to embroidery.

Hand stitching your own designs on old clothing doesn’t take much time or effort either. Sew on a cute flower, some initials, or geometric shapes. It makes such a huge difference.

Tie-Dye and Fabric Paint

Tie-dye remains a classic favorite.

Just dunking a plain white shirt or hoodie in some dye can really make it pop. Especially if you already know how to do fun patterns like spirals or crumbly eyes.

Fabric paint takes things to the next level.

Bring out the stencils and start making professional looking prints on old clothes. If you don’t want to use stencils, you can always freehand draw your designs as well.

All About UV DTF Stickers

If you don’t have access to a heat press or sewing machine, your options are kind of limited.

Heat presses, embroidery machines, and screen printing setups cost a lot of money. Usually hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

UV DTF Stickers change all that.

They’re basically as simple as cleaning your surface, sticking on the sticker, and pressing down firmly. Your design is applied with no heat necessary!

• High quality images
• Works on most surfaces
• Zero equipment needed
• Apply easily without heat

DTF stands for Direct to Fabric but these technically work on anything. Another reason they’re great for refreshing clothes and accessories alike.

You’ll want to keep DTF printing in mind moving forward because the possibilities are endless.

Refresh Accessories Too!

Hang on a second. Clothing isn’t the only thing that could be refreshing.

You might also have a heap of boring accessories you can customize.

Think about these:

• Canvas tote bags
• Plain hats and caps
• Simple jewelry boxes
• Phone cases
• Laptop sleeves

Grab any old item like these and think about how you could transform them. Picture turning a drab brown bag into a bright colored graphic.

Hang onto these ideas as we move into quick tips for accessories.

Accessorizing for Quick Wins

You should start with flat surfaces.

When customizing anything, smoother surface = better results. Canvas bags, leather wallets, and hard shell phone cases are all perfect for stuck-on transfers.

If you’re interested in custom clothing accessories, look for fabric headbands, bracelets, and pouches.

Test out your custom method on a small hidden area first if possible. You’ll want to make sure it works before doing the full design.

How To Make Customizations Last

There’s nothing worse than doing all that work just to have it fade after one wash.

Keep your refreshed items looking new as long as possible by following these tips:

Clean Your Item Beforehand

You know how stickers don’t like to stick to dirty surfaces? Well, that applies to these stickers too.

Make sure you properly wash and dry clothing beforehand. Remove all traces of residue from non-porous surfaces. You can even use rubbing alcohol to prep harder surfaces.

Follow Washing Instructions

Customized shirts and hats usually require you to turn them inside out before washing.

Cold water is your friend and avoiding fabric softener is ideal. Never dryer dry if you’re interested in keeping your customization intact for as long as possible.

Buy Quality Materials

Sticking trash onto trash will only produce a trash result.

Don’t be afraid to spend more money on quality materials for your customization projects. You’ll not only enjoy the process more, but they’ll look better and last longer too.

Wrapping It Up

Clothing and accessories can be expensive.

But you don’t have to spend your money on constantly buying new things to stay stylish. Take a look around at what you already own.

Everything from your shirt collection to old hats and scarves can be refreshed with some creativity.

Give those UV DTF Stickers a try. They’re easy to work with, apply perfectly every time, and look professionally made.

• Start with clothing/items you already own.
• Pick a customization method that you’re comfortable with.
• UV DTF is the easiest way to get professional quality results.
• Accessories should be customized too!
• Take care of your customized items to make them last.