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<\/p>\nAs your family grows in numbers, one thing quickly becomes very clear; hand-me-downs are a genuine blessing. Children grow quickly, and continuously buying clothes to fit their current size can get expensive. Using hand-me-downs, whether from your child\u2019s older sibling, or from other family groups, is a great way to prevent a clothing cost blowout.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll also save a lot of space and waste. Hand-me-downs are a far more environmentally friendly way of getting clothes than regularly buying newly manufactured pieces.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, there is a big \u201cbut\u201d.<\/p>\n
No one \u2013 especially kids in the midst of developing their own personalities and sense of style \u2013 wants to wear clothing that\u2019s a poor fit, faded, damaged or even \u2013 heaven forbid \u2013 out of style.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a strong likelihood that any single hand-me-down has some kind of problem with it. That\u2019s where you\u2019ll need to get creative so that your kids will still love their clothes.<\/p>\n
Here are some simple alterations that you can apply to hand-me-downs to give them a fresh lease on life and give your kids unique fashion that suits their sense of style.<\/p>\n
There isn\u2019t much that a good pair of scissors can\u2019t solve. Long sleeved shirts become light short sleeved shirts. Pants become shorts and shorts become skirts. Jeans become fashionably \u201cdistressed\u201d and a t-shirt becomes almost anything you want it to be. For stains, you may be able to incorporate some creative cutting to get rid of the stain. If the hand-me-down is still not fitting perfectly, consider using it as the base material to make something else entirely.<\/p>\n
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Speaking of ill-fitting clothing, if it\u2019s a hand-me-down that\u2019s really worth saving \u2013 perhaps a suit or a blazer \u2013 then an expert may well be able to assist you<\/a>. Hemming and taking clothes in and out to create a better fit is their bread-and-butter. While this will be more expensive than a DIY job, it will result in clothing that may as well be new. It will also be less expensive than buying new clothes altogether. Every child needs good \u201cformal\u201d wear in their wardrobe, and if you\u2019re on a budget this is the perfect way to ensure they do.<\/p>\n Learning how to use a sewing machine will become a major asset in helping you customise hand-me-downs to your kid\u2019s tastes and preferences. An easy way to customise a piece of clothing, is to stitch on a patch unique to your child\u2019s interests. It could be a favourite animal, or a place the family went on holiday, for example.<\/p>\n Adding lace or ribbons to an otherwise dull shirt can give it new vibrancy and life. Modern sewing machines are neither expensive, nor particularly hard to use. The results more than justify the investment in learning how to use them.<\/p>\n Depending on your child\u2019s age, you probably don\u2019t want the children messing around with that sewing machine you just bought. Despite this, there are so many other things that you can get the kids to do with their own clothes, and they\u2019ll love the opportunity to get hands-on with customisation.<\/p>\n Get a stash of fabric markers, fabric glue, sequins and other sparkly trim, then encourage the kids to think about what they\u2019d like to do with their \u201cnew\u201d hand-me-downs. It\u2019s a good exercise for stimulating the child\u2019s creativity, and it won\u2019t be the end of the world if they do something disastrous to a hand-me-down. You can be much more certain that a child\u2019s going to get a lot of wear out of something that they actually designed themselves.<\/p>\n None of the above tips are difficult or costly to implement, but will guarantee far better results when convincing your kids hand-me-downs are the best choice. And who knows? Once you\u2019ve been bitten by the clothing bug, it may become a new hobby.<\/p>\n All 120 LookSmart Your Stylist Tailor stores across Australia<\/a> and New Zealand<\/a> provide professional bridal dress alterations. Our tailors and seamstress are experts in all wedding dress and suit alterations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nSAVE $10 OFF* ALTERATIONS<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n3. Get yourself a sewing machine<\/h2>\n
4. Get the kids to personalise their own clothes<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nWhy stop at hand-me-downs?<\/h2>\n
Hand-Me-Downs with LookSmart<\/h2>\n
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