Upcycling is arguably the opposite of fast fashion in that it diverts clothes away from landfills — and as an r/Anticonsumption user demonstrated, some of the coolest upcycled fashion pieces are shockingly easy to make.
Alongside two photographs of their creation, the user introduced their newly upcycled accessories in the title.
"The warmest mittens ever. I made them with a shrunken wool-blend sweater sleeves and wool socks," they began. According to the user, the finished product — a pair of mittens — didn't require special skills or even a pattern.
"I didn't follow a template. Just hand-stitched around the edges," they concluded.
Upcycling isn't just a way to participate in a circular economy or to give new life to beloved items — the practice also tends to result in stunning, one-of-a-kind pieces.
Fellow Redditors were impressed by the user's upcycled gloves. "Those mittens look beautiful. What an awesome use of an old sweater, gives me ideas," one replied.
In response to another user's comment about the submitter's "great talent," the mitten-maker insisted the project was easier than it looked. "Thanks so much! But it's not like I knitted them from scratch. It was easy," they replied.
Upcycling undoubtedly saves money by giving existing objects a new purpose, and it can even make money — a point another user raised, proposing the original poster open an Etsy store to sell their creations. Platforms including ThredUp are one way to earn cash on secondhand pieces — or even score a secondhand gem for your closet.
These are some of the best ways to upgrade your wardrobe without breaking the bank, and the possibilities upcycling brings are nearly limitless. High-quality pieces are ideal for these projects, which the original poster was happy to discover.
They said that in addition to being deceptively simple to make, the upcycled mittens had one massive upside. "I used thick wool socks on the inside and it's super soft and cushy," they wrote.
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Giving me money back 💰 The cute mittens turned out "warmer than my North Face ski gloves," the original poster added. "That's why I thought they fit this anticonsumption sub."
According to the user, the upcycled mittens were "even better than store-bought" alternatives.
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