Children grow so fast that sometimes you do not even notice how it happened that after just one winter, beautiful demi-season shoes, bought in mid-autumn, will not fit the child's foot. However, your baby has grown well and may even have outgrown the summer clothes bought at the winter sale. Let's decide what to do with clothes that have become out of size.
1. Should You Throw away Old Baby Clothes?
We are considering this option because many parents do not bother about where to put a package of old children's things. You can just throw away the unnecessary things and this will solve the problem. However, this is quite a barbaric approach and you should avoid it if possible. It is not eco-friendly and you also miss the possibility to use unnecessary clothes in a better way.
2. Donate to the Orphanage
One of the most humane ways to get rid of unnecessary things. Children who grow up without parents in special centers are in great need of toys, books, and clothes. Take all your child's old things and take them to the orphanage. In this case, you can be sure that this act will definitely make someone happier.
More options to donate baby clothes
Another option is to hand over old children's clothes to Greenpeace. Reception locations can be in areas with separate garbage gatherings or in different parts of the city.
The third option is to give unnecessary clothes to the humanitarian aid center. There they are sorted, disinfected, and distributed to the needy, sent to orphanages or boarding schools. And, by the way, you can also hand over toys, books, shoes, even stationery - all that lies at home without need.
3. Sell Kids Clothes
There is a huge number of special online platforms where you can sell unnecessary children's things. On such sites, you can sell clothes that your child has outgrown. For example, things with tags or with a comment that the tags were removed, but were used only once. It is still good to sell outerwear. Wash your outerwear, evaluate whether it can be worn for another season and if so, feel free to offer it on the site.
There is another category of things that are better not to sell. For example:
- underwear;
- worn T-shirts;
- heavily worn sweaters;
- jeans with obvious defects, and so on.
Try not to put up for sale what you would not have bought by yourself. It is better to give such things to an orphanage than to try to earn money on obsolete things.
One way or another, there will always be a place where unnecessary things will definitely become necessary. Freeing the shelves in the closet from the old things, allows you to make room for the new.
4. Learn to Exchange Baby Clothes
This practice has become more popular in recent years. There are so-called free markets (on the principle of a self-organized fair), where you can exchange your unwanted things for something new if you don’t want to sell kid’s clothes. This is a great way to get new clothes for your baby without wasting a lot of time and money. Check your local social groups and websites in order to find information about such events. It is also one of the possible ways to upcycle unnecessary things. You can bring:
- clothes,
- toys,
- accessories,
- carriages,
- and even furniture.
5. Recycle
This is an option for eco-friendly parents and it is especially convenient in case you need to pick up things that don’t look good anymore and you can’t give them to other people. There are special companies that recycle them, just find the reception locations. If you are thinking about the future of our planet, don’t forget three principles of environmentally responsible behavior:
- Reduce
- Reuse
- Recycle
You will be surprised but even from such a decision you can benefit. For example, the world-famous brand of inexpensive clothes H&M accepts things for recycling in its stores (special boxes are usually installed near checkouts). In addition, those who do a good deed are given discount coupons for further purchases of products from this manufacturer.
6. Make Keepsakes
Here are some simple ideas to make keepsakes out of the clothes your child has grown out of. There are great ways to upcycle old baby clothes. Get out the sewing machine!
1. Toys
There are a lot of DIY guides on the Internet on sewing simple toys that will surely delight your children and keep fond memories.
2. Blanket and pillows
You can sew a patchwork blanket out of pieces of children's clothing and add mini pillows to it. Warm, cozy, and made with love! This is definitely one of the best ways to upcycle baby clothes.
3. Soft books
You can cut animal figures from outgrown baby clothes, for example, and make an instructive book, or just come up with an unusual story with different characters. Soft books are also a great gift that you can put in a Christmas stocking next year!
4. Crafts
Buttons covered with fabric, flowers from fabric, Christmas stockings, and much more - all this will definitely come in handy and will decorate your apartment. Try to make keepsakes out of old baby clothes and maybe you’ll get even more ideas in the process.
7. An Adorable Way to Repurpose Old Baby Clothes
Mothers from all over the world sew incredibly cute little animals from old clothes for their babies. These could be:
- teddy bears;
- elephants;
- lions;
- and other animals.
Such handicrafts have received the name of memory bears and they are becoming more and more popular every day. Children play with such toys starting from the first months of life, and mothers, looking at them, remember the very first days of their babies.
In fact, you don't have to be limited to bears. Other animals look pretty cute, too. You can take your baby's old things to a seamstress with detailed instructions, or try making a toy yourself.
Any outgrown baby clothes, diapers, and even a blanket from the hospital are suitable for creating little toys. If there is excess tissue left, you can additionally make a small pillow for the baby. This is an amazing way to repurpose old baby clothes.
Start by choosing an item that is already small for your little one. It is better to choose the one with the most interesting print and the least wear marks. But you can just take your favorite one.
In Conclusion
Babies grow very quickly and some mothers cannot allow themselves to throw away or give away the jumpsuit, from which the baby has already grown. Luckily, there is a way out! Choose one of the ideas that suits you best and try to get rid of old clothes. This is a good possibility to make room for new things. Don’t hesitate to try something out right now!
