Don't Throw Away Those Pilly PJs Yet!

Hi everyone!  I'm back!  Sorry for the long absence.  Some family matters took precedence over many other things in my life, like this blog, but I am ready to roll and get back into it.

In a wishful effort to bring on Spring, I have started to clean out my kids' closets and sort the clothes they've outgrown.  Some go into a bag for donation, some are put away on the off chance we decide to add one more to our family, and then there are those that are too worn, ripped, or stained to donate.  These are the clothes that I think of as creative possibilities.  Before they go into the trash, I see what I can salvage off them.  Sometimes it's just a button or snap, sometimes a pocket, sometimes a big square of the fabric.  But my favorites are the kids' t-shirts or PJs that have a design on the front.  Some of these shirts are even embroidered.

For this LO I took one of my daughter's old PJ tops and cut the front embroidered design out.  Then I cut off the ruffle that was at the hem of the shirt and handsewed it around what was now my title.

Add some glittered cardstock, lots of flowers, butterflies, and bling, and I had a super girly LO for my super girly girl!  

So next time you're getting ready to throw out an old shirt or a ripped pair of jeans, take a look to see what you can salvage.  The back pockets of jeans make great journaling or memoriabilia pockets; zippers, ruffles, and other trims can be wound into unique flowers or used as borders; and even just using a swatch of fabric in your background can add some great texture to a LO.  You'll have a unique embellishment that also has some sentimental value.

Have you ever used old clothing on a scrapbook or art project?  I'd love to hear about it!