Art made from Upcycled Clothing

I'm definitely... 

all about new ideas.  Especially if I am creating from something I already have.  I do have my purging stages, but I like to keep things around if I feel like they could be used for something else down the road.  Sometimes it takes me a little while to figure out what I can do with it, but when I get an idea I can't let it go until I try it.

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This past Fall, while I was sorting the kid's clothes for a consignment sale, I found a good amount of clothing with tears, holes, or stains. They had various patterns - stripes, flowers, sparkles, etc. - and I couldn't help but think there was something else I could use them for.

  

Then the thought occurred to me to try to make framed art out of them. 

I know I am not the first to think of this, but it was a new idea to me... uninspired by anything I had seen so I was thrilled to try it. (Of course the consignment prep was delayed and almost late because I just HAD to make this clothing art NOW.)

And so it began...

I found some unused picture frames.  Some of them looked a little vintage a.k.a. old, worn, and crappy. ("Vintage" means I don't have to do any extra work. Muahaha) Just kidding.  I do like vintage-y things as long as they don't smell old.

 If you don't have any frames, you can go to a place like Goodwill and find some pretty inexpensive ones.  Just make sure you check the frame to see if it is the type where the back can come off. :)

  

I ended up buying more frames from Goodwill when I ran out of them here at home and spray painting them (and the grass) which is always fun and a favorite of my husbands.  It gives him something *pretty* to cut later.

I grouped together the colors and designs that I thought would go well with each other.

I used some of the clothing as inspiration if it had a picture or a specific shape on it.  For the other pieces, I just tried to think of something cute or fun to make.

There was plenty of cutting, gluing (that sure does look like it's spelled wrong), and layering.

  Again, these are repurposed and upcycled.  I think a part of them should look that way to make it unique so I wasn't going for perfection with some of this stuff.  (How convenient.)

Here are some of the other pieces I created. 

This next one is my favorite.

This would be fun in a nursery.

(I actually did open an Etsy shop and ended up selling one of these.  If any of the other's catch your eye feel free to message me as they are no longer available on Etsy, but still looking for homes.)

And one more pic just for kicks...

I plan on posting a tutorial here in the near future of the kids and I making another clothing art piece... 

or maybe just me... 

I always think they will enjoy things like that and then I end up sitting there alone with no help less than a minute later.  

(Well thanks for THAT quality time, kids. That was really FUN. Too bad you only helped me for 32 SECONDS!!!  The next time you ask me for a glass of milk, I will help you for 32 seconds and then leave. So, have fun staring at the empty glass beside the half-opened milk jug on the counter and having NO MILK, because my helping time was up.)

Haha. Don't worry.  I don't say things like that to them when they are awake.

I guess I should probably sign off.  Thanks for checking out my art made from upcycled clothing.

Until next time...

                                                                  -Stacey