From Closet to Canvas: Upcycling Clothes into Art
Written by Kadence Schaecher
Photos by Hallie Lueking
Modeled by Blu Campbell, Edmund Albert-Rambo, & Halle Kory
Imagine this: It’s laundry day, and you’ve just pulled your fresh clothes out of the dryer. As you’re folding them up, though, you find an odd spot on your favorite pair of light colored clothing. So you scrub and scrub at it, trying every stain remover in your arsenal, only for it all to be of no use. This exact situation happened to me, and to my favorite pair of pants.
It was a nightmare, really. I finally found a pair of pants that were both cute and fit well, just for them to get ruined in the wash. I figured I should just throw them away, since going out in blotchy, stained clothing is generally frowned upon. However, after a little bit of doom scrolling on social media to distract from my woes, I found there was another option.
I was first introduced to the concept of drawing and painting on clothing during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic quarantine. With so much free time, people began to push the bounds of their creativity, putting their art on just about any unconventional surface. Walls, jackets, and even calculators were painted, and this is where I found my inspiration. I had been far too scared to try out any of these trends myself in fear of ruining the object I painted on, but if it was already ruined… then there was truly nothing to lose. This was the moment that turned my clothes into a canvas.
Paint pens were my medium of choice since they are easy to use and produce bright, vibrant colors on just about any material, but other mediums work just as well. Fabric paints and Sharpies are also great options, and both come in a wide variety of colors to suit your tastes. If you prefer a grungier style, bleaching can be another way to add some artistic flair.
If a hand-drawn approach isn’t your style, there are many other ways to upcycle your clothes. Sewing up holes or rips doesn’t have to be boring; you can add fun designs with just a needle and thread. Tie-dying is an easy way to breathe new life into a plain shirt. Adding on patches and buttons is another easy, stress-free way to make your old clothes into a new statement piece.
There are so many options for mediums and techniques that can be used to customize clothing, making the creative possibilities almost endless. Just be sure to research your medium of choice and how to properly care for your clothing and art after it is complete.
Far too many pieces of clothing get thrown out over small rips or little stains when there are so many options for upcycling, which only furthers consumerism trends and wastefulness. So, next time you’re considering throwing something out, why not try making pieces of your closet into your own canvas?
