
The Gold Mine
I love, love shopping thrift stores*. Not only can you get some ridiculously good bargains, but they are a gold mine for those that want to tap into their creativity. And by shopping thrift stores you are giving old things new life, saving them from the landfill and (depending on the store) helping a charitable cause.
Here is a round-up of my thrift store re-makes. Hopefully this will inspire you and you’ll find new reasons to shop thrift stores.*
*When I say “thrift store” I mean any place you can buy pre-owned items: rummage sales, consignment shops and second-hand stores.
Sewing Clothing
When you sew your own clothing, you get great clothes that fit better and last longer and reflect your personality. Especially if you have young children, it’s nice to have clothes that can stand up to all their wear and tear. And, if you follow the tips and instructions found in my e-book Sustainable Sewing, you can save a TON of money with your home sewn clothing.
Maybe you’d like to try some of the thrift store* re-makes that I’ve done.
A cute jumper made from a curtain with a teddy-bear border. Also, in this same article, I made a fairy dress from a woman’s sundress.
Turn a sundress into a skirt and a bed sheet into a night gown.
A man’s shirt becomes the perfect blouse when you remove all the masculine elements.
And my favorite: a princess dress, made from a prom dress. Yes, it’s elaborate but inexpensive and not to difficult to make.
Not all thrift store* sewing is a re-make. Sometimes you can find great fabric deals and make something from scratch. That’s how a made a pretty baby dress from eyelet fabric that cost just $1.50.



Other sewing projects
Everyone is envious of my reusable grocery bags. They are big enough to hold the contents of four plastic grocery bags. Now I make them as wedding and birthday gifts for friends. When I can’t find sturdy fabric at the thrift store* I look for heavy curtains. Some curtains have a water-resistant lining that make these bags even more durable.
Here I made a play house table cloth from fabric and other odds and ends found at the thrift store.* It’s the perfect play thing for the little ones in your life.
In the garden
Turn $1 storage bins into sturdy seedling trays. They last forever and hold a lot of seedlings.
Make a garden feature with colorful pottery from the thrift store*. You can turn just about any pretty crockery into a planter by drilling a hole in the bottom for drainage.

What do your remakes look like?
How have you repurposed your thrift store* finds? Share your ideas with us!