Unwanted Christmas gifts: from flop to bop!

As the Christmas season comes to an end and Mariah Carrey frosts over in her ice palace far, far away, all that remains is holiday debris and the stench of new year resolutions. If you were lucky enough to get all the gifts on your Christmas list then read at your own leisure. However, if you have a couple gifts that aren’t your personal cup of tea, here are a couple suggestions to keep these items alive and save them from landfill.

Unwanted clothing items:

If the colour of the garment isn’t to your taste, a little bit of clothing dye can go a long way in changing the look of the item, as well as hiding any unwanted patterns. To make items align more with your style, adding a cute icon or graphic, like a star patch, can update any clothing item. For those ‘forver12-esq’ slogan tees, rubbing alcohol can help remove the unwanted lettering/ design, which can be replaced with something else using transfer paper, or left plain. Clothes can also be transformed by changing the silhouette of the item which might include changing the neckline on a top, cutting sleeves or uncuffing trousers, whatever to make the gift feel more you!

There are many craft techniques such as tie-dye, bleaching and cyanotype that can transform unwanted clothing items by adding artistic designs to create dimension to fabric. Embroidery can also add personality and quirk to a plain, lifeless item.

Unwanted knit jumpers could be a great source of yarn for your next knit or crochet project. Simply undo the seams and unravel the existing stitches for your own craft project. Scarfs can be transformed in a variety of ways, one being used as a bolero, using some string or safety pins to attach the scarf around your arms, creating a cute winter piece. They can also be used as a top in a range of ways, creating a versatile piece depending on the amount of fabric is available to work with.

Unwanted room décor:

Items can be painted or dyed to match your personal aesthetic and ideal colour pallet. Spray paint can help transform simple vases into art deco staples, unique to your space. Frames can be transformed into décor trays while candles jars can be used as plant pots or trinket bowls!

If all else fails, and as much as you tried to love that 2015 era hoodie that just doesn’t work for you, look to donate these items to women’s shelters in your area, homeless charities and other social action organisations. Happy upcycling!

Tio :)