Sometimes, it only takes a couple of stitches to bring new life to your clothes. For this tutorial in the Making the Most of Your Wardrobe series, you don't even need a sewing machine!
I wanted to show how small changes—like swapping out the buttons on a top—can breathe new life into an article of clothing.
For instance, here's a top I've had for a couple of years but, while I loved the funky-ness of the heart buttons, I didn't like that it felt uber-patriotic against the navy-and-white polka dot pattern. I didn't like feeling like a walking American flag!
So I decided to find some more understated buttons to use to give the top the kind of laidback sophisticated style vibe I've been going for with my wardrobe. I picked up these pearlescent buttons for a whopping $0.67! (When picking out your buttons, try to aim for ones with a diameter as close as possible to the button-hole opening.)
To get started, I carefully snipped off the old buttons (and added them to my button stash, because I totally plan on repurposing them!). And then, with a couple threads of my needle, I fastened the buttons to the shirt, making sure to place them in the same spots where the original buttons had been.
While I was at it, I also decided to stitch the ruffles on either side of the buttons down in place. (They never seemed to look decent, even after ironing them again and again.) Every inch or so, I just added a couple of tiny stitches along the ruffle, arranging the fabric as I went to get it to lay as naturally as possible. (For this part, I chose a navy thread that matched the blue of the shirt so it'd be nearly invisible.)
All in all, it took less than half an hour to make these simple updates, but look at the difference they made:
And, in case you've missed any, you can check out all the tutorials in the Make the Most of Your Wardrobe series here.
Wonderful idea! I'm glad I saw this before I gave away a few shirts I had grown tired of wearing. Great way to add some new life into them.
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