I have been trying to step away from mindless consumerism, choosing sustainability over convenience. That’s why I always check second-hand shops first to see if I can find what I need while also supporting charity organizations.
The other day, I passed by a charity shop in Banbury and was amazed at how cheap the items were. I was drawn to a fabric with a beautiful earthy-coloured pattern and a nice material that drapes beautifully. I bought it for only £2, buy one, get the item free.
Next to it, I found some threads and yarn.
I picked one that I thought would match the fabric perfectly.
Today, I decided to turn this lovely fabric into a wrap-around skirt.
The fabric was cut in a circle, so I tried to create a pattern to shape it into a skirt.
First, I located the centre of the circle by folding it into quarter.
I cut the tip to mark the middle.
Then, I measured my hips and cut a slit in the middle according to my hip measurement, with one side cut all the way through.
I cut a strip on both sides adjacent to the slit.
Next, I trimmed the excess fabric where I had cut the strip and used those pieces for the straps.
Once everything was shaped and cut, I sewed the sides and finished the straps. I used a sewing machine this time.
and I am amazed that it still works, as I have not used it for quite a while.
I was really pleased with the result— a comfy, adjustable wrap-around skirt!
I tried it on, and it fitted well and was very comfy!
🧡🤎
To complement it, I decided to use the matching yarn to crochet mandala earrings.
Mandala Earrings Crochet Pattern 🧵
Materials: 🧵
Fine yarn
.75 crochet hook
Needle for weaving in ends
Scissors
Hoop earring bases and beads (optional)
Pattern: 🧵
Round 1:
Start with a magic ring.
Ch 1, 11 sc into the ring.
Join with a sl st into the first sc. (11 sts)
Round 2: 🧵
Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in the same stitch, ch 1.
(2 dc in the next stitch, ch 1) repeat around.
Join with a sl st into the top of ch 3. (11 clusters)
Round 3: 🧵
Ch 1, sc in the same stitch, ch 3, skip 1 stitch, sc in the next stitch.
(Ch 3, skip 1 stitch, sc in the next stitch) repeat around.
Join with a sl st to the first sc. (12 loops)
Round 4: 🧵
Sl st into the first ch-3 loop, then work: sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc in the same loop.
(Sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc) in the next ch-3 space—repeat around.
Join with a sl st to the first sc.
Fasten off and weave in the ends.
To add a special touch, I embellished the earrings with gold, orange, and blue beads as accents to match the fabric. Then, I attached them to earring hooks.
This project was much more enjoyable and satisfying than buying something new.
Making your own from second-hand items reduces waste, saves resources, sparks creativity, and supports sustainability. 😊
Have a lovely day!
Mariah 🤎🧡🧵
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It's true, second-hand stuff can be good, especially if you can personalize it. But it's still consumerism, maybe a little lower :)
Please vote for the new Ecency Proposal.
Yeah, it’s definitely still part of the cycle, just at a slower pace. Second-hand keeps things out of landfills and gives them a longer life, but it doesn’t completely remove the desire for "new" things—just new to us. Personalizing or upcycling makes it feel more intentional, though.
Yes, it's a question of people's consciousness. But anyway, the production of stuff is massive, and if I want to have fun collecting and recycling it, it takes time. Clothes are only part of the story. About a month ago, I tried to give away many usable clothes from the whole family. Still, nobody wanted them, so I tried to give them to the Red Cross - in our country, it's one of the organizations that collect this kind of stuff, but they demanded that I wash them first, clean them, and fold them... well, then I threw it all away.
That’s frustrating. It’s understandable to want to give things away to help others, but when organizations make the process so tedious, it can feel like more trouble than it’s worth. I have done that too in the past. I’m just lucky that I have a bit of time on my hands at the moment and am trying out different things I’ve missed. And yes, upcycling does take a lot of time. Have a nice day. 💗😊