Don't Skip Skirts At The Thrift For A Clever Decor Upcycle

Redecorating your home on a budget sometimes calls for clever upcycling ideas. While it's likely you've stumbled across DIY pages that offer suggestions like clever ways to reuse old glass jars around the house, there are plenty of other items you can repurpose for your home design. It may seem strange, but scoring a beautifully patterned skirt, dress, or other clothing items in your local thrift store could be just the thing your design needs for a boost of style and personality. Some skirts from a secondhand store might not fit your clothing style or be trendy enough to wear, but their patterns could be downright gorgeous and well-suited as a work of art.

One DIY project worth trying out is transforming a thrifted skirt or articles of clothing into a framed piece of decor. Using simple materials and tools, like a picture frame, scissors, fabric tape, and, of course, a skirt, you can create beautiful artwork that adds flair to your space. Depending on the size of your picture frame, you could make a gorgeous oversized statement piece or a small addition that blends in with gallery wall pieces. If this DIY project has your creative juices flowing, then here's how to do it in your home.

To launch this upcycling idea, you'll want to source a skirt, dress, or shirt from your favorite secondhand source (or even from the back of your closet). Any size, material, and pattern will do — it's all about the vibe you want to create. You may have to make a couple of trips to the thrift store to score the perfect pattern or color for your design scheme. Thicker materials, like denim or velvet, will be more difficult to work with for this particular DIY. You could choose a short or long skirt, but make sure it is the proper size for your picture frame. You'll need at least enough material to cover the area with some extra left over for proper application. 

Lay out the skirt so that the material is flat with few to no wrinkles. Next, separate the frame like you would if you were installing a picture. Using either the glass or the mat board as a guide, lay the material onto the skirt, and use a marker to outline where you'll be cutting. Be sure to cut more than you need to leave an extra border of fabric around the edge. You can trim off excess as needed. Once you have your fabric sheet, lay it into the frame as you would typically assemble with a photo. Use fabric tape to attach the material in place. 

You can also add extra touches to personalize the look. Use strips of different skirts for a patchwork look, or cut shapes out of contrasting fabric to stitch onto the skirt fabric. You can also paint and embellish the frame however you want to personalize it. When it's finished, hang your custom artwork on your wall.

Not all fabrics are ideal for the picture frame DIY. If you decide to use a thicker material for that project, you might need to remove the inner mat board layer or remove the glass to allow the material to fit within the frame. Removing the glass could also be a design choice that allows a more tactile element to the project. Another option is to wrap the fabric around an old stretched canvas print that you no longer like. You can attach the fabric to the back, and leave it as-is or add a frame around it.

Still, fabric is a versatile material for many DIY home decor projects. Aside from framing, you could turn almost any fabric into stylish DIY tie up curtains. While most skirts aren't long enough for a floor-length curtain, you could turn a thrifted skirt into cafe curtains or window coverings for a tiny window. You might also choose to create a gorgeous skirted sink using your thrifted material. The sink skirt is making a comeback in home design, so this could be a trendy upcycling project to execute.

Another DIY idea is to update an old chair by reupholstering the cushion with fabric from an old skirt. Choose fabric that's durable enough to work as upholstery. If you prefer simple DIY ideas to enhance your home design, some homeowners skip the adult aisle in search of children's skirts that often come in more brightly colored, playful patterns. Turn a spunky kid's skirt into a fun lampshade by pinning it to an existing lampshade. Not all of these projects are great for every skirt length and material, but they could be fantastic afternoon DIYs that boost your home design.