Reading time: 2 minutes.
You know that big pile of old sarees you no longer wear but don’t want to throw away? You can repurpose them into new outfits and transform your home décor with a few clever clothing hacks. Not only will you reduce the amount of waste you produce and get more value for money out of your old sarees, you’ll also get some beautiful new additions to your home and wardrobe. We’ll show you how to make dress from saree as well as fashion accessories and features for your bedroom and living room.
One saree can make many new things, so spend some time looking at the different parts that you can reuse when deciding how to recycle old sarees into new dresses, home décor like curtains and cushion covers, and fashion accessories like a dupatta or a bag.
How to make dresses from old sarees
There are so many different styles of dresses from old sarees you can create, as well as outfits with trousers, skirts and two-piece dresses made from old sarees and pattu. If you don’t have quite enough material, add in borders and lace, and embellish with sequins and embroidery for a totally new look. Be inspired by these options:
Salwar kameez: create the baggy trousers and long shirt combination from silk sarees.
Kaftan: georgette and chiffon sarees work well with this transformation.
One-piece gown: stitch it together to create a flowing dress.
Matching dresses with relations: make a mini version for your daughter or niece.
Lehenga choli: use old silk sarees to make the pleated skirt and blouse.
How to recycle old sarees: accessories
Do you want some new accessories to go with those new dresses made from old sarees? You can make them out of your old sarees too! This is another option when looking at how to recycle old sarees to create a fresh outfit. Here are a couple of ideas:
Bag: use the pattu border of your old saree to create a pretty handbag, tote bag or purse.
Dupatta: you’ll have more than enough fabric in an old saree to make a dupatta to wrap around your shoulders and head.
How to reuse old sarees for decoration
Cushion covers
Are you wondering how to recycle old sarees to use in your home décor? In addition to clothing and accessories, there are plenty of soft furnishing projects that can answer that question of how to make use of old sarees. Take cushion covers, for example.
The beautiful patterns and colours in sarees lend themselves perfectly to scatter cushions for the living room or bedroom, and even pillows too. Add tassels, pompoms or decorative edging to bring a new lease of life to your saree cushion cover. The only limit is your imagination.
Wall decor and curtains
While we’re on the subject of how to reuse old sarees in the home, how about your walls? There are many ways to adorn your walls with old sarees to make your home even more bright and interesting. Here are a few ideas:
Curtains across the windows
Canopies and drapes over four poster beds
Billowing ceiling covers
Decorated headboards
As you can see, there’s no reason to throw out your favourite sarees when you no longer want to wear them in their current state. You can create new pieces of home décor, craft new dresses from old sarees, or make accessories to go with your new outfit.
Key Steps
Here are a few new things you can make from old sarees:
Dresses
Bags
Dupattas
Cushion covers
Curtains
Four poster bed décor