Do-it-yourself alteration of things: ideas, interesting designs, photos

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:47

Surely in your house there are many different things that are a pity to throw away, but you can no longer use them. Want to give them a second chance? If once again, sorting through the bins, you again begin to doubt whether it is worth leaving them or is it better to get rid of them, cast aside doubts and pay attention to the ideas of remaking things with your own hands. Now it will be easier for you to decide what exactly needs to be thrown away, and what else can be given a second life. Do-it-yourself options for reworking old things, creative ideas and ways to create unusual items will be considered in this article.

Designer furniture made from old T-shirts

Furniture is not made from any materials! In the course are boxes, pallets, old refrigerators. But the German designer Tobias Djurecek decided to create furniture from simple second-hand clothes. He processes old T-shirts with resin and makes chairs and armchairs from "things with history."Each chair is made from 13 kilograms of clothing, which is impregnated with resin and then pressed into shape, resulting in its final form. The designer plays on the element of nostalgia by collecting clothes from friends, second-hand stores and even from his own wardrobe.

What often lies forgotten in cupboards and boxes for a long time is now coming to light again. Worn-out clothes, still preserved for emotional reasons, turn into a special message from the past. Like a kind of message in a bottle, furniture holds memories and feelings, resurrecting them for stories about life. Even if this idea seems too complicated for you, creating and transforming old furniture with used t-shirts and dresses is one of the common DIY ideas for reworking things.

How to decorate an old chair

An old chair with peeling paint or simply shabby life can be reused as interior decoration with a little work on it. You can see the DIY idea in the photo below. Repair the chair if necessary. Then the old furniture must be sanded, removing the paint, if any. Prepare paint in the color you like and a matching t-shirt. Also, in addition, you will need a synthetic winterizer to create a soft substrate, and furniture nails or a special industrial stapler.

From the same T-shirt you takefor decoration, you can make an additional decor in the form of roses and place it around the perimeter of the seat. Paint the chair first, except for the top. Then, using ordinary scissors, cut a circle out of the synthetic winterizer a little more than the seat itself - about 10 cm. So it will be more convenient for you to attach it. After that, cut a larger circle from the old thing. Put the synthetic winterizer on the seat, cover with a cloth and pull it. Now you need to fix the material with nails or a furniture stapler. Additionally, we create decor from the remnants of the material. To do this, we cut off long strips of fabric, twist the bundles out of them, and then turn them into roses, simply folding the strips into a spiral. You may need glue to secure the decorative elements, as they are quite voluminous and can turn around. It is more convenient to use a glue gun. Just handle it carefully - this tool heats up quickly.

Remake old things for the home with your own hands

Acrylic paint and brushes, sandpaper and a little imagination - everything you need for a second life of vintage chests of drawers, tables and drawers. Antique furniture is durable and made of natural wood. Therefore, most often it is environmentally friendly and can last for a long time with proper care and caring attitude of the owners. If your house has such furniture, but you do not want to give it away to a restorer for some reason, try giving it a second life yourself. Before altering old things for the house with your own hands, it is advisable to take them out into the fresh air.

Tools for processing old furniture

Since a lot of dust is generated during the removal of old paint, this can adversely affect the respiratory system and cause illness. For large furniture, it will be difficult to do with sandpaper alone, you will need special tools that will facilitate the process of removing old varnish and paint. Purchasing a dedicated grinder may not be worth it for a small chair or drawer, but for large pieces of furniture it will be an indispensable tool. Sometimes a grinder with special interchangeable nozzles is used, but it can damage the structure of the tree. At cabinets and drawers, before processing with emery or a typewriter, you will have to unscrew the handles. Sometimes the hinges are also removed to make it more convenient to work. Safety rules must be observed, protecting eyes, respiratory organs and hands with special goggles, gloves and a mask.

Wood coloring process

It is undesirable to use various chemicals to remove nail polish, especially indoors. This can lead to poisoning, and the unpleasant smell will last for a long time and cause discomfort. The mechanical method is quite laborious, but the most effective, as it helps to further level the surface for painting. When you have coped with this task, have decided on the color scheme and acquired the paints of the desired shades, proceed to applying them to the surface. Often the surface is primed before painting toThe cover held up better. It also allows you to further level the surface.

Use the right size brushes to get to hard to reach places and paint over all the corners. Specific ideas for reworking old things with your own hands, for example, only chests of drawers or cabinets, can be found in this article. The surface is then thoroughly dried. You can use spray paint, but then it is better to varnish the surface, as it wears off quickly and can fade. Do not check if the paint is dry by touching the furniture - it may leave fingerprints. It is best to use the instructions for the paint, in which the time for which the surface dries up should be written. Now it remains only to return the handles to their place or attach the doors, and the updated piece of furniture will delight with its unusual and attractive look for a long time to come.

Using decoupage to decorate furniture

One of the most popular and creative ideas for reworking old things with your own hands is decoupage. It consists in decorating surfaces with thin paper using PVA glue or special mixtures for decoupage. The so-called craquelure is very common - artificial aging of the surface. For decoupage, ordinary three-layer napkins are most often used. The top layer with the pattern is removed from them, a motif is cut out of it, and then glued to the surface. The surface must be cleaned and primed before drawing, usually white acrylic paint is used for this.

For products like utility boards, this procedure is repeated several times.times until the wood is perfectly even. Ornaments may vary. Especially popular vegetable, but it all depends on the imagination of the author. Napkins are sometimes replaced with special thin paper, which is easily torn. Therefore, you need to smooth out the folds very carefully. If wrinkles appear, they are treated with sandpaper, and before the final coating, an image is drawn to hide the flaws. Then the surface is dried and protected by varnishing it in several layers. Often, yacht varnish is used for this purpose, which is resistant to damage. Decoupage furniture is often used in Provence-style interiors and looks like an antique.

Remake knitwear with your own hands

Things that take up the most space are usually in the wardrobe. There you can find a lot of old T-shirts and jeans, which are stored just in case. Some of them are already completely unsuitable for wearing, but for some reason they continue to take up space. One of the popular ways to remake knitwear with your own hands is to create floor rugs. Such products are often sold in hardware stores and are popular due to their unpretentious care and attractive appearance. Some people buy second-hand things especially for such a do-it-yourself alteration. This is a fairly economical and quick way to create a beautiful and practical thing from almost nothing. Rugs can be created in a variety of ways. One of them is suitable for those who know how to crochet.

Crochet rugs from T-shirts

For this do-it-yourself DIY idea, you will need directly unnecessary jersey t-shirts. Many needlewomen use knitted yarn for their products. But it is quite expensive and is most often used for knitting bags and toys. You can make such yarn yourself if you collect enough T-shirts of the same color. In another case, if things are multi-colored, you can create an unusual design item by choosing a knitting pattern. Usually, craftswomen simply cut all the old T-shirts they find into identical strips, tying or sewing them together. Important note - clothes must be clean. Cut the jersey along the seam. If you move in a circle, then the edges of the resulting strips will be frayed and spoil the appearance of the rug. Of course, you can use not only T-shirts, but also other knitwear. But T-shirts are usually the same density, so the product is even. Depending on this indicator, strips are also cut. For heavier fabrics, 1.5 cm wide is usually sufficient. The connected strips are wound into balls to make it easier to work.

The following pattern is used for crochet. First, several air loops are cast, usually 5. Then they need to be looped using a connecting post. The next row is needed for tying with single crochets. It will take about 8 columns. On each loop of this row, you will need to knit 2 single crochets. Then again, from one loop, you need to knit 2 single crochets, and on the next one after it, the usual single crochet. There andknit in a circle, alternating loops with one and two columns. On the next row, you need to increase the number of ordinary columns between the double ones. Thus, the mat will begin to expand. This option is suitable for reworking things with your own hands in the boho style. You can crochet from knitted yarn unusual bright bags, clutches and other accessories.

Weaving rugs on the frame

Not everyone knows how to crochet, so you can use other methods to create unusual rugs. One of the ideas for reworking things with your own hands is to create a knitted fabric on a frame. This is an ancient method of carpet weaving, in which strips of fabric or thread are stretched vertically on a wooden frame at an equal distance from each other. Then their ends are tied, and weaving begins. To do this, take the same strips of matter and thread them first under the first vertical strip, and then over the next.

Continuing to alternate steps in this way, they reach the end of the fabric, after which they take a new strip of fabric and weave it between the vertical ones. When the frame area is completely filled, the rug is ready. Some needlewomen use a regular gymnastic hoop instead of a wooden fixture. Strips of fabric are fixed along the diameter, intersecting in the center. The only inconvenience is that only round-shaped rugs are weaved this way. Instead of knitted yarn, satin ribbons, threads and other materials are used.

Rugs based on embroidery

For weaving wool carpets, you can purchase a special large canvas. Suitable for this and the usual building mesh, whichused for painting. From the grid, you can cut out any desired shape for the rug. Such creative ideas for reworking old things with your own hands are in demand, as the resulting rugs are indistinguishable from purchased ones and look very impressive. In this case, the strips of fabric into which T-shirts and other unnecessary clothing should be cut should be small. They are threaded through the holes in the mesh, fixed there, and as a result, they will form the pile of the carpet.

There are carpet embroidery kits that include special hooks. With the help of them it is convenient to tie knots, fixing the pile on the grid. But you can do without such a device if you act carefully and make knots of the same density, and also monitor the height of the pile, aligning the strips of fabric in height. Caring for ready-made T-shirt rugs is easy - you can even wash them in the washing machine, like ordinary clothes. But it is best to use the delicate mode. But you need to dry homespun products on a horizontal surface so that they do not stretch.

How to remake clothes if they are small or large

The problem with changing volumes is familiar to every woman. Often good things are left lying in the wardrobe, waiting for those times when the hostess will fit. But there is a way to give skirts, trousers and blouses a second life. Reworking old things with your own hands for full ones usually consists of adding inserts on the sides or in the center. To do this, the clothes are ripped along the seam or cut in half. Inserts are usually made from contrastingmaterials or fabrics with an unusual texture. For example, an ordinary T-shirt can be transformed by cutting it in half and making a lace insert in the center. Too short a blouse is easy to lengthen if you choose a fabric with a beautiful print and add it to the central part or make flounces at the bottom. Converting knitted items into fashionable ones with your own hands seems a little more difficult, but in fact they often use a similar method for them, combining parts of different products. The main thing when working with them is to make sure that the loops do not bloom.

After losing weight, the reverse situation occurs. Things are getting too big. Do-it-yourself alteration of knitted items into fashionable ones can occur in the same way as in the previous case, only by making inserts, they will need to be reduced. But another option is to cut off the excess. For example, from a wide long skirt you can sew a full dress. From scraps, you can create various decorative elements, such as flowers, and decorate your new clothes with them. Combining several different dresses into one, you can create unusual designer pieces in the boho style. This will not only save you money. By recycling old things, you take care of nature, as you reduce the percentage of environmental pollution.

How to remake baby clothes

Children's things become small very quickly, and many parents try to get rid of them. But there is not always a familiar kid who will fit them. Therefore, the ideas of altering children's things with their own hands are always relevant. Blouses that have become short can belengthen if you sew a skirt of flounces. Children's bodysuits are often turned into t-shirts or dresses by cutting off the bottom and adding decorative elements. Ideas for reworking children's things with your own hands, like clothes for adults, are not limited to adding or subtracting material. Sometimes, for example, if a stain appears on a good shirt or pants, you can simply add a decorative element that will hide the defect underneath. Another option is to dye the fabric in a different color or create a design print and transfer it to the material using special fabric dyes.

What to do with old jeans

Do-it-yourself denim making is a very popular hobby. Denim is very durable and can be reused for things that don't need to wear out quickly. The most popular option is bags and backpacks. Schemes for them can be copied from your favorite bags. But denim is so practical and attractive that it is suitable not only for altering clothes and creating accessories. It can be useful for creating jewelry and making unusual interior details. For example, she decorates chests of drawers and stationery stands, makes flower pots, dog beds and even blankets. Denim is used to create various crafts that can be used as decorations or given to a loved one. Interior toys, panels in patchwork technique look elegant and stylish. But not everyone can create such gizmos.

The easiest optionusing old jeans - creating slippers. This simple accessory is needed in every home. Slippers can be sewn even by a non-professional. They consist of a few simple parts, and the design can be chosen independently. Finally, it is easy to create an unusual appliqué from scraps of fabric that no longer fit anywhere. You can do this with your child. Picking up various shreds and assembling them into a single composition, the baby will develop creative thinking, coordination of movements, and also have fun with their parents. The finished picture can be presented as a gift to grandparents. And if you use a special film, it is easy to transfer the application to the fabric and attach it to the clothes. So the child will create a designer thing with his own hands and be able to wear it himself.