About Kat

I started this blog to share with you all the results of years of turning trash into treasures. Hopefully I'll spark some new creative thoughts and if that happens I hope that you'll share your discoveries and together we’ll build a blog that will singlehandedly reduce global warming and save the world! Okay, maybe that’s a grand goal but we should be able to at least downsize our own trash output.

Rolls Royce Halter Top

Posted on July 10, 2011 by Kat

It’s summer so you’ll be seeing a lot more t-shirt refashions coming out of the Irish Attic. It’s hot in Southern CA and it will be hot and humid in Michigan, the two places I’ll be this summer. So t-shirts will be a wardrobe staple, but there’s nothing that says they have to be the same-o-same-o boxy crew-necks that or fitted v-necks that I see all over the place.

This isn't my t-shirt but I found an exact replica on-line.

I bought this t-shirt when I was out and about one day and the weather turned way too hot to be wearing what I had on. I stopped into a Target store to grab a t-shirt and a pair of shorts and went on my way. While I really did like this t-shirt I was just not into the basic crew-neck so out came the scissors … I must apologize for the lack of “during” pictures but I once again got so excited that I grabbed the t-shirt, started hacking and sewing and was done before I thought that I might want to post this as a tutorial. I’ll try to make up for the lack of pictures by giving you all a very detailed tutorial.

I started by cutting a straight line thru both front and back of the t-shirt just below the neckband. Then fold the t-shirt in half lengthwise and mark where the center front is. Smooth the t-shirt out flat on your work surface and mark a line from under the sleeves to the center point. I rolled my rotary cutter down the line and off came both sleeves leaving me with a triangle shaped top portion. Flip the shirt over, mark and cut a straight line from the bottom of the armhole, or since the armhole is now non-existent cut from the bottom of the triangle on one side straight across to the other side taking care to cut only thru the back layer of the t-shirt.

At this point you can cut the hem off the bottom of the t-shirt to use for your binding or leave as is and use a contrasting fabric as binding. I left my hem intact and used a white t-shirt, cut into strips for my binding. You can choose to finish your t-shirt the easy way or the hard way. I chose the hard way because I really liked how the laced binding would look, but it takes lots more of your binding fabric and a bit more time. I snipped very small holes about 1/2 inch from the top, approximately 1/2 inch apart and all the way across the back of the t-shirt from side seam to side seam. I measured how much binding I would need to bind the back, up the armholes to meet in the middle of the shirt and have enough to tie behind my neck in a bow and added and extra foot to give me enough for the lacing across the back. I marked the middle of my binding and the middle of the back of the shirt and started lacing from the middle of the shirt until I reached the side seam, gathering the back slightly as I went. Then I pinned the binding to the armhole and up to the top of the triangle. I did the same on the other side, crossing the binding over the 1st piece of binding at the top of the triangle. Tried it on, adjusted the lacing to make sure there was no gaping, sewed the binding in place from the bottom of the armhole to the top of the triangle.

The easy way would be to skip the lacing and pin the binding to the shirt, gathering the back of the shirt so that there is no gaping when wearing the shirt. Try it on, make your adjustments and then stitch in place.

And this is what you’ll end up with …

front view

I’m not showing the back view because I can’t get a good pic of it today. I’ll try to get a better pic and post it later. The lacing is just an over and under thing. Experiment with it and you’ll find your Zen.

Option 2 – Tank Top

If you shy away from halter tops you can easily make this as a tank top by eliminating the step where you cut straight across the back. Make a small hole 1/2 inch from the top of the triangle at the back only. Start your binding at the top of the back of the shirt and around the armhole crossing over at the top front of the shirt. Put the shirt on and slip both sides of the binding thru the hole at the back and tie.

Repurposing Luggage

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Kat

Decorative Storage Containers

I was in the process of changing out my seasonal household items, going from summer to fall, and was on my way to the store to purchase those big plastic bins with lids. I got to looking at them and the cheapest ones were still between $8-$9 each! I considered what I had at home and it occurred to me that I have many pieces of large luggage that are just sitting there empty. Now I still want to use my luggage to travel with but I can certainly pick up used luggage at garage sales and thrift stores to store my seasonal decor in. My only qualm was how to clean the used luggage both inside and out before feeling safe to bring it into my home.

Samsonite says:

“To clean soft sided luggage, we recommend spot cleaning with a mild soap such as dish soap and water. If this is not successful, try a product used for spot removal on clothing such as Spray ‘n Wash, or a foam type cleaner used to clean car mats or automobile carpets. If the luggage has an odor, use a vinegar (1 part) and water (5 parts) mixture. This may take the odor out but the luggage will then need to be aired out for a few days. Also, we recommend placing charcoal in the luggage for a day or more (depending on the strength of the odor) and closing the bag. The charcoal will absorb the smell.”

Well that will help to clean my luggage but I’m still not confident that it will sanitize it, so back to Google to see what I can come up with. One traveler recommended sanitizing the inside and outside of suitcases with a hand-held steam cleaner. Apparently the heat will be hot enough to kill any bugs and germs. I like that solution. In fact I think I’ll steam my new/old luggage using the vinegar and water solution.

I made sure to buy luggage that would fit in with my decor so that I could hide my stored items in plain site. I plan to put all of my winter items inside four suitcases and stack them beside a small sofa to use as an end table. If you don’t want to bother with having to find “pretty” luggage you can always slide them under the bed or stow them in the garage.

Game Storage

Storing some of your favorite board games in a piece of luggage makes it easy to take to game night at a friends home.

Traveling Toy Show

Store children’s toys in one of your luggage pieces. It will fit under the bed and you can grab it and go when needed.

Boxy T-shirt Made Over into Cute Workout Tanktop

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Kat

I have a bunch of these t-shirts from the Spirit Run race and I get new ones every year. They’re the typical event t-shirt, boxy crew necks that are unflattering on one and all.

I don’t even like wearing them to sleep in. I don’t feel pretty in these t-shirts and I want to feel nice even when I’m just lounging around the house and so I began to look at these t-shirts to see how I could refashion them into something that I would enjoy wearing.

This first one I decided to make over into a workout tank top. Well, I would wear it to work out in where I live in Southern California, but when with my family in Michigan it’s fine to wear with jeans around the property. It was a very simple makeover. First thing I did was to fold the shirt in half vertically so that the shoulder sleeves touched on the left side and half the Spirit Run logo showed on the right side.

With a piece of chalk and a ruler I drew a line from just below the armhole to the edge of the ribbing at the neck, leaving the neckline intact. I whipped out my trusty rotary trimmer and cut away the sleeves along my chalk line and then up around the neck line a bit.

: Sleeves begone!

sleeve closeup

Alas, I cut too deeply and was showing WAY more skin than I wanted to. What to do? What to do? I started playing around with some bright blue ribbing that was leftover from another refashion and was ecstatic to find that it would work perfectly to fix my scissors-happy mistake. I think the end result is even better than if I hadn’t had to use the ribbing to fix things.

I safety pinned the ribbing to the too large armholes stretching the t-shirt to fit the ribbing which caused it to be gathered and therefore smaller and less inappropriate.

Safety pins are much less prickly than straight pins when trying garments on.

I basted the ribbing to the t-shirt then stitched it on with a wide zig-zag machine stitch. Removed the basting stitches and VIOLA! – new tank top!

If I get a few more workouts in maybe I'll pose for you all in my new tank!

Close up of the neckline and armhole trim.

Pantyhose & Tights Recycled into Amazing Things

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Kat

I don’t know if anyone is still wearing pantyhose. Personally I don’t buy them anymore and I’m using up all my old pairs to keep warm under my long skirts, jeans and as a second layer under tights, but eventually they will run and so I’ve found some great ways to use them around the house. FYI: I use the techniques below also with tights that have a run or snag.

Air Freshener

Cut a pair of old pantyhose off at the knees. Spoon one of the mixtures below into the foot and tie closed. Then just put it under the seat in your car, stash it in a dresser drawer, in an inconspicuous spot in the bathroom or kitchen. Yes it’s ugly, but that’s why you hide it.

approximately 1 tablespoon each whole cloves and allspice and several cinnamon sticks
store-bought potpourri – you can buy the ugly potpourri which is much cheaper but smells wonderful, remember you’re going to be hiding this air freshener.

Arm Warmers

A pair of thick tights can be used as arm warmers to allow you to wear your favorite short sleeve t-shirt into colder weather or under long sleeved shirts and sweaters to keep you even warmer. Just cut off the foot section and then cut off each leg at the top. Leave as is or turn under and hem to give it a more finished edge. You can even cut a little thumb-slit at the foot end for a cooler look and a warmer warmer. Pantyhose arm warmers work if you’re going to be using them under long sleeves, but they look a little strange if you’re wearing them with a short sleeve shirt.

Candle Cleaner

Cleaning a dusty candle is easy when you have a pair of old pantyhose on hand. Just slip the candle inside the leg of the hose and roll it around, making sure to carefully wipe the top of the candle with the hose.

Candle Making

Smooth rough spots on your homemade candles by rubbing them with a piece of pantyhose.

Car Emergency Kit

Wrap a quilt made from old blankets (doesn’t matter if it’s ugly) around a large coffee can filled with emergency supplies and secure with a pair of old pantyhose or tights which can then be used for a variety of emergencies such as:

to replace a broken belt in your car’s engine
as a tourniquette
to filter liquids (hey, you never know where you might get stranded)
to secure a splint to a broken arm or leg

China Cleaner

Delicate china can benefit from a gentle cleaning with a pair of old pantyhose. The pantyhose are abrasive enough to get the china clean and gentle enough to avoid scratching it.

Computer Protector

Stretch a pair of panty hose over the back of your hard drive to keep dust out.

Deodorant Stain Remover

Remove deodorant stains from clothing in a flash by rubbing with a wadded up length of pantyhose.

Doll

Ehow has a great tutorial for making pantyhose dolls.

Draft Dodger

Stuff the leg cut from a pair of pantyhose or tights with newspaper or scrap fabric. Position at the bottom of a door that’s letting in a little too much air.

Elastic

Cut pantyhose into strips to give you the length of the elastic that you need. I like to use them to replace the drawstrings in my workout pants and shorts because I can tie them at the length that will hold my pants up and they are stretchy enough that I can take them off and put them on without having to constantly untie and retie the drawstring. Love a makeover that makes life a little easier 🙂

Eyeglass Cleaner

One pair of pantyhose with a run can save you from ever having to purchase disposable eyeglass cleaners again. Pantyhose are lint free and have enough of an abrasive surface to clean without scratching.

Cut a pair of pantyhose which you can no longer wear into small squares and stash them where you can easily grab them to clean your eyeglasses and sunglasses. Stash a few in your purse, in a desk drawer, in your automobile glove compartment … I’m a bit obsessive so I store them inside snack-size baggies but you could use recycled envelopes as well.

You can also use them to clean your computer screen and the glass or acrylic in your picture frames.

Place used pantyhose squares in a mesh lingerie bag, wash and re-use them over and over again.

Filter

A clean pair of pantyhose makes a great filter. Make sure that if there is a run you are not using that area for your filter as it will not filter effectively. Here are some of the ways I’ve used them, but I’m sure once you get the idea you’ll come up with many more uses for them:

Stretched over a paint bucket. Pour paint with debris in it through the pantyhose into the new container.
When I forgot to bring a colander on a camping trip a pair of pantyhose stretched over the pasta cooking pot was a lifesaver. And for those of you who are wondering – no I did not pack pantyhose to wear on a camping trip; an old pair of pantyhose is part of my emergency gear kit.
An old pantyhose leg can stand in for an expensive metal lint trap for the hose on your washing machine. You can easily attach an section of a pair of old pantyhose to the washing machine hose with a rubber band then just throw the pantyhose away when it’s full.

Find Lost Items

Next time that you drop a small earring, a contact lens or a beaded necklace breaks don’t despair. Slip the leg of a pair of pantyhose over your vacuum cleaner hose. Move the hose over the area where the dropped item is and in a flash you’ll find it clinging to the mouth of the hose.

Fishing Net

If you have an old tennis, badmitten or racquetball racquet that’s no longer fit for a good game you have the beginnings of a new fishing net. Remove the strings from the racquet. Cut off one leg from an old pair of pantyhose. Using a staple-gun, staple the leg to the racquet. Grab you pole and head to the river!

Flowers

This doesn’t work well for nude pantyhose, but colored pantyhose and tights can be easily made into flowers to use for your refashions, flowers for pillows or curtain trim or curtain tiebacks … Check out these tutorials for detailed instructions with pictures:

Wired Pantyhose Flowers

More Wired Pantyhose Flowers

Flowers for Fashion

Note: you can toss your nude pantyhose into a dye bath if you want to use them to make up some flowers.

Frisbee

Frisbee? Yes, you can make a frisbee out of old pantyhose or tights.

Garden Pest Control

This one is a bit odd and many of you may forgo doing this, but I’m here to give you options and this is a viable option AND a two-fer since you’re also recycling cut hair. Ask a local salon or barbershop for swept up hair. Wearing gardening gloves (the hair ends can be sharp), stuff used unwashed panty hose with the hair scraps. Place these in your garden. You may want to hide them under bushes or in trees since let’s face it, they’re ugly. The human smell generated from the hair and unwashed pantyhose will help to keep many pests and animals away from your garden.

Garden Ties

Cut pantyhose across legs into ½ inch wide bands. Cut each tube band apart so that you have ties approximately six-inches long. These are ideal to train climbing plants and to tie plantings to stakes.

Garden Hammock

For fruits and vegetables that are growing on a trellis and need to be supported a pantyhose hammock is a great solution. Tie both foot ends of the pantyhose to the trellis arranging them so that the pantyhose is supporting the produce in its own hammock. For extra protection tie a knot at the top and bottom of each fruit or vegetable. Don’t worry about making these knots close to the produce as the pantyhose will stretch as the produce grows.

Hair Scrunchies

Cut pantyhose across the leg for ponytail scrunchies. What I love about these is that pantyhose scrunchies look so much more elegant than the ones you buy at the store that have gathered cotton fabric sewn into a tube. Don’t believe me? Try it. They really look quite elegant. Or if you want a really unique scrunchie check out this tutorial on Fingerweave Hair Scrunchies.

Hair Headbands

Cut your pantyhose across the top for headbands. If your pantyhose are the same color as your hair they’ll appear invisible while holding your hair in place. If your pantyhose are colored you can pair them with several different color pantyhose for the effect you want. You can even clip a lightweight brooch to the headband for a different look.

Paint Saver

A pair of pantyhose can save a can of paint. Stretch the pantyhose over a paint bucket that has debri in it. Pour paint through the pantyhose into a new container.

Poster Storage

Slip a rolled up poster into a pair of pantyhose leg to keep it from unrolling and the edges from tearing. If the leg isn’t staying up around the poster, use the waistband of the pantyhose as a tie around the poster.

Recycling Helper

Use the waistband cut from a pair of pantyhose to hold a pile of newspapers or broken down boxes together.

Scrubber

Slip a sponge into a length cut from a leg of pantyhose. Knot both ends to keep the sponge inside. You now have a non-abrasive scrubbing pad you can use for dishes and cleaning up around the house.

Shine Shoes

Rub pantyhose over your leather shoes to shine them right up.

Soap Mitt

Drop bits of soap into the cut-off leg of a pair of old pantyhose. Tie the top of the leg just above the soap pouch and tuck the end of the long leg into the tied portion so that you have a loop. Hang your pre-soaped mitt in the shower.

Stuffed Animals

Use old tights to make stuffed animals for your little ones. Bonus – these tend to have a nice vintage look.

Stuffed Animal Repair

If your child has a favorite stuffed animal that has seen better days you can give it new life by picking a couple of inches apart along a seam and stuffing a pair or two of pantyhose inside then stitching it back up.

Trash Can Liner

Cut the waistband from a pair of old panty hose and use as a giant band to secure the trash bag onto the trash can.

Wrapping Paper Storage

Slip a roll of wrapping paper into a pair of pantyhose leg to keep it from unrolling and the edges from tearing. If the leg isn’t staying up around the wrapping paper roll, use the waistband of the pantyhose as a tie around the roll.