Shopping for back-to-school is almost a rite of passage. You must have at least one new sweater to wear. Because even if the thermometer still reads in the 80s, the beads of sweat are worth the fashion statement. But this year, many of us are on a pretty tight budget. So before buying a complete wardrobe, maybe you should check and see if there are some items you could re-make and re-use. Brush up on your fix-it skills with our basic sewing tutorials, and put a new spin on some rough-around-the-edges favorites.

Tighten up or change out loose buttons.

Sewing on a button is about as easy as it comes, so collect all those buttons that have fallen off and put them back on. If there are too many missing, no problem, you can give an old shirt or sweater an entirely new look by changing out all the buttons with some fun, decorative options. Keep your eyes peeled at thrift stores or online outlets, like Etsy, for cool vintage buttons.

How to Sew on a Button

How To Sew On Buttons By Machine

Button Kit Covered Buttons

DIY Covered Buttons (No Kit Required)

How to Make a Buttonhole

Repair broken belts, bags and other handles or straps.

What could be better than expanding your sewing skills to include whacking something with a hammer or squeezing it with pliers? Fix heavy straps and handles while taking out your frustrations.

How To Attach Metal Rivets On Sewing Projects

How To Apply Metal Snaps To Fabric

Fix simple tears, ripped out seams or torn belt loops.

Sometimes the only thing wrong with a set-aside garment is a small tear or a seam that's come loose in the middle. These are easy, easy fixes, which can be done by hand or machine. An opened seam is especially quick to fix because you have a starting and stopping point to match. For those torn belt loops, just switch out to a jeans or denim needle and a strong thread to make sure you can stitch through the bulky layers.

Sewing a Basic Seam

Basic Machine Stitches

Hand Sewing: The Basics

Hand Sewing: Thread the Needle & Tie the Knot

Freshen up a jacket, sweater or coat with new closures.

On heavy outerwear, the closures are usually the first to go. Remove what's worn out and replace it with something even better than before: frogs, toggles and buckles are unusual options that are easy to find and inexpensive.

Fascinating Fasteners

Do not fear the busted zipper – you can put in a new one.

A broken zipper is probably the most common reason a garment lands in the 'giveaway bag,' but that is such a shame. Face your zipper phobia, and simply pull out your trusty seam ripper. Carefully remove the old zipper, then open up the seam a little top and bottom and insert a new one (regular or invisible).

Invisible Zippers Are Your Friends

Basic Zipper Installation

Mistakes Happen: How to Rip Out a Seam

Holes in your favorite sweater, jeans or whatever?

Have the moths had their way with an otherwise lovely sweater or other garment? A great way to cover up a hole and add a dash of color and texture is with appliqué. It doesn't have to be a big, clunky pre-embroidered patch (who are you, a park ranger??), you can create your own appliqués by fussy-cutting patches from your beautiful fabric scraps.

How to Appliqué

How to Fussy Cut

Stitch up falling hems... or turn long pants into shorts, long sleeves into short for a whole new look.

I have friends who let the dry cleaners hem their pants. "Oh puuuhhhh-leeeze," I usually admonish. "A hem is one of the the most basic things anyone can do." I then usually force them to come over and try it. There is often a lot of grumbling, but once they find out how truly easy it is, they're hooked. I have one friend, who started with hems, and is now a way better sewer than me!

How to Make a Simple Hem

How to Make a Blind Hem Stitch

Cover up frayed cuffs and hems with bias tape binding.

There are some items I wear and wear and wear, until they literally start to fall to pieces. A great trick for frayed cuffs and hems is to bind the edge. I used a leather binding on the frayed cuffs of a classic jeans jacket and it looked cooler than before.

Bias Tape: How To Make It & Attach It

Did something get too short or someone get too tall? Add a border of decorative stitching.

Extend the life and the length of pants or skirts by adding a border in a matching or complimentary color. Then, amp it up with a few lines of decorative stitching. This technique is a 1970s throw-back that feels new and cool today.

Decorative Stitches - Sewing Outside The Lines

Decorative Stitches: Part Deux

We have lots more techniques in our Tips & Resources section. Browse about, then open up your closet (or your 'giveaway bag') and think about your current collection in a whole new light.

Comments (5)

Gloria3133 said:

... what a great posting and it's not just for back to school. I am going to use this for creative organizing the closet on my New Years organizing list at the top. THANK YOU

December 28, 2011

tracydvr said:

... what a great posting...especially helpful in these economic times. I'm going to send a link to it out to the Girl Scout Service Unit and post it on my GS San Jacinto Council Sewing & Quilting website http://sites.google.com/site/sjcisquilting/ Thanks!

August 19, 2011

Georgiapea said:

... Wow thank you! What a great post. I was just fretting about a blind-hem stitch...and now I know!

August 25, 2010

Liz Johnson, Editor, Sew4Home said:

... Hi Chris Pickup -- Thanks for the link on your blog. We love getting passed along to others

August 24, 2010

Chris Pickup said:

... Thank you so very much for this post. I am linking to it in my Sewing 101 archive. You can see that at http://pickupsomecreativity.bl...chive.html just click on Sewing Tips Round Up.

August 24, 2010

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