Clothes Shopping for Less and Fun DYI projects!

Back to school shopping has begun! Bring on the excitement! Bring on the Fun! Your shopping may likely already be done depending on where you live and when school starts! I sure do remember the excitement of back to school shopping! I thought it was almost as fantastic as Christmas! To get to go shopping, pick out the clothes and shoes and jewelry you wanted was a dream come true for me! I lived for Back to school shopping! (Thanks Mom!)

I am the Mom of a teenager, now! Spending gobs of money essentially for clothing that my daughter doesn’t even NEED seems ridiculous but I know how exciting it is! So, here are some ideas of places locally that you can shop at and not spend a fortune for back to school clothes or anytime at all! I’ve also added some links to some super neat sites for the sewer and non-sewers alike!

If your kids are elementary school age my favorite’s second hand stores are:

Lots for tots in Falmouth http://www.lotsfortotsne.com/ and
Kids Unlimited Children’s on Warren Ave. in Portland

For the teens check out these super cool places with hip, vintage and designer labels!
Zeus's Closet clothing and accessories for Teens & Young Adults
352 Warren Ave
Portland, ME 04103-1188
(207) 878-3005‎
(207) 878-5028‎

Material Objects
500 Congress St # 1
Portland, ME 04101-3473
(207) 774-1241‎

Second Time Around (our favorite!)
Exchange Street and also there is one on Fore Street, too
www.secondtimearound.net
(Lacoste shirts $5-$35, and I do not mean IZOD!)


If your child gets hand me downs add some embellishments to make them unique to the child receiving them or let them do it! They could add some plaid patches or appliqué’s. Fabric-tac and Stitch Witchery are amazing and can be found at craft or fabric stores! No sewing required with these fantastic products!

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?CATID=cat483848&PRODID=prd2975
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/fabritac.html

Let your kids cut the neck out of t-shirts or sweatshirts, cut holes in the knees of jeans and the cuff of sleeves of a sweatshirt for their fingers! (ask a teenager, they will explain!) to give them a trendier and different feel! Be sure t take before and after pictures of your kids’ creations!

Plan a special night where your kids and even their friends can come over and do a fashion show with there new or re-fashioned clothing! Tie some ribbon around pencils for simple party favors!

For a fun project for the younger kids cut out the entire back pockets of old jeans and glue it to the front of a notebook and you have a pocket for pen’s and pencils!

Check out this video! It is a segment from the Today Show that shows how to make a bag out of a t-shirt a stapler and duct tape!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6yDxK68OZc

This book looks like fun!
Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt
by Megan Nicolay
http://www.amazon.com/Generation-108-Ways-Transform-T-Shirt/dp/0761137858

Make Skinny Jeans! So a few years ago flaired jeans were hip now skinny jeans are all the rage! I gave all of Libby's outdated jeans away BEFORE I saw this super smart video! Again, fabri-tac works if you don't have a sewing machine or access to one!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5x33A-AO-8

Have a great t-shirt that you wish were smaller? This video is a bit lengthy and the quality isn’t great but the idea is! No sewing is A okay with me! Although there is always fabric-tac… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUTd3cjLkBs&NR=1

For those of you lucky enough to have a sewing machine and in need of some guidance this is great! Get the same jumper pattern as Chloe and you get step-by-step instructions!
http://www.simplicity.com/t-sewing-videos-jumper-1.aspx

This site has lots of ideas for recycling and making neat accessories and clothing!
http://diyfashion.about.com/od/recycledprojects/tp/Recycle-Your-Clothes.htm

Get those creative juices flowing! Who knows…you might encourage you son or daughter to become a designer, or you might just become one yourself!