Wanna help create a better world?
Discover just how easy it is to get started with my top 6 sustainable lifestyle tips:
1. Reuse items you already have instead of buying new (why buy Tupperware when margarine containers can easily be washed and reused?). Don’t think you have anything reusable? Do a house purge and swap the bits you don’t want with friends and relatives to score some groovy new-to-you gear for free!
2. Mend and repair whenever possible and avoid falling into the consumer trap of tossing out and buying new. Not only does this save you money but it also means fewer items will end up in the trash mountains at the landfill.
3. Make do with what you already have. Have a serious think before you make a purchase: Do you really need it? Will it be used often? Is it something you can easily pass on to someone in your circles once you decide you don’t want it anymore? (As only about 20% of items donated to thrift shops actually make it on to the shop floor for resale it’s better to give your unwanted gear to those that you know will actually make use of them)
4. Thrift! If you absolutely need something new, get it secondhand whenever possible. New to you is still new!
5. Refashion what you already own into completely different garments. It’s amazing how a quick snip or small tweak can transform those unworn pieces at the back of your closet! My blog is chock full of simple step-by-step DIYs to get you started!
6. Upcycle everything! So much of what we have cluttering up our drawers, jewellery boxes, toy chests and storage rooms can be recreated into fantastic new items with a bit of imagination! Take a scroll through my DIY indexes for loads of upcycled decor, furniture and outfit topper inspiration!
What are your sustainable lifestyle tips and tricks? Let me know in the comments below!
Find all of my ethical fashion articles here then check out my E-courses right over here:
and transform your entire wardrobe for pennies with my groovy CoaR tutorial E-book collections right here:
Disclaimer: I am not at all an expert on the big business of fast fashion however I am a concerned consumer who has chosen to learn & share as much as I can through my own personal experiences & the wealth of resources available online.
I thought of you this weekend! I was switching my summer and winter clothes around and I pulled out an old dress I’ve kept since the 80s but haven’t worn in 20+ years. I loved the pattern and just couldn’t get rid of it. I took out the shoulder pads and let down the hem. Now I have a lovely new maxi dress with an empire waist that got so many compliments when I wore it yesterday.
Absolutely brilliant Toni! (Thanks to the 20+ year trend cycle you’re right on trend again, hahaha!) I’d love to see it 😀 feel free to post a photo on my Confessions of a Refashionista page & Gone Thrifting group:
https://www.facebook.com/ConfessionsofaRefashionista
https://www.facebook.com/groups/gonethrifting/
I did actually take a pic for my hubby who was out of town but I don’t do Facebook. It looked cute, though. 😀
Hope you’re having fun back on this side of the world. We love visiting Toronto.
We’re practically neighbors now, cause I live in Buffalo, NY.
I enjoy picking up second-hand linens to make them into aprons, pillows, wall pieces, whatever works! Just bought an embroidered apron at a flea market in France that I am taking apart and backing with some linen/cotton and some Hungarian cutwork cotton a friend gave me last year. All I will need to buy is the pillow form. Love your blog–missed it while you were moving back to Toronto!
Penny, NE Ohio
Old linens are fabulous! I love refashioning tablecloths into groovy garments 😀 Go ahead and share your inspiring upcycled creations on my page and in the Gone Thrifting group:
https://www.facebook.com/ConfessionsofaRefashionista/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/gonethrifting/