Do you want to change your wardrobe? Are you tired of wearing the same thing day in and day out? Perhaps shopping for new clothes is the solution to your problem … Or not.

We all know how incredibly tempting shopping is when we are trying to cut costs. When we have rents and bills to pay, or money to save for our business ventures and children’s tuition fees, shopping becomes our last priority. However, we do not have to sacrifice our “fashionista” needs.

Here are several tips on how to remodel and transform your clothes into a stylish but budget-friendly wardrobe.

Embellish your clothes with beads and rhinestones. If you have some old beaded bracelets lying around the house, you can reuse the beads and sew or glue them onto your clothes. You can buy inexpensive gems or rhinestones to make studded jackets or shoes

Tie-dye apparel. If the colour of your clothes has faded over time, or has changed entirely to a different colour from when you bought it, thendyeing is a good option. You can revive the colour with fabricdye, which you can purchase from any supplies store or hobby shop. You can also give worn out shirts a new “life” by tie-dyeing it. Roll your old shirt and tie several rubber bands around it. Soak the shirt in your dye bath until the colours have been absorbed

Make winter accessories. Make a hat, scarf, socks and mittens from old jumpers. Make a paper template of your mittens by tracing their edges on a piece of paper. Cut off the sleeves of your old jumpers then snip them according to the shape of your template. Sew all loose sides together. Do the same for your other accessories.

Make Infinity scarves. Make your own infinity scarves using old T-shirts or jumpers. Cut your shirt from under the armholes for a thicker scarf, and farther down for a thinner one. Once you have cut it, sew the edges so you will not have any loose trimmings or stitches.

Crop long trousers into Capri pants, shorts or mini skirts. The easiest way to make new clothes is by altering them. You can do this by cutting your old pair of trousers into capris or shorts. If you are not keen on cutting and sewing, you can have them fine-tuned by the nearest tailor.

Cut long dresses into mini dresses. Just like your trousers, you can also reuse your dresses by cropping them into minis.

Make patches. Add colorful patches to your jeans and jackets. You can buy ready-made patches from stores but it is better to make your own so you can really personalize your items.

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 Make sashes and belts out of old dresses. Get a skirt or dress made of cotton or chiffon fabric. Cut a wide strip of fabric from the bottom of your dress and sew the loose ends together. Make sure that the fabric you cut is long and wide enough to fit your waist!

Make fabric headbands. Get some of your old printed shirts and cut a wide strip that is enough to cover your entire head. Fold it in half and tie around the crown of your head to make new headband. You can also cut them into squares to make a bandana.

Make a dress and a top out of a man’s shirt. If your father, brother, boyfriend or husband intends to throw away their old shirts, stop them. Ask if you can have it so you can turn them into brand new dresses! You can your old shirts too, but bigger-sized shirts work best for this because you will need a lot of fabric to twist, curl, and knot.

Watch this tutorial on how you can transform a simple man’s shirt into a cute summer dress

Now that you know what to do with old pieces you do not want to keep anymore, be as creative as you want in remodeling your wardrobe!However, if scissors, needles and pins are not your specialty, you can always mix and match clothes to make a new and unique look for you.

Have fun ladies!

Until next time,

Mayumi Deschanel