Ripped your favorite pair of jeans? Hole in the sleeve of your nicest sweater? Try visible mending to sew it up while adding some character.
A Redditor shared their cardigan's colorful transformation to r/VisibleMending.
"Binding the edges of my holey cardigan," the user wrote. "I used a thin crochet thread and was careful with tension."
The before image shows the ripped and frayed edges of the user's cardigan, which was transformed into a unique piece using variegated crochet thread. The Redditor is practicing visible mending, a technique where repair work is intentionally showcased rather than hidden. This approach can range from a few simple threads to full-scale embroidery.
Repairing your clothes extends their lifespan, so you get the most out of your favorite sweater or pair of jeans. This is important, as "the number of times a garment is worn has declined by 36 percent in 15 years," the United Nations Environment Program reported.
More clothes are in production than ever before, yet we are severely under-using them. Billions of pounds of clothing and other textiles end up in landfills every year. A large portion of these clothes are unsold, and many of the used clothes are in great condition. This is unfortunate, as according to the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association, "nearly 95% of used clothing and textiles can be reused and recycled."
So before you toss out an otherwise perfect shirt, try your hand at visible mending. And if sewing isn't for you, there are a ton of ways to repurpose or recycle your old clothes. Old t-shirts can become Swiffer refills or reusable paper towels, and your jeans can become pot holders. Otherwise, donate your clothing to donation centers or thrift stores like Goodwill. Some companies will even pay you for your old clothes, like ThredUP.
Want to shop smarter? Explore our guides to change the way you buy new clothes and the way you get rid of them.
Redditors loved the user's choice of thread and found their work to be both simple and stunning.
One user said, "I was thinking of trying something similar, but it didn't occur to me to use variegated thread! This looks fantastic!"
"I love how this looks," commented another. "It really breathes new life into a well loved piece of clothing."
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