I have been on a mission lately to save money and see what we can reuse rather than always calling the donation truck or putting things out with the trash. I also think in this economy we’re all looking for ways to save money these days and here are a few simple ideas with tutorials to help you conserve and reuse.
1. Make your own lunch bag and take your lunch.
Taking your lunch can be healthier, save money, and create a lot less waste! Of course you might have those pesky bags and sandwich wrappers to deal with, so here are a couple ideas to make them reusable. First, make a lunch sack. Here are four ideas from Sew Mama Sew that would be fairly quick and easy to put together, and they look fantastic! Think of the fabric combinations! They even include a link to a pattern and fabric ideas!
Then, if the Ziploc baggie trash is getting you down, here’s a wonderful tutorial for making a sandwich wrap!
2. Repurpose your furniture to make it new and fun again.
Obviously we all get tired of our furniture, but instead of throwing them out, repurpose them. Cool Hunting Green has an entire section with ideas for repurposed furniture. My favorite is the furniture out of bicycle parts. A great idea for a cycling enthusiast.
3. Cut off your kid’s pants to make shorts.
You can also make them into Capri pants by sewing lace or fabric onto a cut off edge. My son goes through every knee of every pant he owns, so I just cut them off and he has shorts for the whole summer. Then I just have to buy him jeans the next fall!
4. For all you knitters out there, reuse sweaters by felting them and sewing them into purses or hats.
Frugal Living has this tutorial. Or unpick them and reuse the yarn … knit them into something new and lovely!
5. Recycle old jeans into purses, wallets, or other useable items.
You can convert jeans into small or large bags, make sturdy wallets, or a ton of other ideas. Here’s a fabulous article on ten ways to recycle old jeans.
This is just a start! Think of all of the ways you can reuse and recycle!
