Refehasion An Outgrown Denim Dress

This week, I am going to write a series of tutorials on how to refashion old clothes. I have converted an outgrown jeans dress and sewn it into 4-piece kid’s clothing + accessories.

Each refashions tutorial on the denim dress will illustrate how I convert the salvaged materials from the denim dress and turn them into a totally new design of clothing.

Below is an old photo of when she was just 4-year-old and wearing the denim drop waist dress I love so much. The dress looked just nice on her during that time, but this didn’t hold long until she hit the rapid growth stage, boom… she has outgrown it a few months later.

She complained that after wearing the dress, she was “breathless” and her shoulder + upper arms were paralyzed due to the restriction of the upper portion of the dress. Since then, she has refused to wear it. I love seeing her wearing it and am reluctant to give it away, which I usually do for her outgrown clothing, so I let the dress sit in her wardrobe until recently.

When I inspected the dress closely, I found that I could split it into 2 parts and make it into a top plus a skirt instead. I took up the courage to believe that I could do a good job on it…. grabbed my seam ripper to rip all the stitches along the waistline, and turned it into the following clothing and accessories a few days later. I am very happy with this recycled denim dress result, and so does my daughter 🙂

Here she is, 8, wearing her refashioned 4 years old clothing. Amazing?

WHAT’S NEXT:

• Start Refashion and share your completed handmade on Facebook and/or Instagram. Remember to tag us, @craftpassion, so that we are able to see them.
• Pin it to Pinterest for future To-Do List
• Share with your craft groups for a craft-along event.
• Browse more craft projects to make, particularly for the upcycling projects.

Happy Refashion, Repurpose, and Upcycle!

Denim Vest With Ruffled Edge

At first, the unbuttoned top is still kinda tight for her to get her upper arm to move freely, especially when she needs to lean forward to get something in front. I decided to take out the sleeves and make the top into a vest, this will free her upper arm movement from being restricted by the tight sleeves. The collar is another problem, so I took that off as well.

Denim Skirt With Ruffled Hem

The skirt is big enough for my daughter to wear since it was from a drop waist construction. The drop-waist line now becomes her waistline.

Reversible Denim Belt

I then salvaged the hem of the skirt and made it into a reversible belt.

Denim Hem Rosette

By using one of the sleeves, I made a rosette brooch.